Writing an image to the eMMC from micro SD card - is there a typo?

In the following page:-

    http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardUbuntu#eMMC:_BeagleBone_Black

It says:-

    Flasher
    eMMC: BeagleBone Black

    This image can be written to a 2GB (or larger) microSD card, via 'dd'
    on linux or the win32 image program linked to on CircuitCo's wiki
    page. First press and hold the boot select button (next to the microSD
    card), then apply power (same procedure as the official CircuitCo
    images). The board should boot into Ubuntu and begin flashing the
    eMMC, once completed all 4 LED's should be full ON. Simply remove
    power, remove the microSD card and Ubuntu will now boot directly from
    eMMC.

I don't really follow this. Using the instructions elsewhere on the
same web page I have written Ubuntu 13.10 for the BBB onto a micro SD
card and it boots successfully from this. So does this mean I have
*already* done (using the script) what's described in the first
sentence above using dd?

If so should I just be able now to do what is described in the
subsequent sentences?

Finally, if this works, can I just plug in a micro SD card that
*doesn't* have an image file on it and use the space on it? I realise
that I have to format it and mount it of course.

In the following page:-

    BeagleBoardUbuntu - eLinux.org

It says:-

    Flasher
    eMMC: BeagleBone Black

    This image can be written to a 2GB (or larger) microSD card, via 'dd'
    on linux or the win32 image program linked to on CircuitCo's wiki
    page. First press and hold the boot select button (next to the microSD
    card), then apply power (same procedure as the official CircuitCo
    images). The board should boot into Ubuntu and begin flashing the
    eMMC, once completed all 4 LED's should be full ON. Simply remove
    power, remove the microSD card and Ubuntu will now boot directly from
    eMMC.

I don't really follow this. Using the instructions elsewhere on the
same web page I have written Ubuntu 13.10 for the BBB onto a micro SD
card and it boots successfully from this. So does this mean I have
*already* done (using the script) what's described in the first
sentence above using dd?

The "instructions" are generic and the same for both images. On first
bootup the "flasher" image is setup to automatically flash the "eMMC".
Whereas the raw "bone" image just runs from the microSD.

If so should I just be able now to do what is described in the
subsequent sentences?

BTW, if you've already flashed the "bone" image to a microSD and have
booted it up, you can easily transfer that image to the eMMC via:

cd /opt/scripts/
./tools/beaglebone-black-eMMC-flasher.sh

(this is the same script the "flasher" image runs on bootup..)

Finally, if this works, can I just plug in a micro SD card that
*doesn't* have an image file on it and use the space on it? I realize
that I have to format it and mount it of course.

Yes you can use it as secondary storage, just don't have a file named
"uEnv.txt" on the microSD with a variable called "uenvcmd" in it.

Regards,

> In the following page:-
>
> BeagleBoardUbuntu - eLinux.org
>
>
> It says:-
>
> Flasher
> eMMC: BeagleBone Black
>
> This image can be written to a 2GB (or larger) microSD card, via 'dd'
> on linux or the win32 image program linked to on CircuitCo's wiki
> page. First press and hold the boot select button (next to the microSD
> card), then apply power (same procedure as the official CircuitCo
> images). The board should boot into Ubuntu and begin flashing the
> eMMC, once completed all 4 LED's should be full ON. Simply remove
> power, remove the microSD card and Ubuntu will now boot directly from
> eMMC.
>
>
>
> I don't really follow this. Using the instructions elsewhere on the
> same web page I have written Ubuntu 13.10 for the BBB onto a micro SD
> card and it boots successfully from this. So does this mean I have
> *already* done (using the script) what's described in the first
> sentence above using dd?

The "instructions" are generic and the same for both images. On first
bootup the "flasher" image is setup to automatically flash the "eMMC".
Whereas the raw "bone" image just runs from the microSD.

OK, I hadn't realised that there are two images, one that
automatically tranfers itself to eMMC and the other that just works
from the microSD card.

> If so should I just be able now to do what is described in the
> subsequent sentences?

BTW, if you've already flashed the "bone" image to a microSD and have
booted it up, you can easily transfer that image to the eMMC via:

cd /opt/scripts/
./tools/beaglebone-black-eMMC-flasher.sh

OK, I did actually work this out for myself in the end and now have
Ubuntu running from the eMMC

(this is the same script the "flasher" image runs on bootup..)

>
> Finally, if this works, can I just plug in a micro SD card that
> *doesn't* have an image file on it and use the space on it? I realize
> that I have to format it and mount it of course.

Yes you can use it as secondary storage, just don't have a file named
"uEnv.txt" on the microSD with a variable called "uenvcmd" in it.

OK, thanks, I think I'm all set now! :slight_smile: