Can't boot Raspberry Pi 4b from microSD

Support & help
1

:pushpin:Question Description

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  • Description:
    Iā€™ve downloaded the latest FydeOS image (three times now) and used Raspberry Pi Imager, Balena Etcher, Rufus & Linux Mint image restorer at least 6 times now to write the image to a fully working & tested microSD, but my rpi4b will not boot the image - itā€™s just stuck on the rainbow bootloader screen with the green LED flashing 7 times (I think this indicates no bootable image).

If I write the image to a normal USB memory stick, my rpi4b will boot FydeOS no problem.

If I use a microSD to USB dongle, I can insert the microSD in it & write the image to it fine. I can then insert the microSD/USB dongle into my rpi4b and it boots fine. If I then shutdown, take the microSD out of the USB dongle & instead insert it into the microSD slot on my rpi4b, it will NOT boot & is stuck on the rainbow screen.

Iā€™ve looked at the partition table on the microSD - it all looks fine to me & seems to match the partition table as written to the working USB memory stick.

Iā€™ve tried writing the image under Linux Mint & Windows 11.

Iā€™ve also verified the Bootloader order on my rpi4b as microSD first.

Why will this image not boot from microSD on a rpi4b ??

Note: I have also tried the OpenFyde image contained in ā€˜rpi4-openfyde-r120.img.xzā€™ on GitHub, and it also will not boot from microSD (but I have no problem booting other OSā€™s from microSD)

:computer:System & Device Information

Raspberry Pi 4b 2Gb

2

Unless anyone knows what the issue is with getting FydeOS to boot from microSD, Iā€™ll have to give up on it.

I tried mounting partition12 under Linux Mint & looking at cmdline.txt - it indicates a UUID as the root partition, but Iā€™ve no idea if itā€™s right or wrong (the ā€˜Disksā€™ app in Linux Mint doesnā€™t show me any partition with this UUID). I tried editing it to /dev/mmcblk0p3 but this didnā€™t work (I think p3 was the right partition number?).

I then looked at the ā€˜dual bootā€™ instructions & realised I can boot from USB stick on my rpi4b & then use the App Store to install the ā€˜Installerā€™ app (why this isnā€™t already installed & even autorun similar to ā€˜try-before-you-buyā€™ approach of dual booting Linux & Windows, is a mystery!)

Running the ā€˜Installerā€™ app & choosing ā€˜Full disk installationā€™ & selecting my microSD inserted into my Raspberry Pi 4b (indicated as /dev/mmcblk0) but this always fails with the only thing shown in the on-screen log being ā€œCreating journal (32768 blocks):ā€ which then disappears when it reports ā€œInstallation failed. An error occurredā€. Iā€™ve tried loads of times with different microSD cards formatted as FAT.

Is there no way to install FydeOS to a bootable microSD on Raspberry Pi 4b ??

3

Iā€™m having exactly the same issue - canā€™t boot from MicroSD, just get a rainbow screen at boot and nothing else. Booting from USB works but itā€™s an old drive so itā€™s super slow and not really feasable.

At the minute Iā€™m creating an image from the USB and then Iā€™ll attempt to flash it to the SD to see if it boots that way but Iā€™m not holding out hope. Really frustrating.

4

I gave up. If FydeOS wonā€™t boot from microSD on Raspberry Pi, then itā€™s unfortunately not much use.

I tried booting from USB & then using that to write an image to microSD, but it just kept failing.

And as youā€™re the first response to my Community Support request after almost 1 month, Iā€™ve concluded that thereā€™s no support for FydeOS either, so really not worth pursuing.