Migrate ARM install from SD to SSD

I have updated the RPI4 firmware to the latest that supports USB boot. Am I to understand that I can move the SD install to SSD and it would boot? I have vision problems but I haven’t found any posts that addresses this specifically. If there is a guide I would appreciate a link. I can just reinstall to the SSD if that is simpler. I am installing the latest version of Manjaro XFCE for ARM.Thanks for much for any assistance.

Hi,

With the forum search function found it

or

I cloned the SD to the SSD…but it won’t boot. I am not familiar with Manjaro…is there a settings thingy like raspi-config where I could change settings? Or could you direct me somewhere for instructions? Thanks.

Need more info.

Did you set up the ssd with 2 partitions (fat32 and then ext4)
Did you change the root label on the ssd root partition if so /boot/cmdline.txt needs to be adjusted.

Thanks for responding. I formatted the ssd to one ext4 partition…no fat32. I haven’t seen to do that. The ssd is Kingston 120Gb…how much space for either? No…didn’t change root label. I am using a DeskPi Pro to house everything. I am familiar with Debian linux but not Arch…commands I know won’t run. I don’t like Raspbian or Raspberry Pi OS. I heard so much about Manjaro that I thought I would try it. I am not a newbie but not an expert either. Thanks again.

As you have it now you will have to boot off a sdcard instead of the ssd. The issue is going to be is that the root label on the sdcard needs to be something else than other than what is on the ssd. So change the sdcard’s root label to something else and have root to stay ROOT_MNJRO. This would keep inline with future kernel upgrades.

To boot off the ssd first you need to make sure your eeprom is flashed with the right version. Have you done that?

ssd:

First partition 200M vfat partition (No label just yet)
Second partition the rest of the ssd space (No label just yet)

Copy over the contents of your sdcard boot partition from the sdcard to your ssd boot partition
Copy over the contents of your sdcard root partition to your ssd root partition

Unmount your sdcard and then make labels for the 2 partitions as BOOT_MNJRO and ROOT_MNJRO respectively on the ssd.

How to get permissions to copy ROOT_MNJRO?

I logged in as root… I could copy to the root partition. When I view the SD File Systems all I see are folders…not partitions. I don’t know what to copy to either the /boot or the /root folder. I used Gparted to make the partitions on the SSD. I copied the contents of the SD /boot folder to the 200MB partition on the SSD as the size was almost identical. I don’t know what to copy to the /root partition as when I try to copy everything I get an error in the /proc folder that a device doesn’t exist. I wrote the error down but can’t find it at the moment. Thanks again.

1 Like