STICKY: PINN - An enhanced version of NOOBS.

[procount]

PINN has been updated to v2.4.4b

V2.4.4b

• zh_TW - translations updated
• boot - reliability improvements.

[procount]

I am running from a SD Card.

I had already tried re-installation twice before creating my post.
I had changed cmdline.txt to /dev/mmcblk0p7 but it did not seem to work.
As it was approaching midnight I decided to call it a day. On checking this morning I realised I had made a mistake, and in the clear light of day entered the correct device, and eventually got it to boot.

(After changing the default OS from Arch, which I was using to modify the files, to Raspbian it seemed to hang on the BOOT, but power cycling got it to work. This is possibly an other issue.)

I did note that I had no network, and wpa-supplicant had no networks, so I copied across.

The OS still shows Jessie in the menu, and locks up at the Recovery screen, but power cycling works OK.

Yes, /dev/mmcblk0p6 might have been better

I have just released v2.4.4b. Please try it to see if it resolves the lock up on the recovery screen.
I've not had any network config issues. If PINN is configured to use a wifi network, then re-installing Raspbian should copy the wpa_supplicant files into it.
I'm still thinking about how to update the descriptions appropriately to distinguish between what is installed versus what is available...

[Milliways]

I am running from a SD Card.

I had already tried re-installation twice before creating my post.
I had changed cmdline.txt to /dev/mmcblk0p7 but it did not seem to work.
As it was approaching midnight I decided to call it a day. On checking this morning I realised I had made a mistake, and in the clear light of day entered the correct device, and eventually got it to boot.

(After changing the default OS from Arch, which I was using to modify the files, to Raspbian it seemed to hang on the BOOT, but power cycling got it to work. This is possibly an other issue.)

I did note that I had no network, and wpa-supplicant had no networks, so I copied across.

The OS still shows Jessie in the menu, and locks up at the Recovery screen, but power cycling works OK.

Yes, /dev/mmcblk0p6 might have been better ;)

I have just released v2.4.4b. Please try it to see if it resolves the lock up on the recovery screen.
I've not had any network config issues. If PINN is configured to use a wifi network, then re-installing Raspbian should copy the wpa_supplicant files into it.
I'm still thinking about how to update the descriptions appropriately to distinguish between what is installed versus what is available...

/dev/mmcblk0p6 is the Raspbian /boot (which is where cmdline.txt is located).

Just rebooted, and was not offered an update, but will try again later.

[procount]

Oh yes! Sorry, I misread it and thought you were talking about recovery.cmdline

It takes a little while for the mirrors to update, so it should be there soon.
(Rather than rebooting each time to check, you can now tick just the PINN [fixed] option in the maintenance menu and click re-install to check for updates.)

[cjan]

does it support install /boot to SDcard and / to external usb drive?
ps.rpi2

[DougieLawson]

PINN has been updated to v2.4.4

Finally, I have eliminated one of my NOOBS bugbears.
PINN can now re-install any installed OS WITHOUT affecting the other OSes.
This means that if you trash one OS, you can reinstall a factory fresh version of it whilst still keeping your other OSes intact.

That's now the absolute reason why the Raspberry Pi Foundation should ditch NOOBS and replace it with PINN.

They should pay you to build their "simple for Windows users" installer for them.

[Milliways]

I am still waiting for the new release to make it to my mirror.

I have another question; I note the installation of Stretch I just performed has eth0

I have not done any detailed investigation to determine HOW predictable network interface names have been disabled.

Is this something you have configured, and if so, for what reason.

[B.Goode]

I note the installation of Stretch I just performed has eth0

I have not done any detailed investigation to determine HOW predictable network interface names have been disabled.

Is this something you have configured, and if so, for what reason.

Isn't that a standard feature of Raspbian Stretch, as distributed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation? Not a PINN feature?

2017-08-16-raspbian-stretch had Predictable Interface Names, inherited from Debian Stretch.

2017-09-07-raspbian-stretch has this feature disabled by default.

From the Raspbian Release Notes -

2017-09-07:
* Disable predictable network interface names for Ethernet devices

[Milliways]

I note the installation of Stretch I just performed has eth0

I have not done any detailed investigation to determine HOW predictable network interface names have been disabled.

Is this something you have configured, and if so, for what reason.

Isn't that a standard feature of Raspbian Stretch, as distributed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation? Not a PINN feature?

2017-08-16-raspbian-stretch had Predictable Interface Names, inherited from Debian Stretch.

2017-09-07-raspbian-stretch has this feature disabled by default.

From the Raspbian Release Notes -

2017-09-07:
* Disable predictable network interface names for Ethernet devices

I must have missed that. I wish they would make up their minds! I normally install when a major change e.g. Stretch is released, then update.

It would also be good if the Foundation actually Documented what they do.

[procount]

does it support install /boot to SDcard and / to external usb drive?
ps.rpi2

Yes

[procount]

WHOOPS!
Something broke the self-update

It is now fixed. Please see next post for upgrade instructions.

[procount]

PINN has been updated to v2.4.4c

V2.4.4c

• self-update - Fixed self-update

Unfortunately, PINN's self-update facility has not been working since v2.4.3 But it is now fixed in this version
If you have any version of PINN between v2.4.3 and v2.4.4b (inclusive), you will have to update PINN manually to the latest version from v2.4.4c onwards.

To manually upgrade an existing SD card with PINN already on it, download the latest pinn-lite.zip file and expand it on your PC. Then simply copy all the extracted files to your SD card EXCEPT FOR RECOVERY.CMDLINE because it includes the `runinstaller` option by default.

WARNING: If you DO copy recovery.cmdline by mistake, it will wipe out all your existing installed operating systems due to the runinstaller option!

If you are upgrading an existing system, please check recovery.cmdline does not include the `runinstaller` option.

[mattrix]

That's now the absolute reason why the Raspberry Pi Foundation should ditch NOOBS and replace it with PINN.

+1

[Haris1977]

I ve installed all of my os's (libreelec, raspbian, retropie) on my usb stick. Will i be able to manually update from 2.4.3 to latest 2.4.4c? Do i use the same procedure mentioned above?

[procount]

Yes. It does not matter where you installed your OSes to.

If you put PINN on your SD card and then installed OSes to USB, you should manually upgrade PINN on your SD card.
If you have a RPi3 (or RPi2 v1.2) that boots from USB and put PINN on your USB stick, you should upgrade PINN on your USB stick.

Be careful not to overwrite your recovery.cmdline file.

[Haris1977]

Oh thanks man:) Now i am on latest version 2.4.4c

Hope to seeing some of my thoughts being implemented too !

[procount]

I try my best.... but I have a long list of things to do!

[Haris1977]

Yap i know I was mainly talking about BMB (boot menu beautification) (e.g changing this ugly looking white background image to smth else - preferable total black, or rename the installed os's to whatever we like, or even programmable cec controls). The idea behind this came to my mind as i was a BerryBoot owner for a long time (BB is preferable in terms of "looking" - but in all other terms BB is inferior to PINN )

Hope to do your best!

[phmio]

Hi procount,
I have upgrade PINN to the last version v2.4.4c and it seems that the piece of code that calls before-reboot.sh is no more present in showBootMenu()

[procount]

I had to remove it because it often stopped PINN from booting into another os. It would just freeze. Not had time to look further into it. If you can fix it I will be happy to reinclude in a future version.

[Haris1977]

Procount can you make bigger fonts in the selecting os booting screen?

I mean this sceen: https://imgur.com/a/n3nUo . I think in big tv's it s hard to see those fonts

[Haris1977]

Is there any way to delete an installed OS WITHOUT affecting the other OSes?

[n67]

Is there any way to delete an installed OS WITHOUT affecting the other OSes?

The short answer is "No".

The longer answer is "Why do you want to do this?"

Depending on what the actual goal is, there are various workarounds that might work for you.

[Haris1977]

Is there any way to delete an installed OS WITHOUT affecting the other OSes?

The short answer is "No".

The longer answer is "Why do you want to do this?"

Depending on what the actual goal is, there are various workarounds that might work for you.

Oh ok thanks. I thought procount was working on this until i saw that PINN can now re-install any installed OS WITHOUT affecting the other OSes.

[n67]

Oh ok thanks. I thought procount was working on this until i saw that PINN can now re-install any installed OS WITHOUT affecting the other OSes.

(I'm not sure exactly what the above text means, but ...)

Anyway, as I said, the key is what your actual goal is in wanting to delete an OS.

Is it to reclaim the space on the card? If so, then you should be able to do it using, e.g., gparted.
You would remove the partition that contains the to-be-deleted OS, then (if possible) resize the partition(s) you want to keep to reclaim the space used by the now-gone OS.

Then, as a bonus, you can figure out how to remove it from the boot menu, although this isn't critical.