STICKY: PINN - An enhanced version of NOOBS.

[busywait]

Thank you for your help here, and your work with PINN - it's made me want to buy a bigger SD card, or perhaps repurpose an SSD that isn't getting much use at the moment!

It's not preferred, but yes, you should be able to grow or shrink partitions afterwards.
If you want to add a data partition retrospectively, you need to add it as a logical partition within, but at the end of, the extended partition....
...

I booted to Rasbian, unmounted all of the other partitions that had been automatically mounted, and shrank a large partition to clear some space. I created a new FAT32 partition and now I have a shared data space that I can also see and use in Windows if I need to.

Interestingly, the new partition number is (obviously) after all of the existing partition numbers, but created in the space between two OSs. So, sfdisk -l tells me that "Partition table entries are not in disk order. (The last one in this list)

Code: Select all

sudo sfdisk -l
...
Device          Boot     Start       End   Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/mmcblk0p1            8192    137215    129024   63M  e W95 FAT16 (LBA)
/dev/mmcblk0p2          137216 124735487 124598272 59.4G  5 Extended
/dev/mmcblk0p5          139264    204797     65534   32M 83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk0p6          204800    729085    524286  256M  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/mmcblk0p7          729088  29253629  28524542 13.6G 83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk0p8        29253632  29691903    438272  214M  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/mmcblk0p9        29696000  54878205  25182206   12G 83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk0p10       54878208  55400447    522240  255M  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/mmcblk0p11       55402496  88791039  33388544 15.9G 83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk0p12      101015552 101533695    518144  253M  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/mmcblk0p13      101539840 124735487  23195648 11.1G 83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk0p14       88793088 101013503  12220416  5.8G  b W95 FAT32

Partition table entries are not in disk order.

I can't see anything in the PINN feature set that should care, but maybe the next thing I'll do is try out the Backup OS feature

Unrelated question:
Am I right that there is nothing in the PINN UI to continue to the boot menu after I have pressed the shift key during boot? I have to press the ESC key in the PINN UI to show the installed OS boot menu?

[procount]

Partitioning should be ok.

Have you selected a sticky default OS to boot into each time? If you have it will prevent the boot menu coming up on each boot, requiring shift and esc as you mentioned to change the OS.

Also look at forcetrigger and remote_timeout options.

[thatchunkylad198966]

Question....
Why is Manjaro really outdated with PINN and why isn't Ubuntu 20.04 in the list?
Manjaro fails to boot for me. I've tried Manjaro from their site and it works.

[busywait]

Question....
Why is Manjaro really outdated with PINN and why isn't Ubuntu 20.04 in the list?

I installed Manjaro using PINN last Friday (July 3) and it booted fine - it did hit a problem with the Manjaro update, but that didn't stop it working. It installed the 20.04 release.

There is a more recent Manjaro ARM 20.06 release. I asked about installing Manjaro via PINN in the Manjaro forum and one of the devs said that they do not have any plan to support install via PINN, only install via the images that they distribute. Luckily the support needed is minimal, but we have to wait until the PINN developer has time to do the integration of the latest image.

Manjaro fails to boot for me. I've tried Manjaro from their site and it works.

Did it fail to boot after a Linux kernel update? The newest Manjaro Linux kernel packages expect to be able to reference boot and root partitions by label: "BOOT_MNJRO" and "ROOT_MNJRO". That's an open issue in PINN at the moment, and if you search for those partition names on the Manjaro ARM forum you'll find the recommended way to patch up the problem.

[thatchunkylad198966]

Question....
Why is Manjaro really outdated with PINN and why isn't Ubuntu 20.04 in the list?

I installed Manjaro using PINN last Friday (July 3) and it booted fine - it did hit a problem with the Manjaro update, but that didn't stop it working. It installed the 20.04 release.

There is a more recent Manjaro ARM 20.06 release. I asked about installing Manjaro via PINN in the Manjaro forum and one of the devs said that they do not have any plan to support install via PINN, only install via the images that they distribute. Luckily the support needed is minimal, but we have to wait until the PINN developer has time to do the integration of the latest image.

Manjaro fails to boot for me. I've tried Manjaro from their site and it works.

Did it fail to boot after a Linux kernel update? The newest Manjaro Linux kernel packages expect to be able to reference boot and root partitions by label: "BOOT_MNJRO" and "ROOT_MNJRO". That's an open issue in PINN at the moment, and if you search for those partition names on the Manjaro ARM forum you'll find the recommended way to patch up the problem.

No, I am using "PINN Lite" and it says the version of Manjaro is 16.... doesn't boot at all.
And another annoying thing, my RPi4 won't boot if I have HDMI1 plugged in. it boots fine with HDMI0. I get a different rainbow screen and doesn't go any further.

The HDMI I'm using is the one closest to the USB-C, if I try the other HDMI it doesn't boot. why?!
I'm using a DVI to HDMI and it's annoying because the HDMI closest to the USB-C is a very tight fit....

[procount]

Not sure where you are getting Manjaro 16 from. Whether you use PINN or PINN-Lite, it should still only be offering the 20.04 version at the moment. What is your recovery.cmdline set to?

Regarding the HDMI connection, both NOOBS and PINN still use the legacy device drivers and therefore only use HDMI0.
If you use HDMI1, it will still boot, it's just that you cannot see any output apart from the magenta version of the rainbow square.
I hope to get HDMI1 working at some point.

[thatchunkylad198966]

Not sure where you are getting Manjaro 16 from. Whether you use PINN or PINN-Lite, it should still only be offering the 20.04 version at the moment. What is your recovery.cmdline set to?

Regarding the HDMI connection, both NOOBS and PINN still use the legacy device drivers and therefore only use HDMI0.
If you use HDMI1, it will still boot, it's just that you cannot see any output apart from the magenta version of the rainbow square.
I hope to get HDMI1 working at some point.

It's PINN Lite from sourceforge, nothing changed so default cmdline. it's always showed Manjaro 16 here...
Oh and any ideas about getting Ubuntu 20.04 with PINN?

[procount]

Ah I see. My mistake. It is actually 20.04, but the description hasn't been updated to reflect it. That doesn't explain why it doesn't work for you though.

Ubuntu 20.04 is in the works. It's just a bit odd and takes more time to convert.
Contributions of about 3-6 png files (~388x288 px) for the installation slideshow extolling its features and benefits are always welcome.

[max11]

I installed PINN to an USB stick with Raspbian Full, Openplotter and Libreelec..
OS is Raspbian Stretch
Now i tried to make a backup of my Raspbian. I receive the following message:

backuperror.jpg (30.02 KiB) Viewed 6044 times

I assume Raspbian stretch is still a supported os. Or am i wrong? And why is an update required (i do not want to update to Buster...) Stretch was updatet/upgraded today.

Regards
Max11

Edid: The same error shows when trying to backup Openplotter.
The backup seems to be only possible for Libreelec (at least i am asked for a name of the backup ... - i didn't make a backup)

Pinn Version is 3.3.4.2 17.June 2020

[procount]

I think it must be a consequence of the name change to Pi OS. I will look into it.
I'm not sure about open plotter. I'll check, but some just can't be backed up for various reasons.

[max11]

Hi Procount,

thanks for your answer.
And for openplotter: the backup isn't that important .. so far i just installed it.
Stretch is much more important as it is in daily use ... and sometimes daily changes.

Max11

[busywait]

Also look at forcetrigger and remote_timeout options.

I tried that, and I combined it with vncshare and ssh options I was able to remote into the PINN embedded Linux recovery/maintenance OS, which will be helpful sometimes, like if I ever want screenshots of the UI

Thank you!

[busywait]

Have you selected a sticky default OS to boot into each time? If you have it will prevent the boot menu coming up on each boot, requiring shift and esc as you mentioned to change the OS.

Yes, that is what I had done. I've deselected the "Sticky" selection now because I want to see the menu every time. The previously booted OS will boot by default now, and that turns out to be more often what I want.

I also saw the autoboot.txt option - a fast alternative to Stickyboot, that completely by-passes the PINN UI: https://github.com/procount/pinn/blob/m ... -partition

Are there any ways to have an autoexec.txt automatically deleted after the OS boots?

[procount]

Are there any ways to have an autoexec.txt automatically deleted after the OS boots?

You could write your own bash script in each OS that runs on startup to mount the PINN partition and delete the autoboot.txt file. PINN can't do it because it is bypassed in this case.

[thatchunkylad198966]

Ah I see. My mistake. It is actually 20.04, but the description hasn't been updated to reflect it. That doesn't explain why it doesn't work for you though.

Ubuntu 20.04 is in the works. It's just a bit odd and takes more time to convert.
Contributions of about 3-6 png files (~388x288 px) for the installation slideshow extolling its features and benefits are always welcome.

Are you going to update it?

[procount]

Yes. Soon.

[bluenote]

Hi. I just got a RPI 8gb, can I take a previously installed pi 4 SD card with PINN on it and just stick it into my new 8gb pi? Reason I ask is I did have just a minute to try it and I got a "this is too old s/w" error but Im not sure if it was raspbian or PINN that was complaining and then I had to leave. Sorry kind of a dumb lazy Q but IF I have to update PINN how do I do so? thx

[procount]

Put the SD card back in your Pi4 (not the 8gb one) and update PINN if it is not the latest version. Then boot into Raspbian / PiOS and update that to the latest version with the usual sudo apt incantations. then you should be able to use it on your Pi4 8GB version.

[max11]

Hi Procount,

i refer to ,my posting regarding the backup:

file.jpg (30.02 KiB) Viewed 5440 times

As i made many changes i would like to backup my system. Is there a chance that by changing some file(s) manuallyin PINN i get the backup working?

Thanks
Max11

[procount]

PINN has been updated to v3.3.4.3

V3.3.4.3

• Backup - Fix backup of Raspberry Pi OS
• Install - Use multithreaded xz
• Flavours - Fix use of .txt files
• Bugfix - fix crash if no source (#414)

It has been a while since the last PINN update, and my apologies for that.

This version will now allow the newly renamed Raspberry Pi OS to be backed-up properly, and fixes a reported crash that occurred under some edge case conditions.

[max11]

Hello Procount,

i installed the new version:

BU1.jpg (32.56 KiB) Viewed 4848 times

Trying to backup my Raspbian (Stretch) i still get this message:

BU2.jpg (18.11 KiB) Viewed 4848 times

So it is still not possible to backup the old OS-Version.

Max11

[procount]

@Max11.
Please make sure PINN is connected to the internet and reboot it twice. Then try to backup Raspbian again.

[desmo2v]

@procount, have you managed to make progress on an Ubuntu 20.04 image ?

Thanks

[max11]

Hello Procount,

yes, rebooting did it. It is working now.

Thank you

Max11

[SabirovRF]

Hi Procount.
Please add to supported os list new build of LineageOS 17.1.

Thanks!!!