Temporary HOLD: SD cards also called Micro Mini with adapter

LxCeeAB

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2017
Messages
57
Reaction score
14
Credits
0
Have just this day managed to get my test desktop for dual booting to do just that and some internet settings as well. Using Win7 SP1 64bit and PCLinuxOS v2017.07 64bit and am interested in learning about using those SD cards for moving from computer to computer instead of using only ONE (1). Maybe even having more than just one distro of Linux on that card. Have one that is 15g, need to learn what to do. Any ideas? I have many just do not know how to execute said ideas.

NOT a programmer, nor any of the cute named geeks, skip-kiddies, et cetera . . . Only self-taught, attending only the School-of-Hard-Knocks where you NEVER graduate always learning. You may like to know more about my experiences, not here it would take a book or several days any way. Will say this much, have worked in Boroughs (BTOS), Microsoft DOS, Unix, Linux several different distros about 20 years ago and just now getting back into these systems again.
 


@LxCeeAB

Hi Don, this is just a holding Post, due to timezones, any other Member feel free to pick up the ball and run with it (smile). I take it from this and your other Topic, that you have the 531s up & running with a dual-boot facility.

Also that you now have internet access, which operates for both Windows 7 and for PCLOS.

If I understand that correctly, and let me know otherwise, then the first thing you should do within the PCLOS framework is enable your firewall. This applies to all Distros you use under Linux.

Go to Menu-Configuration-Configure Your Computer-Security. There, click Set up your personal firewall, uncheck “Accept Everything”, and OK through to completion.

This is the Shorewall Firewall, specific to Distros such as PCLOS, and it differs with Debian-based Distros such as Ubuntu and your Linux Mint, which use UFW.

Back to your Topic subject above.

In PCLinuxOS, you can find Terminal (called Konsole under the KDE DE, where a lot of apps start with a K) via the following:

  • It may appear as a black icon on the left, if not it is under
  • More Applications
Insert one of your SD cards, then after a moment or three

Click into Konsole and type

Code:
df


This is like a Device Find(er)

The output on my PCLOS looks as follows:

[chris@localhost ~]$ df
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/root 20G 7.3G 12G 40% /
/dev 3.9G 1.2M 3.9G 1% /dev
none 3.9G 0 3.9G 0% /dev/shm
/dev/sda3 286M 32M 254M 12% /boot/EFI
none 3.9G 0 3.9G 0% /var/run/user/500
/dev/sda31 20G 13G 5.8G 70% /media/SerenaMATEgarage
/dev/sdb1 1.7G 1.7G 0 100% /media/Voyager 9 Debian efi
[chris@localhost ~]$



The parts we are interested in start with “/dev/sdXY”, where XY is an alpha character followed by a numeric character.

In my case, it shows me my USB stick (inserted) at /dev/sdb1.

It shows the stick as 1.7G although it is an 8G stick, but that is because it was burned using a command <dd> with an .iso for Voyager on it. If it was a blank stick, it would show as 8G.

Your output should show your SD card, with a likely capacity of (not 15, but) 16G.

If all of the above is clear and correct, we can proceed.

Cheers, and Good Night all, from Oz

Wizard
 
Just a quick (I hope) reply. I touched on these things in several posts in the other thread, but will try to summarize better here before I fall asleep at the switch. At first I thought booting SD cards would be easy, but then it seemed like maybe it won't after all.

It is your BIOS (or UEFI) that will determine whether you can boot Linux on an SD card. In my own tests of the past few days I only had one out of four computers that would boot SD cards. Two computers were UEFI and two were BIOS, and it happened to be a UEFI laptop that succeeded. Your results may be very different from mine though.

But all is not lost... maybe. You've indicated you have many of these SD cards and you want to use them. But the fact is that USB (or DVD) is better to boot a portable Linux system in most cases, on most computers (of course there will be exceptions too). I can't guarantee that this device will work... but for only $6 I think I would try it, or a similar product, to test it out and see if it causes the BIOS/UEFI to boot the SD card as a USB device.

Anyway, as I mentioned in the other thread, I'm back to work again so I'll be in-and-out as time allows.

Cheers
 
"MrWhiz,"

Thank you for this post, saw that the other day. My system has this ability as well it is built-in see attached fotos. Please excuse the mess included in the fotos of my "Larry" (531s). The two (2) fotos to the right show the two (2) doors to the right in the first foto (531s):

531sFront.JPG 531sSD_UP,Rite.JPG 531sSD+DVD.JPG
 
"MrWiz,"

It was sold to me as a 15g and when the package was opened the mini card shows 32g. Not advertising this fact just clarifying, OK?

Your output should show your SD card, with a likely capacity of (not 15, but) 16G.
 
"MrWiz, @wizardfromoz,"

Have spent most of this morning & part of last knight attempting to get your referenced data to come up on my system, "Larry," (is doing well) well not exactly. Of my attch'd fotos the middle one, 'top-right' slot is the "SD" and did get a 'Screen Shot' while learning which line was to my card. Had a screen full and saved it as a 'srcsht' (tmp'ly) learning more about how to save it, where, move it, where, location found and needed to do a fresh one, less cluttered. That save done to my little USB H/D now to attach so you know it is working, very slowly. This is the short version of doing this. Title of the file covers date/time of the creation, Screenshot_20170802_074325.png. The top part of that screen shot is without the card inserted, bottom part in bottom line is: /dev/sde1 30g is my "SD" card. Need 'root' access to write to "SD" my 'root' 'psswrd' does not work, do I need to do another install to change that password. It did work yesterday but today is another DAY, AAGGGHHHH!!!!

Screenshot_20170802_074325.png

Click into Konsole and type

Code:
df
This is like a Device Find(er)

The output on my PCLOS looks as follows:

[chris@localhost ~]$ df
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/root 20G 7.3G 12G 40% /
/dev 3.9G 1.2M 3.9G 1% /dev
none 3.9G 0 3.9G 0% /dev/shm
/dev/sda3 286M 32M 254M 12% /boot/EFI
none 3.9G 0 3.9G 0% /var/run/user/500
/dev/sda31 20G 13G 5.8G 70% /media/SerenaMATEgarage
/dev/sdb1 1.7G 1.7G 0 100% /media/Voyager 9 Debian efi
[chris@localhost ~]$
 
Last edited:
This one is in stock at my local Best Buy. I will try to pick one up and let you guys know if it will boot. It's still a crap shoot, but we won't know unless we try.

"MrMod, atanere,"

That is not necessary for my benefit, as you may notice from my screen shots earlier this thread mine is built-in to my system. AND my BIOS authorizes the use as a bootable action. Not attempted just yet, but; maybe shortly there after getting things set up better.

Another may like to know what you are doing to test the idea of multiple booting of Linux from "SD" card. THANK YOU very much from me any way
 
but for only $6 I think I would try it, or a similar product,

"MrMod, atanere,"

That information may be needed by any other wishing to attempt similar activity. Looks as though you are working with the miss-idea that it is doubtful with my system. Do not doubt it for me, the only one I have not really checked into is my Primary for communications, O/Px 960, do not want to do anything to that one until the other system ("Larry") is fully functioning.
 
That is not necessary for my benefit, as you may notice from my screen shots earlier this thread mine is built-in to my system. AND my BIOS authorizes the use as a bootable action. Not attempted just yet, but; maybe shortly there after getting things set up better.

All 4 computers I tested were also built-in SD card slots, and as I said earlier, 3 out of 4 of them failed to boot Linux that was put on the SD card with Etcher. But Etcher did a fine job, the problem is the UEFI/BIOS on each system. A little further info about the 4 computers... it was the newest one that worked originally (but it is not really very new by any means and came with Windows 8 pre-installed).

So, I got this device today to see if it would help this issue. And it did. Now 2 of the 3 computers that would not boot before were able to boot the exact same SD card and Linux (Slackware) as my earlier testing. I then used dd to burn a different Linux distro (Debian) onto the same SD card, and it also worked fine now on the 3 computers. So only 1 stubborn computer is left that will not boot on the SD card, and by chance or not, it is the oldest computer of the four, and it is also the only desktop in my testing.

I hope this info benefits all of us, and I don't mind the inexpensive purchase to add another gadget to my toolbox. The good thing is that it worked... sometimes.

Installing multiple Linux distros on to a single SD card is a battle I will save for another day.
 
"MrMod, atanere,"

Thank you for all of the testing, at this time am 'handy-cramped' thunder storms moving through and the power keeps blinking very slowly.

Can report have used "Synaptic' and installed Mozilla FireFox v54.0.1 cannot use it just yet as the storms keep moving through. This one has been off for parts of the day because of that issue. Very strange problem, my SU does not recognize my login password, but; when running "Synaptic" requires 'root' access it works. Allowing the above install to run to completion.
 
Very strange problem, my SU does not recognize my login password, but; when running "Synaptic" requires 'root' access it works.

By "login password" do you mean your regular user password? The su command needs the root password, just like Synaptic. When you enter it successfully in a terminal, the last character of the command prompt changes from $ to #... and with PCLOS the color of the command prompt changes to something like red, or orange. (I've installed PCLOS on a spare computer now to maybe be able to better help answer your questions because it is quite different from what I normally use. It's a VERY NICE system too... I like it quite well.)

If the password is an ongoing problem, please open up a separate thread for it.

Cheers
 
I've installed PCLOS on a spare computer now to maybe be able to better help answer your questions because it is quite different from what I normally use. It's a VERY NICE system too... I like it quite well.

Ditto, atanere. In my books there is more to like about it than dislike, and I am growing quite attached to it. Having another user on board with it (yourself) can only add to our "wiki" on it.

That being said, it is a hybrid between RPM-based and Debian-based offerings, in its protocols and Terminal commands, almost as if it did not know its parentage. If Don can become comfortable with it, he will have little problem moving between the different "Families" if he so chooses.

@LxCeeAB:

Don, if you start a thread on PC Linux OS, I would advocate using those words first in the title, that would allow helpers to zoom in fast, also new Users to find it and learn if it answers their problems. eg "PC Linux OS - How Do I reset Password/s?", "PC Linux OS - Where Is sudo?" (brief answer, it isn't there) &c.

I'll stop being off-topic here, and also let you know I have some further info to provide shortly on the Etcher options that might assist with your SD card usage in this thread.

Cheers and avagudweegend

Wizard
 
Both of you may I answer some what for you, I know it has been several days since my last post. There has been much, much, much H2O under the bridge and maybe some over it as well. Enough off topic, yet still on topic, this is coming or going to you from my PCLOS system. Also have installed Mozilla's Thunder B1rd ( that is "BIRD") with many another issues coming up all of the time.

YES! YES! I do like this setup and operation/w some small issues. The other part is needing another thread.
 
'R' 'U' meaning like this? "@LxCeeAB:" at the start of a post? I just hope any question asked can be of some assistance to another person and I have many more now after working with the system the last few days. Finally got on line with it on Wednesday. Am going to have to put off the SD card thingy and move to more pressing subjects. NOT in this thread, maybe some PMs to explain what I mean. LATER duds
 
'R' 'U' meaning like this? "@LxCeeAB:" at the start of a post?

No - I mean as with the rest of the following

advocate using those words first in the title, that would allow helpers to zoom in fast, also new Users to find it and learn if it answers their problems. eg "PC Linux OS - How Do I reset Password/s?", "PC Linux OS - Where Is sudo?" (brief answer, it isn't there) &c.

... just like you started with this thread beginning with "sd cards".

Cheers

Wizard
 
@Lazydog,

Any reply to my posts whether related to the post or not is appreciated, because; most people do not reply to a post I make. Mostly because I am straight forward and right in your face telling it as I see it without any sugar coated words just to make it sound sweet.
'd'

"MrWhizy, wIzardofoz,"

You mean if my post is an answer to another's question. Excuse me for being confused about this, maybe you mean in the "Subject:" line where this thread is started? You have been using that when you are responding with some HELPFUL data,
 
Last edited:
maybe you mean in the "Subject:" line where this thread is started?

Yes

Wiz
 
"MrWiz, @wizardofoz,"

"C" what you can accomplish when you finally read my 'confused' mind? Will "C" if that can be done ASAP! AND this is being brought to to YOU and the other people by way of my "Larry" (531s) with my crippled (handycrapped) copy of "PCLOS," because; have not been able to get "Thunder B1rd" to get verified with my email server at my ISP, that is being handled by YAHOO! 'Everythingy' else seems to be working.

Must start a new thread for this type of exchange and maybe cover the remaining parts of this rambling wreck of a "STORY."
Edited by LxCeeAB
"C" there I did find how to make a change to the "TITLE" line
 
Last edited:

Members online


Latest posts

Top