Linux imager wont allow install to usb drive

evinrude · 17 February 2025 23:05

I’m trying to install to a usb drive but the imager wont list the device as a destination even though its ‘probe’ finds it . This is for a PI4B .

New disk device entry created with entry point /dev/sdd, 465.76GiB free space and label

sam_nazarko · 18 February 2025 00:21

Is it a spinning drive? From the size I’m guessing so. I deliberately hide rotational drives so a user doesn’t accidentally image the wrong drive.

The typical drive used is a flash drive

Installer logs should confirm if it is being excluded intentionally.

evinrude · 18 February 2025 02:09

Its a SSD drive . All I see at the console is the message shown above .

sam_nazarko · 18 February 2025 02:41

Hi,

I’ve taken a look at the code (has been over a decade since I did major work on that installer).

It does need an update, but it seems to work for now largely although what held true in 2014 will have changed a lot in 2025 and it needs a new lick of paint.

github.com

osmc/osmc/blob/master/installer/host/qt_host_installer/io_linux.cpp#L182


      
          }
          
          void updateKernelTable()
          {
              utils::writeLog("Running partprobe to inform operating system about partition table changes");
              system("/sbin/partprobe");
          }
          
          bool installImagingTool() { return true; }
          
          DiskDevice* addAdditionalInfo(DiskDevice* diskDevice)
          {
              QStringList entryPathSplit = diskDevice->getDiskPath().split("/");
              if (entryPathSplit[2].startsWith("mmcblk"))
              {
                  /* Ugly hack: drivers/mmc/card/block.c considers all mmcblks unremovable, but
                   * it seems that SD card readers can be registered as this */
                  diskDevice->setIsWritable(true);
                  return diskDevice;
              }
              QFile removeFile("/sys/block/" + entryPathSplit[2] + "/removable");

What’s the output of cat /sys/block/sdd/removable?

If it reports 0, that is why it is being filtered. I could log this better. I never wanted internal drives to be formatted.

How is the drive connected?

fzinken · 18 February 2025 05:05

Also just to ensure there is no misunderstanding. This will just install the installer on the USB drive. The final OS will not be installed on the SSD by this method