Flashing and using generic USB for PiFi install

rad_unicorn · September 18, 2024, 8:48pm

Hello,

Is it possible to install PiFi on rpi 5 by using generic USB drive instead of a SD card?

Kind regards

pifi · September 18, 2024, 8:51pm

It may well be possible, have yet to try it with USB boot - can give it an attempt tomorrow and let you know!

rad_unicorn · September 18, 2024, 8:59pm

Thanks so much! I tried it but sadly no success. Still, would love to hear from you if is it currently possible.

Scouter · October 13, 2024, 11:23pm

@pifi Did you manage to get the USB to boot? I’ve got a broken SD Reader on this Pi, so have been booting from USB with other images.

This seems to hang at storage and never progresses… any support would a fantastic on it!

pifi · October 14, 2024, 11:13am

Ok so it’s a little bit experimental and not fully tested so can’t verify if everything works

But, after flashing the image to your USB, open the USB drive in Windows Explorer/Finder and replace the contents of cmdline.txt with:

console=serial0,115200 console=tty1 root=/dev/sda2 rootfstype=squashfs,ext4 rootwait

When I do that to point to the USB rather than SD it seems to boot and you can see PiFi 5 Setup in WiFi Settings

Again, this approach is not fully tested. But it does seem to boot so is worth giving a try

Scouter · October 14, 2024, 11:25am

Fantastic.

Ordered the PiFi Kit off Amazon early this morning, I’ll await for it to arrive to plug the USB WiFi in and give it a whirl

Scouter · October 14, 2024, 10:41pm

Awesome, it all boots! I gave it a test before it arrived and was working a treat with Mullvad!

However, I had to reset the PIFI as it got very confused adding the USB. Got it up and working to a degree now, but it is refusing to activate my dongle!

Not sure if that is part of the usb booting or not?

Cheers,
Dave

Scouter · October 14, 2024, 10:44pm

Scratch that. Changing from Default SSID to my own allowed me to activate afterwards!

pifi · October 15, 2024, 9:39am

Glad to hear it’s working now!

For the next build I think I’ll have it auto-detect if USB and test it more to ensure it’s as smooth as the SD build

Scouter · October 16, 2024, 4:25pm

If it could only be so smooth, when using a VPN connection I’m getting frequent drops and stutters when streaming media with the following in the logs.

34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: Radio1 is up. No action needed.

Wed Oct 16 16:06:20 2024 kern.err kernel: [75993.463122] blk_update_request: operation not supported error, dev loop0, sector 67424 op 0x3:(DISCARD) flags 0x0 phys_seg 1 prio class 0

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: true

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.err sh[2995]: mv: can’t rename ‘/etc/sysp/usbcheck/pifi_checkusb_setup’: No such file or directory

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: Checking for the file at /etc/sysp/usb…

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: /etc/sysp/usb exists.

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: The file /etc/sysp/usb does not contain ‘0’.

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: true

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: Current SSID does not match expected SSID. Detected SSID: VPN

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.err sh[2995]: /etc/sysp/pifi_unconfigured: line 2:

: not found

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.err sh[2995]: /etc/sysp/pifi_unconfigured: line 11: syntax error: unexpected end of file (expecting “then”)

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: Path and port match. No action needed.

Wed Oct 16 16:06:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: Radio1 is up. No action needed.

Wed Oct 16 16:07:21 2024 kern.err kernel: [76053.943521] blk_update_request: operation not supported error, dev loop0, sector 67440 op 0x3:(DISCARD) flags 0x0 phys_seg 1 prio class 0

Wed Oct 16 16:07:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: true

Wed Oct 16 16:07:34 2024 daemon.err sh[2995]: mv: can’t rename ‘/etc/sysp/usbcheck/pifi_checkusb_setup’: No such file or directory

Wed Oct 16 16:07:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: Checking for the file at /etc/sysp/usb…

Wed Oct 16 16:07:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: /etc/sysp/usb exists.

Wed Oct 16 16:07:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: The file /etc/sysp/usb does not contain ‘0’.

Wed Oct 16 16:07:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: true

Wed Oct 16 16:07:34 2024 daemon.info sh[2995]: Current SSID does not match expected SSID. Detected SSID: VPN

Wed Oct 16 16:07:34 2024 daemon.err sh[2995]: /etc/sysp/pifi_unconfigured: line 2:

: not found

I can reset and flash to the usb again and see if that resolves it?

Thanks

pifi · October 16, 2024, 4:39pm

Ok, I’ve got a USB-boot working and also have Mullvad so maybe I can check too.

Mullvad (are you using WireGuard)?
Which Pi - Pi 4 or Pi 5?

Also please check you are using a suitable power supply too (5v3a minimum for Pi 4 and 27W 5v5a for Pi 5, this is especially importing when using two USB devices like this which have additional power draw)

Scouter · October 16, 2024, 4:56pm

Wireguard Mullvad Ireland 001
Pi4

65w Lenovo Charger

I have a usb Nic adapter currently that seems to be working smoothly currently.

I had to go into luci though, couldn’t not get the PiFi adapter to run about 90mbps, to find out the Nic was negotiating at 100 instead of 1000! Quick cable swap fixed the issue.