Booting from MicroSD Card and Installing System to NVMe SSD

This guide explains how to install the system to an NVMe SSD using the dd command when the system can boot normally from a MicroSD card.

warning

Installing the system will format the NVMe SSD. Please back up any important data in advance!

Prerequisites

To use the dd command to install the system to an NVMe SSD, you need to meet the following conditions:

• The system can boot normally from a MicroSD card
• NVMe SSD is installed on the board

Hardware Connection

Install the NVMe SSD on the board, connect a display, and power the board using a power adapter.

M.2 M 2280 Slot

Install NVMe SSD via M.2 M Key 2280 interface.

M.2 M 2230 Slot

Install NVMe SSD via M.2 M Key 2230 Slot.

PCIe FPC Interface

NVMe SSD can be installed using PCIe FPC interface with M.2 M Key HAT.

System Installation

Download System Image

Access the Resource Download page from your device and download the latest system image to the device.

Image Note

The downloaded system image is a compressed file and needs to be extracted before use!

You can use the wget command to download the system image file to your device.

radxa@dragon-q8b$

sudo apt update
sudo apt install wget -y
wget <download_url>

Where <download_url> is the download URL of the system image file. You can copy the latest image download URL from the Resource Download page to replace it.

Download example:

wget https://github.com/radxa-build/radxa-dragon-midstream/releases/download/rsdk-t2/radxa-dragon-midstream_noble_gnome_t2.output_512. img.xz

Extract System Image

Our system images are generally in *.img.xz format and need to be extracted before use.

radxa@dragon-q8b$

sudo apt install xz-utils -y
unxz <path_to_image_unxz>

Where <path_to_image_unxz> is the path to the system image file, which needs to be replaced with the actual system image file path.

Extraction example:

unxz radxa-dragon-midstream_noble_gnome_t2.output_512. img.xz

Determine Device Path

You can use the lsblk command to check the device path and determine it based on the disk capacity.

Note: If the disk capacities are similar, you can safely remove and reinsert the NVMe SSD to observe which device path appears and disappears, thus determining the correct device path.

radxa@dragon-q8b$

lsblk

If the system recognizes the NVMe device, it will typically be identified as a /dev/nvme*n* device. If there are multiple storage devices, you can determine the corresponding device path by safely removing and reinserting the device.

Terminal output example:

NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
···
nvme0n1     259:0    0 119.2G  0 disk
└─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0 119.2G  0 part
···

Install System Image

Use the dd command to install the system image to the NVMe SSD.

radxa@dragon-q8b$

sudo dd if=<path_to_image> of=<device_target> bs=4M status=progress

Write example:

sudo dd if=radxa-dragon-midstream_noble_gnome_t2.output_512. img of=/dev/nvme0n1 bs=4M status=progress

Parameter description:

• <path_to_image>: The path to the system image file, which needs to be replaced with the actual system image file path.

• <device_target>: The device path of the NVMe SSD module, which needs to be replaced with the actual NVMe SSD module's device path.

• bs=4M: Block size for writing.

• status=progress: Display write progress.

Verify Write Result

After the system installation is complete, you can use the lsblk command to check if the NVMe SSD partition table has been created correctly.

radxa@dragon-q8b$

lsblk

Terminal output example:

NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
···
nvme0n1     259:0    0 119.2G  0 disk
├─nvme0n1p1 259:3    0    16M  0 part
├─nvme0n1p2 259:4    0   300M  0 part
└─nvme0n1p3 259:5    0   6.3G  0 part
···

Booting the System

After installing the system, remove the microSD card, confirm that the NVMe SSD is installed in the Dragon Q8B NVMe SSD slot, then power the Dragon Q8B with a 20V Type-C power adapter.

1. Confirm that the NVMe SSD is installed

2. Connect the monitor and board using HDMI or a dual-ended USB-C cable

3. Power the Dragon Q8B with a 20V Type-C power adapter

After the system boots normally, the power LED turns green and the status LED blinks blue.

Logging into the System

When you boot the system for the first time, log in with the default username and password.

The default credentials for Radxa OS are:

Item	Value
Username	radxa
Password	radxa

Using the System

After the system boots successfully, you can start using Radxa OS on the Dragon Q8B. For basic Radxa OS usage, refer to Use the System guide.