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Install the system to eMMC

If your Radxa ROCK 5T has onboard eMMC, you can use the dd command to write the system image to eMMC while booting from a MicroSD card.

Important Notes

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

If your system cannot currently boot from a MicroSD card, you can refer to the Install OS to MicroSD Card tutorial.

Prerequisites​

You will need the following hardware:

  • Board: Radxa ROCK 5T
  • Boot medium: MicroSD card
  • Power adapter: Standard DC 12V/2A power adapter (DC-5525 interface)

We will boot the system from the MicroSD card, download the system image file after entering the system, and then use the dd command to write the system image to eMMC.

Recommended Accessories

Radxa ROCK 5T only supports 12V power input, and a current of 2A or higher is recommended to ensure stable operation of all peripherals.

Download System Image​

You can download the system image file by visiting the Resource Download Center page on your board.

Download Recommendations

We provide the following methods to download the system image file to your board. Please choose the appropriate method based on your situation:

  • Using wget command

You can copy the system image file link from the Resource Download Center page and use the wget command on your board to download it.

radxa@device$
sudo apt install wget
wget [url]
# Example
wget https://github.com/radxa-build/rock-5t/releases/download/rsdk-b2/rock-5t_bookworm_kde_b2.output.img.xz

Parameter explanation: Replace [url] with the actual system image download link.

  • PC Download

You can download the system image file from the Resource Download Center page on your PC, then transfer it to the board using a USB drive, FTP, SCP, or other methods.

Install System​

Use the dd command to install the system image to eMMC.

Note

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

Extract System Image​

Use the unxz command to extract the system image file.

radxa@device$
sudo apt install xz-utils
unxz [image_path]
# Example
unxz ~/rock-5t_bookworm_kde_b2.output.img.xz

Parameter explanation: Replace [image_path] with the actual path to the system image file.

Write System Image​

Use the dd command to write the extracted system image to eMMC.

danger

When using the dd command, make sure to select the correct device file to avoid formatting the wrong device and causing data loss!

radxa@device$
sudo dd if=[image_path] of=/dev/mmcblk0 bs=4M status=progress
# Example
sudo dd if=~/rock-5t_bookworm_kde_b2.output.img of=/dev/mmcblk0 bs=4M status=progress

Parameter explanation:

  • if: Specify the input file. Replace [image_path] with the path to the extracted system image file.
  • of: Specify the output device. Replace /dev/mmcblk0 with the device file corresponding to your eMMC (please modify according to your actual device).
  • bs: Block size, recommended 4M.
  • status=progress: Show write progress.

Verify System Image​

After writing the system image, you can use the fdisk command to view the partition information of the boot medium to confirm if the system image was written successfully.

radxa@device$
sudo fdisk -l /dev/mmcblk0

If the system was written successfully, the terminal will output partition information similar to the following:

Disk /dev/mmcblk0: 119.15 GiB, 127934660608 bytes, 31234048 sectors
Disk model: KLUDG4UHDC-B0E1
Units: sectors of 1 \* 4096 = 4096 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 524288 bytes / 524288 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 33349998-C3CC-40F0-B818-DDDD8383A64D

Device Start End Sectors Size Type
/dev/mmcblk0p1 32768 65535 32768 128M Linux filesystem
/dev/mmcblk0p2 65536 679935 614400 2.3G EFI System
/dev/mmcblk0p3 679936 31234014 30554079 116.6G EFI System

Boot the System​

After completing the system installation, power off the board, remove the MicroSD card, and then reconnect the power adapter. The system will automatically boot from eMMC.

System Information​

When using our provided system image, you will need to log in with the following default credentials:

  • Debian Linux

Username: radxa

Password: radxa