20/11/13 tutorials:ct1:installation:install_lubuntu_desktop_or_server_rootfs_to_sata_drive [Cubieboard Docs]

Cubieboard Docs

Server Rootfs To Sata Drive

Abstract
Allwinner's A20 SoC doesn't support booting from sata drive directly. But we can still install linux distro to sata drive on cubietruck, by putting
bootloader/kernel onto nandflash, and rootfs to sata drive, making a really mini computer. This manual will tell you how to install lubuntu desktop/server
on cubietruck.

How We Implement It ?
Add a bootsata boot parameter, and parse it at ramdisk
Write bootloader / kernel to nandflash
When there is no sata, system will use the rootfs on nand

What We Can Benefit From It?

Much more storage space

Easily up to 2TB storage

Better performance with SSD drive

Much more IO read/write throughput and IOPS, resulting in system more smoothly

Supported Firmwares
Lubuntu Desktop

Because we need to modify ramdisk and boot parameter, so not all the firmwares support sata drive installation.

ct_lubuntu_desktop-hdmi.img.gz(20131018-build) - default HDMI output [http://dl.cubieboard.org/software/a20-

cubietruck/lubuntu/obsolete/ct_lubuntu_desktop_12.10_20131018/ct_lubuntu_desktop-hdmi.img.gz]
ct_lubuntu_desktop-vga.img.gz(20131018-build) - default VGA output [http://dl.cubieboard.org/software/a20-
cubietruck/lubuntu/obsolete/ct_lubuntu_desktop_12.10_20131018/ct_lubuntu_desktop-vga.img.gz]

Lubuntu Server

ct-lubuntu-server-hdmi.img.gz(20131018-build) - default HDMI output [http://dl.cubieboard.org/software/a20-

cubietruck/lubuntu/obsolete/ct_lubuntu_server_13.06_20131018/ct-lubuntu-server-hdmi.img.gz]
ct-lubuntu-server-vga.img.gz(20131018-build) - default VGA output [http://dl.cubieboard.org/software/a20-
cubietruck/lubuntu/obsolete/ct_lubuntu_server_13.06_20131018/ct-lubuntu-server-vga.img.gz]

Installation Guide
We take this ct_lubuntu_desktop-hdmi.img.gz(20131018-build) - default HDMI output [http://dl.cubieboard.org/software/a20-
cubietruck/lubuntu/ct_lubuntu_desktop_20131018/ct_lubuntu_desktop-hdmi.img.gz] image as example. The following steps demonstrates on installing
lubuntu desktop to sata drive.

Download Firmware
$wget http://dl.cubieboard.org/software/a20-cubietruck/lubuntu/ct_lubuntu_desktop_20131018/ct_lubuntu_desktop-hdmi.img.gz
$gzip -d ct_lubuntu_desktop-hdmi.img.gz

Flash the Image to Nandflash

docs.cubieboard.org/tutorials/ct1/installation/install_lubuntu_desktop_or_server_rootfs_to_sata_drive 1/2
20/11/13 tutorials:ct1:installation:install_lubuntu_desktop_or_server_rootfs_to_sata_drive [Cubieboard Docs]
Refer to this Installation Guide [http://docs.cubieboard.org/tutorials/ct1/installation/cb3_lubuntu-12.10-desktop_nand_installation_20130910-build] to flash the
image to nand with livesuit.

Write rootfs to SATA drive

After flashing the image to nandflash, your board can run lubuntu desktop already, next we just copy the rootfs to sata drive's 1st partition

1. Start up lubuntu desktop system on nand

2. Plug in sata drive
3. Create a new partition for your sata drive
4. Copy rootfs to the 1st partition

#dd if=/dev/nandd of=/dev/sda1 bs=1M

#sync
#reboot

See Also

tutorials/ct1/installation/install_lubuntu_desktop_or_server_rootfs_to_sata_drive.txt · Last modified: 2013/10/28 16:31 by allen

docs.cubieboard.org/tutorials/ct1/installation/install_lubuntu_desktop_or_server_rootfs_to_sata_drive 2/2