macOS Host
This section show how to install an operating system to your ROCK960 using the SD Card method on a macOS host computer. ***
- Step 1: Prepare MicroSD card
- Step 2: Find SD Card Device name
- Step 3: Recall Download Location
- Step 4: Unzip SD Card Install Image
- Step 5: Go to directory with SD Card Install Image folder using Terminal
- Step 6: Locate SD Card Install Image
- Step 7: Install Image onto SD Card
- Step 8: Prepare ROCK960 with SD card
- Step 9: Install image onto ROCK960
####Step 1: Prepare MicroSD card
- Ensure data from mircoSD card is backed up
- Note: Everything on microSD card will be lost by the end of this procedure.
####Step 2: Find SD Card Device name
- You may need a MicroSD card adapter if your host computer only has an SD card slot
- On the host computer, open “Terminal” application (Press Command+Space bar and type “Terminal”)
- Remove SD card from host computer and run the following command:
diskutil list
- Note all recognized disk names (example: /dev/disk1)
- Insert SD card and run the following command (again):
diskutil list
- Note the newly recognized disk. This will be your SD card.
- Remember your SD card device name, it will be needed in Step 7.
####Step 3: Recall Download Location
- Locate SD card install file that you got from Downloads page.
- This file will be needed for the next step.
####Step 4: Unzip SD Card Install Image
- Uncompress or unzip the SD Card Install Image . With Mac OS X, you can use the Finder app to locate the file and then double click to automatically unzip the file.
- When unzipped, a folder (ex: rock960_ubuntu_server_16.04_arm64_20180115) will be created with the following contents:
- Loader (rk3399_loader_v1.08.106.bin) we don’t need it for SD card writing here.
- An install Image (system.img) (ex: rock960_ubuntu_server_16.04_arm64_20180115.img)
- readme.md
####Step 5: Go to directory with SD Card Install Image folder using Terminal
- On the host computer, open the “Terminal” application (Press Command+Space bar and type “Terminal”)
-
cd
to the directory with your unzipped SD Card Install Image
cd <extraction directory>
#Example:
#<extraction directory> = /Users/YourUserName/Downloads
#For this example we assume the "SD Card Install Image" is in the Downloads folder.
cd /Users/YourUserName/Downloads
####Step 6: Locate SD Card Install Image
- Make sure you are in the extraction directory
Unzipped SD Card download will be a folder. This folder should be found in your directory. Type ls
from command line for a list of files that can be found in your current directory:
ls
#output
rock960_ubuntu_server_16.04_arm64_20180115
- Unzipped folder should be called rock960_YY_arm64_XX, where Y can be Android or debian and XX represents the release number
-
cd
into this directory
cd rock960_ubuntu_server_16.04_arm64_20180115
- Inside this folder you will find the install image.
system.img
- This
.img
file is what will be flashed or copied to your SD Card.
####Step 7: Flash Image onto SD Card
Checklist:
- SD card inserted into host computer
- Recall SD Card device name from Step 2
- From within the
rock960_ubuntu_server_16.04_arm64_20180115
folder, using the Terminal execute the following commands:
Execute:
$ sudo dd if=system.img of=/dev/XXX bs=4m
$ sudo sync
Note:
-
if=system.img
: should match the name of the image that was downloaded. -
of=/dev/XXX
: XXX should match the name of the SD Card device name from Step 2. Be sure to use the device name without the partition name. For example, ‘of=/dev/disk1’ - If you get an error message “Resource Busy”, you will need to unmount the SD card without removing it from the host computer.
- Option 1:
- In the Applications folder, find and click on the Utilities folder.
- Click on the Disk Utility program to run it
- Select the device that represents the SD card
- Click on
unmount
and leave the SD card in the computer - Retry the ‘$ sudo dd if=system.img of=/dev/XXX bs=4m’
- Option 2:
- In the terminal window, enter this command:
$ sudo umount /dev/<device name>
- This command will take some time to execute. Be patient and avoid tampering with the terminal until process has ended.
- Once SD card is done flashing, remove from host computer and set aside for Step 8 You may see a popup window that tells you the device is Not readable by the operating system. Ignore the message and remove the MicroSD card from the host computer.
####Step 8: Prepare ROCK960 with SD card
- Make sure ROCK960 is unplugged from power
- Connect an HDMI monitor to the ROCK960 with an HDMI cable, and power on the monitor
- Plug a USB keyboard and/or mouse into either of the two USB connectors on the ROCK960
- Insert the microSD card into the ROCK960
- Plug power adaptor into ROCK960, wait for board to boot up.
Congratulations! You are now booting your newly installed operating system on SD card on the ROCK960!