Score:0

Why the inconsistent booting of Ubuntu Server 20.04 from a USB SSD device on RPi3B+?

de flag

I am trying to boot Ubuntu Server 64-bit 20.04 from a USB SSD thumb drive on a RPi3B+. I have found that on three separate RPi3B+ units, they ALL fail to find the drive if it is placed in either of the two USB slots NOT right next to the ethernet socket.

I have also tried with a crappy flash drive, which succeeds on booting in an even more inconsistent manner.

Are there any suggestions as to why USB booting of Ubuntu Server 20.04 seems to be so inconsistent on the RPi3B+? Any remedies to this?

ar flag
Finding the drive prior to booting seems like either hardware (either the USB drive or the USB port) or Raspberry Pi BIOS (or it's equivalent) problem. It has got nothing to do with Ubuntu.
N0rbert avatar
zw flag
Check your bootloader version first. Are you sure that RPi3 supports USB boot? RPi 4 does, it is known. Check something like https://thepi.io/how-to-boot-your-raspberry-pi-from-a-usb-mass-storage-device/ .
waltinator avatar
it flag
You must supply every USB device with enough 5V power to run its internal microcontroller. Are you sure you're providing enough?
Magnus avatar
de flag
@user68186 FYI -- I tried the exact same drives with RPi OS Lite 64-Bit and they booted consistently on all USB slots.
Magnus avatar
de flag
Note: parallel discussion here: https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=319428&p=1912376#p1912376
ar flag
Based on the discussion you linked above it confirms that problem is with the Raspberry Pi hardware. I am voting to close this question as it is not related to Ubuntu.
mangohost

Post an answer

Most people don’t grasp that asking a lot of questions unlocks learning and improves interpersonal bonding. In Alison’s studies, for example, though people could accurately recall how many questions had been asked in their conversations, they didn’t intuit the link between questions and liking. Across four studies, in which participants were engaged in conversations themselves or read transcripts of others’ conversations, people tended not to realize that question asking would influence—or had influenced—the level of amity between the conversationalists.