Create Bootable SD Card

This section show how to install the Debian operating system that is bootable from the SD Card to your HiKey on a Linux host computer.

Step 1: Make sure you have the latest bootloader flashed:

Step 2: Download SD Card Image

  • Download 
    $ wget http://snapshots.linaro.org/96boards/hikey/linaro/debian/latest/linaro-stretch-developer-hikey-*.sd.gz -O linaro-stretch-developer-hikey.sd.gz
  • Decompress 
    $ gunzip linaro-stretch-developer-hikey.sd.gz

Step 3: Flash image to SD Card

  • Remove SD card from host computer and run the following command: 
    $ lsblk
  • Note all recognized disk names
  • Insert SD card and run the following command (again): 
    $ lsblk
  • Note the newly recognized disk. This will be your SD card.
  • Remember your SD card device name
  • Flash SD card 
    $ dd if=linaro-stretch-developer-hikey.sd of=/dev/xxx status=progress

    NOTE: /dev/xxx is the device name of you sdcard

Step 4: Boot HiKey from SD Card

  • Make sure the HiKey is Powered OFF
  • Insert SD Card into HiKey
  • Power On
  • Hikey should now boot Debian from SD Card

NOTE: SD Card is the first boot preference, It will always boot irrespective of ANY OS flashed on the eMMC