Frustrated with my R6S: How do I get a custom image working?

[helennobles]

Hello,
I followed the instructions on the FriendlyElec Wiki trying to get either Fedora IoT or AlmaLinux installed on my NanoPi R6S, but I am not having much luck. Everything seems to install, that is the flasher goes through the process of installing the identified image, but after removing the SD card and rebooting, nothing happens after the FriendlyElec splash screen. Has anyone gotten a Fedora/RHEL adjacent distro working on a NanoPi? I very much prefer them and have them on all of my machines that are not MacOS; my RPi is running AlmaLinux 9.3 and everything else is Fedora 39 of some

[rvalvekar]

Hi,
I was able to install a custom image, with my own configuration on the EMMC. And it was booting.
Unfortunately, it bricked my board and i am now not able to access the EMMC anymore.
So make sure you get the image and its properties correct. Also try using the elfasher tool, which will install the custom OS from SD Card. if you have not tried it.

[immanueljohnston]

Hello,
I followed the instructions on the FriendlyElec Wiki trying to get either Fedora IoT or AlmaLinux installed on my NanoPi R6S, but I am not having much luck. Everything seems to install, that is the flasher goes through the process of installing the identified image, but after removing the SD card and rebooting, nothing happens after the FriendlyElec splash screen. Has anyone gotten a Fedora/RHEL adjacent distro working on a NanoPi? I very much prefer them and have them on all of my machines that are not MacOS; my RPi is running AlmaLinux 9.3 and everything else is Fedora 39 of some

Hey there!

Yes, many people have been able to easily install Fedora or RHEL-based distributions on NanoPi boards. Check the NanoPi R6S's kernel version and configuration files (like /boot/config.txt) to make sure they are right. Make sure you've also chosen the right start mode, like U-start or UEFI.

[AllanPfeffer]

you need to check the log via the serial port, make sure the bootloader is correct, replace or edit the correct DTB file for the hardware, and make sure the kernel supports the RK3588S SoC

[ArmbianForSBCs]

Should work OOB from our build framework - simple and easy.
https://github.com/armbian/build

[sinkword]

Hey there,

That's frustrating! I've seen similar issues mentioned with NanoPis and some distros – it's not always a straightforward process. Did you try different SD cards? Sometimes a card might be faulty even if it seems to work with other devices. Also, make sure you're using a properly sized SD card and that the image is correctly flashed (no errors during the writing process). Sometimes, even a seemingly successful flash can have hidden problems.

Have you checked the FriendlyElec forums directly? They're often the best resource for specific board issues. Posting your exact steps and any error messages you might have seen during the flashing process would probably get you the quickest help there. Someone might have encountered the exact same problem and have a solution.

Also, double-check the compatibility of your chosen distro with the NanoPi R6S. Make sure it's officially supported or at least has a well-documented community installation guide. Sometimes, even small incompatibilities can prevent booting.

Finally, if you have another SD card handy, try flashing the image again on that one just to rule out a hardware problem with the first card.

Good luck! Let us know if you find a solution or if you need more help.