BBB program storage on a flash drive

[KenUnix]

I am a happy BBB user. The only problem is eMMc storage space.

The BBB is running Debian 9.9 IoT. Leaving about 1.1GB space.

A full image only leaves about 200MB not enough to apt upgrade.

After getting a good working setup I burn an SD-Card for backup.

I have a fast flash drive connected to the USB port. It works fine.

I can read & write to it just fine.

What I would like to know, is it possible to install programs on

that drive instead of the eMMc card using  sudo apt install.

For example:  "sudo apt install bwbasic" ??  The flash drive is always

mounted via /etc/fstab and connected via a 4-port powered USB

hub along with a WiFi adapter to off-load power from the BBB.

If that is not possible is there a list of safe things to remove using

sudo apt remove or unneeded folders?

I'll stop here, I go on too much.

Thanks

[Dennis Lee Bieber]

On Sun, 8 Mar 2020 13:11:01 -0700 (PDT), in
gmane.comp.hardware.beagleboard.user KenUnix
<ken.unix.guy-Re5J...@public.gmane.org> wrote:


>
>*What I would like to know, is it possible to install programs on*
>*that drive instead of the eMMc card using sudo apt install.*

>
>For example: "sudo apt install bwbasic" ?? The flash drive is always
>mounted via /etc/fstab and connected via a 4-port powered USB
>hub along with a WiFi adapter to off-load power from the BBB.
>

You would most likely have to:

1) duplicate the contents of /usr, /etc, /sbin, and /bin; maybe also /opt
to the flash drive
2) mount the copies over the eMMC directories -- masking the eMMC contents

>If that is not possible is there a list of safe things to remove using
>sudo apt remove or unneeded folders?
>

Much easier to just use a larger/fast uSD card for booting and save the
eMMC with just something like the IoT image for any recovery work needed on
SD cards (remove card, reboot, insert card, mount card, do whatever to it)




--
Dennis L Bieber

[KenUnix]

Dennis,

If I run off the microSD card then how would I burn a backup copy of the system?

Ken

On Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 7:04:33 PM UTC-4, Dennis Bieber wrote:

On Sun, 8 Mar 2020 13:11:01 -0700 (PDT), in
gmane.comp.hardware.beagleboard.user KenUnix

[Robert Nelson]

On Mon, Mar 9, 2020 at 9:27 AM KenUnix <ken.un...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dennis,
>
> If I run off the microSD card then how would I burn a backup copy of the system?

First run:

sudo /opt/scripts/tools/eMMC/beaglebone-black-make-microSD-flasher-from-eMMC.sh

Which will copy the eMMC -> microSD..

Second, after it shuts down, open the microSD on an another Linux
host, and open /boot/uEnv.txt and make sure to put a "#" on the last
line of the file:

aka:
#cmdline=init=/opt/scripts/tools/eMMC/init-eMMC-flasher-v3.sh

Such that it doesn't "flash" your eMMC..

Regards,

--
Robert Nelson
https://rcn-ee.com/