Can't install Armbian with different SD cards

[k0rnev]

Hi Experts,

 

I have a strange issue while Armbian installation to my Orange PI PC boards. So there are two SD cards with the same parameters:

 

1. smartbuy 8gb sdhc class 10

2. OltraMax 8gb sdhc class 10

 

The problem is that when I use smartbuy card I can install Armbian and it works fine. But when I use OltraMax card I can install Armbian but after first login it asks me the following:

Warning: a reboot is needed to finish resizing the filesystem
Please reboot the system as soon as possible

 

Ok, I do a reboot and Orange PI PC can't boot Armbian after. Moreover as can I understand I get a boot loader (u-boot) console where I can type some commands.

 

An interesting thing is that if I install Armbian using smartbuy card and then I make an IMG (full image) from it and write this IMG to OltraMax card so Armbian works fine from OltraMax card!

 

So I started an investigation and collected logs from both SD cards by the following plan:

1. Write IMG (Armbian 5.59 Debian Stretch) to SD card

2. Run Orange PI PC and install Armbian

3. Reboot Armbian

4. Login Armbian and shutdown (only with smartbuy card I can do that step).

 

Than I compared both logs and found some strange messages for OltraMax board:

 

 

Picture above shows first execution logs (in compare mode), OltraMax output contains messages about a "bad MBR sector signature".

 

Than when I installed both and did a first login using root 1234 I find another artifact:

 

 

Take a look at Usage of values. Seems like smartbuy extended it's FS size while installation but OltraMax no, it's still 1GB. And OltraMax have a message I mention above (reboot for fs resizing).

 

Than I did a restart and faced a current issue:

 

 

As I understand something wrong with FS resizing on OltraMax card probably because of "bad MBR sector signatures"

 

So can anybody heIp me? I do want to understand why it happens and find a workaround because I bought about 14 OltraMax cards for my Orange Pi PC cluster.

 

I may attach both logs if it's needed.

 

Thanks,

Kornev

[Igor]

53 minutes ago, k0rnev said:

So can anybody heIp me?

It seems that you have fake SD cards. Throw them away/send back. There are no other ways.

[k0rnev]

45 minutes ago, Igor said:

It seems that you have fake SD cards. Throw them away/send back. There are no other ways.

I can use this cards on my phone or PC, seems like they work :) So what is a different between fake and non-fake cards? As I said if I install Armbian using card that works fine and then I make an IMG from it and install this IMG to OltraMAx cards than they works too.

[chwe]

3 hours ago, k0rnev said:

seems like they work So what is a different between fake and non-fake cards?

seems with stuff containing data is often...  

Fake cards can have various issues, from being slow as hell, over corrupt sectors up to a fake size. I would format both cards completely and then follow the recommendations:

https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Getting-Started/#how-to-prepare-a-sd-card e.g. the testing part with h2tesw or f3 might be important..