Why is getting NOOBS so difficult?

[Ruptor]

I left my RPi unused for a year and have come back to it but it doesn't boot. Having tried all the video switching thinking it must have gone back to HDMI I came to the conclusion it just wasn't going to work so I set about downloading the latest NOOBS and things went from bad to worse. Under SUSE Linux I tried to download the NOOBS zip file but it created two files one of 230 Meg and another called part.zip that I couldn't get any info about. I gave up and turned on my old windows computer that allowed me to download the zip file. I installed the SD format program formatted the 8 Meg SD card unzipped the NOOBS and copied the files to the SD card but half way through disaster struck again. The root.tar.xz file under the operating system would not be copied. All this wasted time is getting on my wick. Is there a simple method on Linux that lets you write an image to the SD card and be done with it like you do with ISO images to CDs? Since Linux is the operating system used on RPi I would have thought it would be the main route for getting Raspbian on to the RPi rather than the awkward Windows route especially for people that are Linux users.

[fruitoftheloom]

The Raspberry Pi Foundation Web Site does have that information, where else

https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/raspbian

https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentati ... /README.md

https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentati ... s/linux.md

[Ruptor]

Thanks Fruito I thought it must be somewhere by now. I shall check it out and hope I can get download the image without bother.

[QuietZone]

It sounds like all of your problems are down to erroneously downloading something with a name like:

NOOBS_v1_5_0.zip (Bad. Never, ever, use this file!)

instead of the correct file, which is:

NOOBS_lite_v1_5.zip (This is the correct file to download)

The point is that if you are having problems downloading files (perhaps due to some ISP-imposed file size limit), then it is better to be downloading small files than large ones.

[plugwash]

That just moves any download problems from the "installing noobs" stage to the "installing the OS using noobs" stage.

[gordon77]

"Is there a simple method on Linux that lets you write an image to the SD card and be done with it like you do with ISO images to CDs? "

Forget noobs, download raspbian, unzip it, and write to the SD card from Windows using Win32diskmanager. Instructions on the download page as linked to above.

[RaTTuS]

"Is there a simple method on Linux that lets you write an image to the SD card and be done with it like you do with ISO images to CDs? "...

Yes
dd if=file of=/dev/device

[QuietZone]

You guys are, as usual, all missing the point.

The OP is having problems downloading large files. Thus, any "solution" that involves downloading a large file is a non-starter.

[DirkS]

You guys are, as usual, all missing the point.

The OP is having problems downloading large files. Thus, any "solution" that involves downloading a large file is a non-starter.

Noobs Lite will still want to download large files...
Hopefully for the OP it's a problem with his PC, and not with his network and / or ISP

[gordon77]

You guys are, as usual, all missing the point.

The OP is having problems downloading large files. Thus, any "solution" that involves downloading a large file is a non-starter.

"I gave up and turned on my old windows computer that allowed me to download the zip file. I installed the SD format program formatted the 8 Meg SD card unzipped the NOOBS and copied the files to the SD card but half way through disaster struck again. The root.tar.xz file under the operating system would not be copied."

Not sure the 'as usual' applies. If they were able to download the file and unzip it, did that imply it was a download problem?

[fruitoftheloom]

You guys are, as usual, all missing the point.

The OP is having problems downloading large files. Thus, any "solution" that involves downloading a large file is a non-starter.

"I gave up and turned on my old windows computer that allowed me to download the zip file. I installed the SD format program formatted the 8 Meg SD card unzipped the NOOBS and copied the files to the SD card but half way through disaster struck again. The root.tar.xz file under the operating system would not be copied."

Not sure the 'as usual' applies. If they were able to download the file and unzip it, did that imply it was a download problem?

7ZIP unzipper is better than the one built into Windows

[Ruptor]

I think it is just one of those when there are bad vibrations in the aether. There is no download limit for me I have dumped the 4 GB Suse operating system on DVD without problems. I downloaded NOOBS zip file unzipped it OK but the copy SD stopped when it reached the boot.tar.xz file. Has anybody actually followed those instructions on a windows XP box with SP3. I suspect the 1 GB file size might be the problem for Win XP to copy otherwise the file is corrupted but I would have thought the unzip software could detect that.
I am downloading the right Jessie now and see if I can make some progress today.

[QuietZone]

I think it is just one of those when there are bad vibrations in the ether.

This is exactly the point. I was being semi-facetious when I mentioned there being a download limit. I was trying to avoid hurting your feelings.

The point is that you are having problems downloading files, and when you are having problems downloading files, it is best to be testing with a small (like 20M) file rather than a large file (like 1.5 Gb - incidentally, the same # as the Powerball jackpot - something that seems to be on everybody's minds around here [the US] these days...).

That's one of the many, many, many advantages of using NOOBS Lite, instead of either the "full" version of NOOBS or the "raw image" files (e.g., the Raspbian raw image file that so many posters here seem to be so in love with).

[gordon77]

You guys are, as usual, all missing the point.

The OP is having problems downloading large files. Thus, any "solution" that involves downloading a large file is a non-starter.

"I gave up and turned on my old windows computer that allowed me to download the zip file. I installed the SD format program formatted the 8 Meg SD card unzipped the NOOBS and copied the files to the SD card but half way through disaster struck again. The root.tar.xz file under the operating system would not be copied."

Not sure the 'as usual' applies. If they were able to download the file and unzip it, did that imply it was a download problem?

7ZIP unzipper is better than the one built into Windows

I find unzip in Win10 is fine.

[Burngate]

That first-time problem with 230M file and the part.zip is what you (or at least I) get when the download fails part way through.
Firefox (and probably others) builds the download in a file it calls "part" as its arriving, then, when it's finished, transfers it all into the proper file.

Having got a full download, you seem to have managed to unzip it. Now it's failing to copy everything to the SD card.

Could it be your card reader is too old, and won't correctly read/write modern cards?
Could it be that when you formatted the card, you didn't have all the switches correct? ("resize on" rings a bell, but that could be a red herring)

[Ruptor]

I brought the NOOBS zip file with me and unzipped it under Linux then copied it to the SD card, overwriting the half copied file system done on windows, without a problem. Clearly there is nothing wrong with the file it has to be a problem with Windows XP. So I ask the question again has anybody actually tried the instructions because it looks like my version of windows can't handle the large 1 GB file copy to SD.

[Ruptor]

We have lift off I have my composite video NOOBS screen. Now I am back to where I was a year ago when I switched it off

[gordon77]

I brought the NOOBS zip file with me and unzipped it under Linux then copied it to the SD card, overwriting the half copied file system done on windows, without a problem. Clearly there is nothing wrong with the file it has to be a problem with Windows XP. So I ask the question again has anybody actually tried the instructions because it looks like my version of windows can't handle the large 1 GB file copy to SD.

True you can't unzip with win XP, you need Win10 or 7zip l believe.

[gkreidl]

You guys are, as usual, all missing the point.
...

You joined here about a month ago and claim that all the people providing good support here for years are all wrong. You should reconsider your attitude.

[fruitoftheloom]

You guys are, as usual, all missing the point.
...

You joined here about a month ago and claim that all the people providing good support here for years are all wrong. You should reconsider your attitude.

Sounds like the departed JScohme or whatever is name was

[hippy]

Clearly there is nothing wrong with the file it has to be a problem with Windows XP. So I ask the question again has anybody actually tried the instructions because it looks like my version of windows can't handle the large 1 GB file copy to SD.

It worked for me using XP SP3.

I had already downloaded NOOBS_v1_5_0.zip but had not actually tried using it. I used WinRar to extract the contents, then just dragged and dropped the extracted files using Windows Explorer to a previously unused 8GB SDHC using an external 'Poundland' USB card writer.

No problems or issues at all while doing any of that.

I used WinRar because people had reported Windows has a problem with the file size / compression type, but when I just tried it the Windows way ( right-click on the .zip, then Extract All ), it seemed to work and all the files appear to be there and the right size.

I also tried with an old version of WinZip and that seems to have had no problems either.

[gordon77]

Clearly there is nothing wrong with the file it has to be a problem with Windows XP. So I ask the question again has anybody actually tried the instructions because it looks like my version of windows can't handle the large 1 GB file copy to SD.

It worked for me using XP SP3.

I had already downloaded NOOBS_v1_5_0.zip but had not actually tried using it. I used WinRar to extract the contents, then just dragged and dropped the extracted files using Windows Explorer to a previously unused 8GB SDHC using an external 'Poundland' USB card writer.

No problems or issues at all while doing any of that.

I used WinRar because people had reported Windows has a problem with the file size / compression type, but when I just tried it the Windows way ( right-click on the .zip, then Extract All ), it seemed to work and all the files appear to be there and the right size.

I also tried with an old version of WinZip and that seems to have had no problems either.

Apologies l was thinking of the raspbian download not noobs.

[hippy]

Apologies l was thinking of the raspbian download not noobs.

No need to apologise and I wasn't having ago. It could well be Raspbian which has problems being unzipped. I just noted in passing there was a some issue raised so I used WinRar when I downloaded NOOBS to get Jessie, it worked so I stuck with that and never tried with anything else.

[Ruptor]

Hi Hippy
The problem is in the copying of files from the hard disk to the SD. The instructions say drag and drop but it stops on the 1GB file transfer for me having already written some files to the SD.
I have a new problem now. After NOOBS installed and I clicked OK the screen went blank and nothing happened. Now when I turn on the RPi the video gets a couple of fast white bars across it but nothing else. When NOOBS first came up I was asked if I want composite video as default and I said yes. I assumed it would be added to the install when it was finished but it doesn't look like it. Any suggestions?

[fruitoftheloom]

Hi Hippy
The problem is in the copying of files from the hard disk to the SD. The instructions say drag and drop but it stops on the 1GB file transfer for me having already written some files to the SD.
I have a new problem now. After NOOBS installed and I clicked OK the screen went blank and nothing happened. Now when I turn on the RPi the video gets a couple of fast white bars across it but nothing else. When NOOBS first came up I was asked if I want composite video as default and I said yes. I assumed it would be added to the install when it was finished but it doesn't look like it. Any suggestions?

You can force output on boot, it is in readme:

https://github.com/raspberrypi/noobs