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Pi 4 Booting from SSD

mp2100

This isn't recent news, but I am very happy that the raspberry pi org updated the firmware this year to support USB boot on the Pi 4.  I had been using a Pi 3B with USB boot.  Then I switched to a Pi 4, the 2 GB model (because that was what was in stock at the store).  It was great for a while, I used it as my internet surfing and part-time programming machine.  But when I opened too many browser tabs, the memory would fill up.  I'd keep a terminal open with htop running to keep a watch on it.

 

I used this guide from tom's hardware.

     https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/boot-raspberry-pi-4-usb

 

It's very easy.  Set a few things using the new options in raspi-config.  Then copy my SD card I was using to boot from, to a USB SSD device.  Reboot.

 

I used a small 120 GB SSD drive in the USB 3 port.  It's like I have a new computer now.  Or more like I have a 4 GB Pi  4.  I set the swap on the SSD to be 2 GB, so I have more room to surf.  And of course the SSD is faster than a fast SD card.  The web surfing is much better.  I can have 10 or 15 tabs open no problem.

 

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  • I dunno really how it works, but In theory could I set swap to 28GB on my 4GB pi and have it a "32GB pi"?

  • in reply to hugohu

    Unfortunately, that is not how swap memory works.  The swap memory is used to "swap" your physical memory to disk so that you can reuse the physical memory for new/other processes.  You could make a 28GB swap file, but the Pi would most likely use only up to 4GB of it...

  • in reply to glennvanderveer

    Ah. So basically it "stores" the data in the external drive, and then you free up some of the RAM in the Pi.

  • in reply to DAB

    Everything runs faster in memory.

     

    DAB

    Agreed.  But when I only have 2 GB RAM, a fast SSD swap file is the next best thing.

  •   wrote:

     

    >It's very easy.  Set a few things using the new options in raspi-config.  Then copy my SD card I was using to boot from, to a USB SSD device.  Reboot.

    That's really good to know, thanks. This is something I've been meaning to do for a while now. Mostly to run a local git server, likely to track DIY sensor data, and maybe some home automation - not something I'd trust to an SD card.

     

    > It's like I have a new computer now. 

    It's amazing what an SSD upgrade can do for any computer. Years ago I had a similar issue with my late-2009 MacBook (the cheapest model they had at the time) - not enough memory and heavy swapping to the hard drive. Apple said 4GB was max so I upgraded to an SSD for the same reason you did - faster swap space. Then I found out Apple kinda lied and that laptop could have 8GB, so I did both upgrades (relatively inexpensive at the time).

    That little laptop was amazingly fast for its age and CPU type, and even today is still very useable, mainly limited by Apple no longer supporting it for OS upgrades.

    I was using it to teach a course once, with it already being at least 5 years old, and it out-performed many of the brand-new laptops (with basic hard drives) the students had just purchased.

     

    Best,

    -Nico