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I have an SD-Card Image for a Pi Zero but the Pi Zero was always a bit slow for the task (Web-Server, Machinelearning). So I would now like to replace the Pi Zero with a Pi Zero 2 W.

Unfortunately, the Pi Zero 2 W does not boot from the old image. No LED turns on and I get the rainbow square on HDMI output.

  • What is so different between both systems?
  • And do I have a chance to modify the old image to be able to run on the Pi Zero 2 W?

PS: I already tried to create a new image, leave the boot partition as is and copy the file from the other partition over. No success.

PS: did a sudo apt-get update, upgrade and dist-upgrade. seems I have debian stretch on the system...

rdmueller
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    "I already tried to create a new image, leave the boot partition as is and copy the file from the other partition over. No success." -> For future reference, if you do that you need to copy the /lib/modules/x.x.xdirectory matching the kernel onto the root filesystem or you will have hampered functionality, because all the dynamically loadable kernel modules/drivers are there. It will not load modules compiled for a different version. However, as far as I am aware all models will still boot that way. – goldilocks Nov 11 '22 at 19:27
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    You should add some detail to "won't boot", since there is a range of states to which that label might apply, and exactly what state it is provides some clues about why the boot does not complete. At the very least, the red power LED comes on (unless the Pi is busted). What else happens if anything? Please edit those details into the question, do not simply leave them as comments. – goldilocks Nov 11 '22 at 19:27
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    "No LED turns on and I get the rainbow square on HDMI output." -> That the red power LED does not turn on is pretty weird. Assuming that it actually does and that was a typo, if the green LED never does anything, this is exactly what you'll get with no SD card in -- meaning either the reader is busted, or the SD card is not formatted properly. – goldilocks Nov 12 '22 at 14:19
  • Does the Pi Zero 2 W even have a red power LED? Even when it runs with a correct SD-Card, I see no red LED. – rdmueller Nov 13 '22 at 09:41
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    Whoops, my bad -- none of the Zeros have a PWR LED. What I've said about the ACT LED still holds true though. – goldilocks Nov 13 '22 at 12:24

1 Answers1

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If you have a fully updated 32bit Raspberry Pi OS Bullseye or Buster SD Card it will work in ALL models.

You should update on your existing Pi.

Attempting to use an older OS will NOT work even if you try to update kernel and firmware.

Milliways
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  • ok. currently trying to upgrade to Buster... – rdmueller Nov 11 '22 at 22:24
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    I said NOTHING about upgrading. If your existing image is NOT already Buster attempting to upgrade is NOT supported. – Milliways Nov 11 '22 at 22:46
  • Ha, good point. Any idea in this case? – rdmueller Nov 12 '22 at 10:45
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    Do a fresh install of Bullseye or Buster (preferably on a new SD Card). Despite the reluctance of many it only takes a couple of hours to install the applications you use and you can easily copy your home directory. You only have to do this every 2 years. – Milliways Nov 12 '22 at 11:39
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    https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/a/122056/8697 may help – Milliways Nov 12 '22 at 11:46
  • Fresh install would be an option if I knew what is installed. It is the SD Card image of the robolink zumi (https://www.robolink.com/products/zumi) and robolink does not support the zero 2 – rdmueller Nov 12 '22 at 15:01
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    I see no software detail, but if really doesn't support Pi Zero2 (I don't see why) then the whole exercise is futile. All Pi Zero software should run on the Pi Zero2 unless it uses a poor library which is unaware of the GPIO address differences. – Milliways Nov 13 '22 at 00:28
  • thanx for your help. I guess my main problem is that the image is based on an older distribution which doesn not support Pi Zero2. So if I try to upgrade it, I run into other problems. Some python packages need to be re-installed and this leads to dependency hell. I will now give up on it. – rdmueller Nov 13 '22 at 11:06