FPP 1.9 Stretch BBB Installation Procedure

Updated with a simpler step to flash the eMMC.

This covers all the steps needed for the full installation of the latest FPP 1.9 Stretch image for the Beaglebone Black. It includes the software tools you’ll need to download to format the SD Card and write the image to the card for both Windows and Mac.

Latest images are available at http://dankulp.com/bbb

If you have a brand new BeagleBone Black, I’d almost say one of Dan’s images is required. I started with the old 1.5 image and upgraded to 1.9. The panels skipped every other line. I started over with one of Dan’s newer images and the problem went away.

The high-level (TLDR) procedure is:

  1. Format a 16GB micro SD card with SD Formatter. Free download available from sdcard.org.
  2. Download the latest image from http://dankulp.com/bbb.
  3. Write the image to the SD Card. Multiple options/tools available.
  4. Boot the BeagleBone Black to the SD Card. New users, see note below.
  5. Flash the eMMC.
  6. Boot from eMMC and finish configuring the BeagleBone Black.

Note: If you are familiar with setting up a Raspberry Pi with Falcon Player, this procedure is different. The Raspberry Pi setup is a software installation where the BeagleBone Black setup is a software image. On an image, the software is already installed, you just need to boot it. The BeagleBone Black takes about 30 seconds to boot. Once it has booted, you are up and running.  I suggest you flashing the eMMC to boot off internal memory, but it isn’t required. That just lets you use an SD card for the data and leaves the single USB connector open for a USB WiFi card. Your own personal needs will determine what you actually need to do to complete the setup. If you aren’t sure, try following the steps in the video.

I did discover a bug with the 2×2 vertical panel configuration.  I had to set the Falcon Player arrows backwards for that configuration to display properly. The 2×2 horizontal configuration worked fine with the correct settings.

One other thing I added was an Edimax USB WiFi adapter http://amzn.to/2jsMJjo. I tried a couple of other USB adapters and they would not work. The Edimax worked flawlessly.

2 thoughts on “FPP 1.9 Stretch BBB Installation Procedure

  1. Art Boyle

    How long did you have to hold down the boot button before the image started to flash the other lights?

    Also the SD card seems to me to go in upside down with the metal connectors to the outside of the board is that correct?

  2. Dog Father Post author

    I hold it down until the 4 lights start flashing (maybe 5-10 seconds). I think it will only go in there one way. Mine is a spring-loaded slot and yes, the SD card contacts are facing away from the board.

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