🛠 Flasher une image, dual-boot et remise à neuf

Objectives

Take control of the board at the system level: create a bootable USB drive, enter the UEFI firmware (hold the Esc key during power-on, use the "Boot" tab for boot order), install Windows 10/11 or Ubuntu on the eMMC (Alpha 864) or an M.2 SSD, set up a dual-boot, and know how to start from scratch. Key structural reminders: the Alpha is a standard x86-64 UEFI PC — no SD card on first boot — and the Alpha 800 has no embedded storage (0 GB eMMC): an M.2 SSD or USB drive is mandatory.

Hardware

• LattePanda Alpha + stable 12 V/3 A power supply (underpowered supplies cause reboot loops during installation)
• USB flash drive, 8 GB minimum (Rufus on Windows, dd or Balena Etcher on Linux to burn the image)
• Official images: Windows 10 images specific to the board revision (Dropbox links from official docs), Windows 11 Pro image published by DFRobot, or standard 64-bit Ubuntu ISO; Android x86 (Phoenix OS) is also documented
• HDMI display + USB keyboard; no power button on the board: power-on is automatic when the power supply is connected

Full Code

Complete reset procedure:

# 1. Graver une cle bootable (exemple Linux)
#    Image ISO/IMG telechargee -> /dev/sdX = votre cle (VERIFIER, EFFACEMENT TOTAL)
sudo dd if=ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync
sync

# 2. Graver une image Windows fournie par DFRobot (souvent au format .img)
#    sous Windows : Rufus, mode "Image" ; sous Linux : dd comme ci-dessus

# 3. Demarrer la carte : brancher l'alimentation en maintenant Echap
#    -> menu de demarrage UEFI ; onglet Boot pour l'ordre de demarrage
#    -> choisir la cle USB (entree "UEFI: ...")

# 4. Apres installation, sauvegarder l'etat sain par image brute :
sudo dd if=/dev/nvme0n1 of=/mnt/externe/alpha-backup.img bs=16M status=progress
#    (restauration : inverser if= et of= avec la meme taille de bloc)

For a Windows + Ubuntu dual-boot: install Windows first, then Ubuntu using "install alongside"; the installer adds GRUB and the Windows entry remains accessible via Esc at boot. BIOS updates are Windows-centric (LattePandaTeam GitHub repo, batch files).

Expected Verification

Upon connection, hold Esc → the UEFI menu appears and lists the USB drive. The installer detects the eMMC (64 GB on 864) or the M.2 SSD. After installation, the board reboots automatically into the installed OS (no power button: unplug/replug the power supply). The backup image is the size of the disk and is restored using reverse dd.

Common Errors

• Using a Windows image for a different board revision: official Win10 images are specific to the hardware version; choosing the wrong one results in an unbootable system or missing drivers.
• Expecting SD card boot like on a Raspberry Pi: the Alpha is UEFI; burning a "Raspberry Pi" image is useless.
• Insufficient power supply during installation: reboot loops in the middle of file copying — require 12 V/3 A or the official 45 W PD supply.
• Panicking over the lack of a power/reset button: this is a known criticism of the board; everything is done by cutting/reconnecting power.
• Alpha 800 without an SSD: no OS possible internally, the board does not become bootable again without a storage device.