You can also do it on a 3 but it’s different…

https://thepi.io/how-to-boot-your-raspberry-pi-from-a-usb-mass-storage-device/

Just replying here so I can save myself trouble when someone tries it LOL

https://www.raspberrystreet.com/learn/how-to-boot-raspberrypi-from-usb-ssd

There may be an easier way but this helped me.

@cowboysdude You the man that worked well for me and easy to follow!

There may be an easier way but this helped me.

the software does not know this… the hardware does the work under the covers and say Success!
even when its not.

once the bits are used, the card is dead. may turn read only or may start exhibiting corrupted files ( the software does not know)

this technology is great for cameras and music, low write activity… not so much for os’s that page, write log files… or apps like mm that constantly cause log files

I think, based on your description your card is used up. time for a new one…

I changed my pis to boot from SD card, but run from ssd (same technology, just really bigger)

ps. I have lost 10 sd cards to this problem over the last 4 years…

# commands to stop services before backup separated by &
DEFAULT_STOPSERVICES="sudo -u pi pm2 stop mm && systemctl stop lighttpd"

# commands to start services after backup separated by &
DEFAULT_STARTSERVICES="systemctl start lighttpd && sudo -u pi pm2 start mm"

Will this be helpfull for you?

Regards Peter

i start the raspibackup.sh-Script with this helper-Script named raspiBackupNfsWrapper.sh

#!/bin/bash

#######################################################################################################################
#
# 	Sample script which checks whether a nfsserver is available and exports a specific directory
# 	and then starts raspiBackup
#
#######################################################################################################################
#
#   Copyright # (C) 2017,2018 - framp at linux-tips-and-tricks dot de
#
#   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
#   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
#   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
#   (at your option) any later version.
#
#   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
#   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
#   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
#   GNU General Public License for more details.
#
#   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
#   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
#
#######################################################################################################################

NFSSERVER="192.168.192.10"
NFSDIRECTORY="/c/backup"
MOUNTPOINT="/backup"

VERSION="0.0.3"

# add pathes if not already set (usually not set in crontab)

if [[ -e /bin/grep ]]; then
   PATHES="/usr/local/sbin /usr/local/bin /usr/sbin /usr/bin /sbin /bin"
   for p in $PATHES; do
      if ! /bin/grep -E -q "[^:]$p[:$]" <<< $PATH; then
         [[ -z $PATH ]] && export PATH=$p || export PATH="$p:$PATH"
      fi
   done
fi

function cleanup() {
	umount -f $MOUNTPOINT
}

trap cleanup SIGINT SIGTERM EXIT

if ping -c1 -w3 $NFSSERVER &>/dev/null; then
	if showmount -e $NFSSERVER | grep -q $NFSDIRECTORY; then
		echo "Mouting $NFSSERVER:$NFSDIRECTORY to $MOUNTPOINT"
		mount -t nfs -o soft,vers=3 $NFSSERVER:$NFSDIRECTORY $MOUNTPOINT
		if (( $? > 0 )); then
			echo "Failed to mount $NFSSERVER:$NFSDIRECTORY"
			exit 42
		fi
		raspiBackup7412.sh
		rc=$?
		if (( $rc > 0 )); then
			echo "raspiBackup failed with rc $rc"
			exit $rc
		fi
	else
		echo "Server $NFSSERVER does not provide $NFSDIRECTORY"
		exit 1
	fi
else
	echo "Server $NFSSERVER not online"
	exit 1
fi

Will this be helpfull for you?

Regards Peter

Once the mirror is up & running, I can do the boring maintenance stuff (apt get update && apt get upgrade) and just let it run in the background.

Do you stop mm before the back up?

https://www.linux-tips-and-tricks.de/en/backup/

every night I make a full backup of all 4 Raspi as a TAR file to a NAS on my network. then i shrink and convert the TAR files into an IMG file (read Framps Linux-Tips-and-Tricks).

so I can always make a new SD card with my Win10 and Win32 Disk Imager.

Then the “Toinstall” part is just me having more the one config files in the backup dir.
Basically I have 2 different install possibility’s “house” and “NUC”.
So my backup config files are named “config-house.js” and config-NUC.js".
I enable the one I want to restore.

“ConfigName” is the actual name of the config file when it’s copied to it’s destination. This is probably always going to be “config.js” for the MM2. :)

“User” is in what directory the “MagicMirror” is located (when you cloned it).

“Moddir” is where your modules will be installed (this is probably always going to the same for MM2 as well).

“DownloadFrom” is where to download your backed up files from.

Then it’s just two "array"s with the files and folders with the backup files and where to copy them when restoring.
Files[1] = “file1-to-copy”
Dirs[1] = “Where/to/copy/file-1”
And so on…

Files[3] Is the script I use to set the screen to sleep and wake it up (Using MMM-Remote-Control).
Files[4] Is the script I use to automatically update the mirror and the modules (manually).

Files[7-9] It’s the “compliment-files” (used in the compliments module).

And Files[11] Is the MagicMirror start script I use (for starting the mirror with pm2).

“Packfile” Is the name of the file to look for when installing moduls. If it’s there, the npm install will be executed when installing the module.

Last but not least it’s all the git-repos for the modules I use in my mirror.
These will be cloned in the “Moddir” and installed (with npm if “Packfile” exists").

That’s about it. :)

Let me know if you have any more questions. :)

The following script must be executed in the magicmirror folder and creates another script restore.sh. This result script should be saved (on my server it is under git control) and can be executed (again in the magicmirror folder) to restore the old system (or bringing the old config to a new system).

#!/bin/sh

base="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"

restore="$base/restore.sh"
config="${1:-config/config.js}"
css="css/custom.css"
modules="modules"

# Tests
[ -f "$base/$config" ] || (echo "config.js does not exists" && exit 1)
[ -f "$base/$css" ] || (echo "custom.css does not exists" && exit 1)
[ -d "$base/$modules" ] || (echo "modules directory does not exists" && exit 1)


echo "#!/bin/sh" > $restore
echo "" >> $restore
echo "base=\"\$(cd \"\$(dirname \"\$0\")\" && pwd)\"" >> $restore

echo "" >> $restore

echo "mkdir -p \$base/config" >> $restore
echo "mkdir -p \$base/css" >> $restore
echo "mkdir -p \$base/modules" >> $restore

echo "" >> $restore

echo "cat > \$base/$config <<\"EOF\"" >> $restore
cat <$base/$config >> $restore
echo "EOF" >> $restore
echo "" >> $restore

echo "cat > \$base/$css <<\"EOF\"" >> $restore
cat <$base/$css >> $restore
echo "EOF" >> $restore
echo "" >> $restore

for dir in $(find "$modules" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 -type d)
do
  [ -f "$dir/.git/config" ] && mods="$mods $(cat $dir/.git/config | grep 'url = ' | sed 's|.*url = ||g')"
done

for repo in $mods
do
  echo "cd \$base/$modules && git clone $repo" >> $restore
done

echo "" >> $restore

for repo in $mods
do
  moddir="$modules/$(echo $repo | sed -r 's|.*\/(.*)|\1|g;s|.git||g')"
  [ -f "$base/$moddir/package.json" ] && echo "cd \$base/$moddir && npm install" >> $restore
done

echo "Created restore script $restore" 

chmod +x $restore

See script below…

#!/bin/bash

## ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Snilles automatic module clone and install script for MM2.
## ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

## Don't forget to add your public SSH key to your GIT profile!
## If you don't, nothing will be cloned!

## If you don't have an SSH key. This is how you get one.
## Generate SSH key(s).
# cd ~
# ssh-keygen -t rsa

## Press: Enter, Enter, Enter...

## See the public Key...
# cat /home/pi/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

## Copy the SSH public key and add it to your GIT SSH keys on GitHUB.

## ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Config below.
## ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

# System to install (what config to use).
## Housesystems Server Install
Toinstall='house'
## NUC install (On the actual Mirror, this is not used anymore)
#Toinstall='NUC'

# Real Name of the config file.
ConfigName='config.js'

## The Install Folder.
## Local install.
## On NUC
#User='/home/snille'
## On Raspberry Pi
#User='/home/pi'
## Install om Homesystems Server.
User='/var/www/html/magicmirror'

## The module install directory.
Moddir=$User'/MagicMirror/modules'

## Configuration and other files backup location (from previous installation).
DownloadFrom='https://yoursite.com/mmbackup/'

## Configuration file. 
Files[1]='config-'$Toinstall'.js'
## Where to put the Configuration file.
Dirs[1]=$User'/MagicMirror/config/'

## Custom CSS file.
Files[2]='custom.css'
## Where to put the CSS file.
Dirs[2]=$User'/MagicMirror/css/'

## Custom screen on/off scripts.
Files[3]='screen.sh'
## Where to put the screen script files.
Dirs[3]=$User'/'

## Not used moved to "screen.sh"
#Files[4]='turnoffscreen.sh'
#Dirs[4]=$User'/'
#Files[5]='turnonscreen.sh'
#Dirs[5]=$User'/'

## Custom Magic Mirror update script.
Files[6]='update.sh'
## Where to put the update script file.
Dirs[6]=$User'/'

## Custom compliment files.
Files[7]='compliments-Snille.json'
## Where to put the compliment file.
Dirs[7]=$User'/MagicMirror/modules/default/compliments/'

Files[8]='compliments-Camilla.json'
Dirs[8]=$User'/MagicMirror/modules/default/compliments/'

Files[9]='compliments-Louise.json'
Dirs[9]=$User'/MagicMirror/modules/default/compliments/'

#Files[10]='compliments-Martin.json'
#Dirs[10]=$User'/MagicMirror/modules/default/compliments/'

# Start file for the MagigMirror
Files[11]='MacigMirror.sh'
Dirs[11]=$User'/'

## Package file
Packfile='package.json'

## All the modules repos from Git.
Repos[1]='git@github.com:Snille/MMM-HideAll.git'
Repos[2]='git@github.com:matteodanelli/MMM-cryptocurrency.git'
Repos[3]='git@github.com:basknol/MMM-Globe.git'
Repos[4]='git@github.com:Snille/MMM-Modulebar.git'
Repos[5]='git@github.com:Snille/MMM-ModuleScheduler.git'
Repos[6]='git@github.com:CatoAntonsen/MMM-MotionEye.git'
Repos[7]='git@github.com:Gyran/MMM-plex-recently-added.git'
Repos[8]='git@github.com:Snille/MMM-Profilepicture.git'
Repos[9]='git@github.com:tosti007/MMM-ProfileSwitcher.git'
Repos[10]='git@github.com:Jopyth/MMM-Remote-Control.git'
Repos[11]='git@github.com:Snille/MMM-Sonos.git'
Repos[12]='git@github.com:brobergp/MMM-TextClock.git'
Repos[13]='git@github.com:tosti007/MMM-TouchNavigation.git'
Repos[14]='git@github.com:bugsounet/MMM-Tools.git'
Repos[15]='git@github.com:timdows/MMM-JsonTable.git'
Repos[16]='git@github.com:derekn/MMM-TautulliActivity.git'
#Repos[17]='git@github.com:Snille/MMM-IFTTT.git' # For development of the IFTTT module, the one below is used.
Repos[18]='git@github.com:jc21/MMM-IFTTT.git'
Repos[19]='git@github.com:NolanKingdon/MMM-MoonPhase.git'
Repos[20]='git@github.com:Snille/MMM-homeassistant-sensors.git'
#Repos[21]='git@github.com:schnibel/MMM-Memo.git' # Replaced by module below, I changed some things.
Repos[22]='git@github.com:Snille/MMM-Memo.git'
Repos[23]='git@github.com:almerica/MMM-ImageFit.git'
Repos[24]='git@github.com:Snille/MMM-Videoplayer.git'
Repos[25]='git@github.com:MartinGris/MMM-GoogleMaps-Tracking.git'

## ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

## Start!
cd "$Moddir"
for t in "${Repos[@]}"
	do
		git clone $t
		#echo "Cloning $t"
done

echo "Cloning Done."
echo "Now npm installing..."

for f in *;
	do
		if [[ -d $f ]]; then
			installmodule=$(basename $f)
			[[ $installmodule =~ ^(default|node_modules)$ ]] && continue
			cd "$installmodule"
			if [ -e "$Packfile" ]; then
#				npm install --production
				npm install
			fi
			cd ".."
		fi
	done

echo "Download and install done."
echo "Now restoring backup files from $DownloadFrom."

## Counts through the array of files (and uses the dirs to know where to put them).
for ((i=1; i<=${#Files[@]}; i++)); do
	if [[ $(wget $DownloadFrom${Files[i]} -O-) ]] 2>/dev/null
	then
		wget $DownloadFrom${Files[i]}
		printf 'Moving %s to %s...\n\n' "${Files[i]}" "${Dirs[i]}"
		mv ${Files[i]} ${Dirs[i]}
	fi
done

## Rename the config.
mv ${Dirs[1]}${Files[1]} ${Dirs[1]}$ConfigName

echo "Installation and restore done!"
echo "You can now start your Magic Mirror."

exit