Is there any way to use Raspberry Pi imager to write an image to NVMe for headless use? (Using Raspberry Pi 5 with NVMe HAT+ Compact)
The same process works fine when using an SD card. I use the imager to set up wireless network and SSH.
Because I'm using the system headless, I'm not able to see why the system won't start.
I've also tried using Pi Connect and it's pretty clear the system doesn't reach out to the Connect server.
I know it's possible to write the image to SD card then use the SD Card Copier app. While that works, I'm hoping there's a way to use the NVMe without first booting from SD.
I also saw this other post viewtopic.php?p=2353988&hilit=headless+nvme#p2353915 but don't really understand what's being done. It seems more difficult than using an SD card.
It seems like the Pi systems are mature enough to make NVMe the preferred mass storage device and startup volume. What would be the point of using an SD card with a Pi 5?
The same process works fine when using an SD card. I use the imager to set up wireless network and SSH.
Because I'm using the system headless, I'm not able to see why the system won't start.
I've also tried using Pi Connect and it's pretty clear the system doesn't reach out to the Connect server.
I know it's possible to write the image to SD card then use the SD Card Copier app. While that works, I'm hoping there's a way to use the NVMe without first booting from SD.
I also saw this other post viewtopic.php?p=2353988&hilit=headless+nvme#p2353915 but don't really understand what's being done. It seems more difficult than using an SD card.
It seems like the Pi systems are mature enough to make NVMe the preferred mass storage device and startup volume. What would be the point of using an SD card with a Pi 5?
Statistics: Posted by CalvinH — Tue Dec 23, 2025 2:34 am