Update from raspberry 3b+ to 4

mitu

You can back up your config, roms, bios folders and then restore them on a newly installed Pi4 and everything should be preserved.

In theory, if your system was installed from a 4.6 image, then you could try inserting the microSD into the Pi4 and boot. You'll then have to manually start RetroPie-Setup and do an update for all packages to get the Pi4 version installed. This is not a tested scenario, so it might have some issues.

Anyway, backup your sdcard first and try both approaches - I'd recommend installing a new system, update it right after install, then restore the bios, roms and configs folders (you need to back them up separately from the image on another system/PC).

pscotto1234

@mitu said in Update from raspberry 3b+ to 4:

You can back up your config, roms, bios folders and then restore them on a newly installed Pi4 and everything should be preserved.

In theory, if your system was installed from a 4.6 image, then you could try inserting the microSD into the Pi4 and boot. You'll then have to manually start RetroPie-Setup and do an update for all packages to get the Pi4 version installed. This is not a tested scenario, so it might have some issues.

Anyway, backup your sdcard first and try both approaches - I'd recommend installing a new system, update it right after install, then restore the bios, roms and configs folders (you need to back them up separately from the image on another system/PC).

I can confirm that backup and restore folders works fine!

Codafire

im coming from an older version (4.5) i dont know if its going to work because new system use raspbian buster and my system use strecth, but i try.

mitu

@Codafire said in Update from raspberry 3b+ to 4:

im coming from an older version (4.5)

In this case, I strongly advise starting with a new 4.6 image and transferring over the needed files.

sirhenrythe5th

@mitu said in Update from raspberry 3b+ to 4:

@Codafire said in Update from raspberry 3b+ to 4:

im coming from an older version (4.5)

In this case, I strongly advise starting with a new 4.6 image and transferring over the needed files.

Just to get this right: if you install Retropie 4.6.x on a brand new PI3B(+) it will automatically install buster as OS?
I guess there is no possibility to update stretch -> buster on a Pi3B(+), right?

mitu

@sirhenrythe5th said in Update from raspberry 3b+ to 4:

Just to get this right: if you install Retropie 4.6.x on a brand new PI3B(+) it will automatically install buster as OS?

Yes, the 4.6 image is based on Raspbian Buster - as noted in the release notes for the image.

I guess there is no possibility to update stretch -> buster on a Pi3B(+), right?

There is, but it's not supported or recommended.

sirhenrythe5th

@mitu thank you once again mitu.
Then i will stay with my stretch-based Pi3B+image, i am very happy with that and have still not interest in buying a Pi4.
I would propably have done if updating is just a one-click-process, but building from stratch is not interesting for me as far as a lot of my personal favorites (i.e. CAVEs "Deathsmiles" & much more) still dont run well on a Pi4 ;)

mitu

@sirhenrythe5th said in Update from raspberry 3b+ to 4:

Then i will stay with my stretch-based Pi3B+image, i am very happy with that and have still not interest in buying a Pi4.

Upgrading is not just a prerequisite for the Pi4, binaries for Raspbian Stretch will not be built for long - https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/commit/ebf1fd165492395b2f4859d7f64117e19859d5e9.

sirhenrythe5th

@mitu yes, i noticed that, as far as i can remember this was also mentioned with the appereance of Retropie for the Pi4.
I can understand that, but i thought "ok, i will update stretch till the end and keep using my Pi3B-Image".
In the link you posted there is this sentence:

"Also some packages may no longer work, and we may not guarantee compatibility due to the age of the distro."

Are there allready details available which packages will be affected?
Or should i stop updating Stretch at all and live with the credo "never change a running system"? :D

mitu

@sirhenrythe5th said in Update from raspberry 3b+ to 4:

Also some packages may no longer work, and we may not guarantee compatibility due to the age of the distro."
Are there allready details available which packages will be affected?

No, there isn't a list - the idea behind the message is that no testing will be actively performed to check if the package would work still work (from source) in the future. But, as an example, lr-bsnes would fail to compile and install from source on Stretch, requiring a newer compiler version.

Or should i stop updating Stretch at all and live with the credo "never change a running system"? :D

You can still update, but when no new binaries will not be available, you'll end up always installing the same version (the last binary package produced). If you update from source, it might work, but with the caveats explained in the warning message.

sirhenrythe5th

@mitu got it, thank you! thumbsup