Rock Pi 4 Model B+.png

Rock Pi 4 Model B+ Firmware Install

Leon Anthony Balje

The Rock Pi 4 Model B+ is a powerful single-board computer that packs impressive performance into a compact form factor. Whether you're setting up a home server, media center, or a development environment, the first step is installing the right firmware. This guide walks you through installing firmware on your Rock Pi 4 B+—from prepping your storage to booting into your chosen OS.

What You’ll Need

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • Rock Pi 4 Model B+


 

  • microSD card (minimum 16GB, Class 10 recommended) onboard eMMC module


 

  • microSD card reader to USB adapter

  • Computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux)

  • Image flashing tool (e.g., Balena Etcher, Rufus, or dd on Linux/macOS)

Step 1: Download the Firmware or OS Image

Head over to Radxa’s official download page and choose the image suitable for your use case:

  • Debian/Ubuntu: Best for general-purpose computing and server applications.

  • Android: Great for media centers or touchscreen applications.

  • Armbian: Optimized and lightweight, excellent community support.

Make sure to download the correct image for the Model B+

 

Step 2: Flash the Image to microSD or eMMC

Option A: Using Balena Etcher (Cross-platform)

  1. Install Balena Etcher.

  2. Insert your microSD card module via an adapter.

  3. Open Etcher and:

    • Select the downloaded image.


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    • Choose your storage device.


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    • Click “Flash!”

    • Insert the micorSD card into the Rock Pi

    • Connect a monitor / keyboard and mouse

    • Power on the device and you'll see it will boot up

Option B: Using dd (Linux/macOS)

bash

CopyEdit

sudo dd if=/path/to/image.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress && sync

Replace /dev/sdX with your actual device path (be very careful!).

Step 3: Insert and Boot

  1. Insert the flashed microSD card into your Rock Pi 4 B+.

  2. Connect keyboard, monitor, and power supply.

  3. Power it on. You should see the OS booting up within a few seconds.

Note: If you're using both a microSD and eMMC, the Rock Pi will boot from the microSD by default.

(Optional) Flashing to eMMC from microSD

Want to boot from eMMC for better performance?

  • Boot the Rock Pi from a microSD card with a working Linux image.

  • The eMMC module is onboard already.

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  • Use the built-in tool rkdeveloptool (available in Radxa's guides) to write the image to eMMC.

  • Reboot after flashing, and remove the microSD to boot from eMMC.