[SOLVED] How to change wifi on a PiZero setup (without ethernet adapter)

[pagandan]

I just borked my lovely new moOde installation (and just before I cloned it   ). I have two wifi networks in the house. I needed to change it from one to the other. I did, I rebooted, it is not connecting to the new network now. This wouldn't usually be an issue however I don't have a micro usb to ethernet adapter. So I can't connect to it over the network.

I plugged in a keyboard and monitor, and logged it. But then the screen blanked and wouldn't come back (Is the HDMI turned off?)  Is there someway I can reset the wifi ssid and credentials from the command line, if I can fix the screen blanking issue.

Alternatively are there any config files that I can access on the SD card to change the ssid and credentials?

Otherwise I will just have to  reflash the SD card and reconfigure it, starting with the correct SSID from the start this time :/

[Tim Curtis]

HDMI is not off but there is no TTY on PiOS Lite by default which means a shell login won't appear on an attached display.

If you access the root EXT4 partition on the boot media you might be able to modify the WiFi config manually but I've never done it that way and so couldn't offer any help.

Your best bet is to go with a new image but get that Ethernet adapter !!

[TheOldPresbyope]

@pagandan

I plugged in a keyboard and monitor, and logged it. But then the screen blanked and wouldn't come back

I can't speak to a Pi Zero but I don't have such a problem with later models.

For example, with moOde 9.3.0 already installed on both a Pi 4B and a Pi 5B, if I plug in a USB keyboard and an HDMI display and boot, I see the typical bootup info scroll down the screen (e.g., this is displaying the Linux 'console'). Then the Linux login prompt appears. I can log in and use the system just like any other non-GUI Linux system. I can switch among virtual terminals as well.

The screen doesn't blank. Mind you, I have not enabled moOde's Local Display feature.

Not sure why you're not seeing the same thing but I suppose that by now you've reflashed the uSD card and driven on. 

Regards,
Kent

[Tim Curtis]

@pagandan

I plugged in a keyboard and monitor, and logged it. But then the screen blanked and wouldn't come back

I can't speak to a Pi Zero but I don't have such a problem with later models.

For example, with moOde 9.3.0 already installed on both a Pi 4B and a Pi 5B, if I plug in a USB keyboard and an HDMI display and boot, I see the typical bootup info scroll down the screen (e.g., this is displaying the Linux 'console'). Then the Linux login prompt appears. I can log in and use the system just like any other non-GUI Linux system. I can switch among virtual terminals as well.

The screen doesn't blank. Mind you, I have not enabled moOde's Local Display feature.

Not sure why you're not seeing the same thing but I suppose that by now you've reflashed the uSD card and driven on. 

Regards,
Kent

I guess I haven't tried that in a long while.

[pagandan]

The console does work on the Pi Zero, and you can login. On my setup there was a screen blanking issue, but I think that can be easily chanced by editing the config files, even on windows.

I did use a Linux PC to access and edit the config files in the ext4 partition, but I still couldn't get it to reconnect to the network. I must have changed/broken something else. Oh well, lesson learned and not a big issue. I reflashed the SD and reconfigured it. This time I took a backup, and I am currently using that to clone about another 5 or 6 Pi Zero / Just Boom DAC zero combo's for around the house (It's quicker to clone the SD and chance the hostname after, mainly because building the music database takes so long on the Zero.)

Thanks again for you help. I will mark this as solved. Oh and I need to remember to order a USB to Ethernet adapter or an ethernet hat.