drivers – Using an Ubuntu host Machine to install Ubuntu in a Raspberry Pi 4 Ubuntu machine, rpi-imager errors

The RasTech Raspberry Pi 4 starter kit comes with a blank micro SD card to install the operating system.

To install the operating system in the Micro SD, it is necessary to use a “host” machine executing the app-utility named rpi-imager.

This app-utility must be downloaded and installed with either apt-get or snap in the Host machine.

I have successfully downloaded and installaed pri-imager in an Acer machine running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.

The next step is to plug in the blank micro SD card in a USB port of the Host machine via an appropriate adapter and execute the app-utility rpi-imager.

When I start the utility, everything is going well while parameters are being set. However, when I request the app-utility to start installing the OS in the Micro SD card. I get the error message “unable to open /dev/sda”.

I have tried to open and write files to the Micro SD either from bash as root or from the desktop as user. There is no problem doing either one, and when I check with the lsblk command the device sda shows up and ls shows files and directories in the Micro SD card. I have checked further that the data was preserved correctly in the Micro SD card by umounting, un-plagging, re-plugging and re-mounting the Micro SD card.

WHat else should I check ?

I have checked permissions to make sure that the mount has the necessary permissions.

Any suggestions about what else to check ?