[solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

stevex · 2016-06-21 21:22:06

Greetings,

I downloaded and burned the Hydrogen release to a USB to boot from. Then I tried (twice) to install to another USB flash drive. In each case it would fail to boot. In one case, I just got the black screen after using the Graphical install method. The next time, I tried the "Install" method, which actually gave me a message like "can not load ldlinux" or something.

I was careful to specify the target drive both for the install and the bootloader. (I already have a bootloader installed to my first internal drive, so want to preserve that)

Flash drives are known to reliably boot otherwise.

Question:
Is installation to a flash drive from a flash drive supported? If so, how?

My environment:
Thinkpad T440p, Intel graphics, in good working order. This is a MBR system.

Thank you.
Steve.

Last edited by stevex (2016-06-26 03:48:36)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-06-21 21:28:46

Hello and welcome

stevex wrote:

Is installation to a flash drive from a flash drive supported?

Yes.

stevex wrote:

If so, how?

Just selecting the USB stick and marking it for the root filesystem in the partitioning section of the installer should do it.

How did you transfer the ISO image to the first USB stick?

Please post the exact command(s) that you used.

stevex · 2016-06-21 21:34:49

Exact method I used to write the ISO to the install media drive is:

#dd if=bl-Hydrogen-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdd bs=1M

Update: sha256sums agree.

To clarify: the dd written image boots fine, it's just when I use that to install to another flash drive, it fails.

Thanks for the very fast reply!

Last edited by stevex (2016-06-21 21:50:35)

hhh · 2016-06-21 21:45:38

stevex wrote:

Exact method I used to write the ISO to the install media drive is:
dd if=bl-Hydrogen-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdd bs=1M

You need to have administrator rights, and you should use sync to make sure the transfer has finished before removing the drive, and 4M is sufficient...

sudo dd if=bl-Hydrogen-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdd bs=4M;sync

Or with cp...

sudo cp bl-Hydrogen-amd64.iso /dev/sdd;sync

stevex · 2016-06-21 21:52:39

hhh wrote:

stevex wrote:
Exact method I used to write the ISO to the install media drive is:
dd if=bl-Hydrogen-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdd bs=1M
You need to have administrator rights, and you should use sync to make sure the transfer has finished before removing the drive, and 4M is sufficient...
sudo dd if=bl-Hydrogen-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdd bs=4M;sync
Or with cp...
sudo cp bl-Hydrogen-amd64.iso /dev/sdd;sync

Understood on all accounts. I added hash to my previous post to indicate root user. The dd written image works fine however. It's the install (second flash drive) that does not boot.

Tks

pvsage · 2016-06-21 22:21:19

We still need more clarification as to how the target drive fails to boot. Do you get a GRUB error, just a blinking cursor, or is the drive completely ignored despite forcing your computer's boot select screen (usually accessed with F8 on desktops)?

EDIT: At the risk of opening old b***hurt for fellow moderators, I did such a USB install a while ago to challenge some criticism of the installer; I just now remembered that I had GRUB issues with that install. See if this helps:
https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic … 262#p20262

Last edited by pvsage (2016-06-21 22:28:23)

stevex · 2016-06-21 23:33:25

pvsage wrote:

We still need more clarification as to how the target drive fails to boot. Do you get a GRUB error, just a blinking cursor, or is the drive completely ignored despite forcing your computer's boot select screen (usually accessed with F8 on desktops)?
EDIT: At the risk of opening old b***hurt for fellow moderators, I did such a USB install a while ago to challenge some criticism of the installer; I just now remembered that I had GRUB issues with that install. See if this helps:
https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic … 262#p20262

As to how I boot my new BL install:
1. power off laptop.
2. Insert USB key with bunsen install (not media).
3. powerup and choose USB key to boot from, from BIOS.
4. BIOS screen disappears, and then a black screen with blinking cursor.

Alternatively, I tried to boot Bl using my existing install:
1. booted my existing non BL distro.
2. Reran Grub so it saw BL USB, which it then created a menu entry, but of course does not affect the BL device.
3. Rebooted my existing distro, choose the Bl USB menu item.
4. Error messages say:
error: no such device 654... (the UUID device)
error: hd3 can not get C/H/S values
error: you need to load the kernel first.

I am not sure why it does not boot, based on my limited expertise with grub.

I reviewed the organization of the BL install as best I could:
/dev/sdd1 - ordinary root file structure, including boot. Appears complete.
/dev/sdd2 - extended partition
/dev/sdd5 - swap

All looks normal AFAIK.

The above boot directory appeared complete: kernel and initrd exists, and appear to be referenced correctly on the grub.cfg linux line. The UUID appears to be correct, pointing to /dev/sdd1.

As to the link to that other forum post, the paragraph "Installation to target thumbdrive" exactly describes what I encountered.

I would be interested in using the live BL USB key to reinstall grub on my target /dev/sdd, but not sure of the command. Like you, I want to preserve my grub on /dev/sda

Any help appreciated. I've found I like Bl live environment but would like to use it on an actual install.

Thank you.

Last edited by stevex (2016-06-21 23:40:36)

damo · 2016-06-22 00:30:05

stevex wrote:

....
I would be interested in using the live BL USB key to reinstall grub on my target /dev/sdd, but not sure of the command. Like you, I want to preserve my grub on /dev/sda
.....

sudo grub-install /dev/sdd

Horizon_Brave · 2016-06-22 06:24:57

stevex,

I'm assuming you want to boot from your sda's grub first, then select the sdd partition for bunsenlabs? If you ran the dd command with the "; sync" option at the end, onto the sdd partition itself, it should be there. if you do an fdisk -l, do you see the sdd with the proper bl partitions?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-06-22 06:36:56

stevex wrote:

The dd written image works fine however. It's the install (second flash drive) that does not boot.

If the ISO image is not transferred correctly then the image may appear to work -- it will boot and run through the installation process without error -- but the installed system may not function correctly.

However, in your case:

BIOS screen disappears, and then a black screen with blinking cursor.

The system has booted correctly but the graphical session has failed, use <Ctrl>+<Alt>+F2 to switch to a TTY from which you can log in.

To get the graphical session working, try disabling kernel modesetting by following the advice in these two links:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ke … odesetting
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ke … eters#GRUB

ohnonot · 2016-06-22 15:25:23

^ HoaS i think op has shown enough expertise to be fairly sure that this isn't a gpu glitch, but an actually unbootable system.
moreover, i'm having the same problem, and i'm sure it's not a cpu glitch on my part.

anyhow, praise to pvsage, who linked to this post:

Rebooted into main distro, ran update-grub with new installation attached. Rebooted again, selected new installation (at /dev/sdd1) from GRUB on /dev/sda; once logged in, ran grub-install in terminal, edited /etc/default/grub to add GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=true (again on the assumption that we want a fully portable install), ran update-grub, all successfully completed.

followed that to the letter, and bunsenlabs, installed into a usb, works now.
i hope it helps stevex too.

stevex · 2016-06-22 16:20:33

It seems that the advice is to update grub in the /dev/sda installed distro, so the /dev/sdd BL distro can be booted and fixed. I tried that with the BL live image, which seemed to work, however since the instructions indicate a reboot, that work is not persistent, so I can't boot BL in /dev/sdd and run "sudo grub-install /dev/sdd".

As an alternative, from my existing /dev/sda distro (non BL non Debian) I tried chrooting into /dev/sdd (BL) mounted in /mnt but that failed also because I can't add grub via apt-get.

I am prepared to patiently monitor this thread, if someone would like to post a step by step list of commands of how to fix /dev/sdd based on the BL live image. No rush; I still can use my /dev/sda linux install. In the meantime, I will try to understand why I can't boot BL from my existing /dev/sda distro.

Thanks to each of you as I appreciate your efforts.
Steve.

hhh · 2016-06-22 21:28:06

stevex wrote:

I can't boot BL from my existing /dev/sda distro.

In your primary partition (sda?) run sudo update-grub and post the ouput here, please.

ohnonot · 2016-06-23 06:13:04

stevex wrote:

It seems that the advice is to update grub in the /dev/sda installed distro, so the /dev/sdd BL distro can be booted and fixed. I tried that with the BL live image, which seemed to work, however since the instructions indicate a reboot, that work is not persistent, so I can't boot BL in /dev/sdd and run "sudo grub-install /dev/sdd".

do you mean you have NO kind of linux installed on your hard drive, or elsewise persistently?
then it could be difficult.

stevex · 2016-06-26 03:27:22

I succeeded in geting an install made to a USB flash drive by

Removing internal drives
Inserted USB flash drive (recognized as /dev/sda) with Bunsen install media
Inserted USB flash drive (recognized as /dev/sdb) to be used for target installation.
Installed boot loader to /dev/sdb
Completed install, without incident

When I removed the install media and rebooted, I finally had my install. Happy to say system is healthy and all updates apparently installed!

Even on my ancient laptop running USB 2, system boots quickly and performs to my satisfaction. Good work!

Thank you,
Steve.

Last edited by stevex (2016-06-26 03:28:41)

Horizon_Brave · 2016-06-26 03:58:38

Wait... so you were trying to install this on a 2nd PHYSICAL usb drive this whole time? Was it just me or did anyone else think that he meant /dev/sda and /dev/sdd where on the same usb stick? From the sound of the above post stevex you are using two completely separate usb sticks?

stevex · 2016-06-26 04:06:22

Horizon_Brave wrote:

Wait... so you were trying to install this on a 2nd PHYSICAL usb drive this whole time? Was it just me or did anyone else think that he meant /dev/sda and /dev/sdd where on the same usb stick? From the sound of the above post stevex you are using two completely separate usb sticks?

Yes. 2 sticks.

Initially, I was trying to install with this config:

1. internal hdd /dev/sda (I did not want this drive involved in any way with this process)
2. usb flash drive w/bunsen media
3. usb flash drive (nothing on it) as target of install.

That config did not work for me, ultimately.

Solution was to remove internal drive leaving only the two USB's in the picture.

All's well that ends well. :-)

Tks

damo · 2016-06-26 06:30:14

Horizon_Brave wrote:

Wait... so you were trying to install this on a 2nd PHYSICAL usb drive this whole time? Was it just me or did anyone else think that he meant /dev/sda and /dev/sdd where on the same usb stick? From the sound of the above post stevex you are using two completely separate usb sticks?

Re-read the first post

stevex wrote:

...
I downloaded and burned the Hydrogen release to a USB to boot from. Then I tried (twice) to install to another USB flash drive....

#1 2016-06-21 21:22:06

[solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#2 2016-06-21 21:28:46

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#3 2016-06-21 21:34:49

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#4 2016-06-21 21:45:38

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#5 2016-06-21 21:52:39

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#6 2016-06-21 22:21:19

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#7 2016-06-21 23:33:25

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#8 2016-06-22 00:30:05

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#9 2016-06-22 06:24:57

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#10 2016-06-22 06:36:56

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#11 2016-06-22 15:25:23

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#12 2016-06-22 16:20:33

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#13 2016-06-22 21:28:06

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#14 2016-06-23 06:13:04

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#15 2016-06-26 03:27:22

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#16 2016-06-26 03:58:38

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#17 2016-06-26 04:06:22

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

#18 2016-06-26 06:30:14

Re: [solved] Install to USB drive fails to boot - is it supported?

Board footer