[SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

nikkop · 2016-08-01 00:05:19

Hey,

I just registered here today after I tried BunsenLabs in a virtual machine and decided to give it a go on my main system (yes, I like it that much!).

However, there's something holding me back to do so. Whenever I try to burn the latest image (bl-Hydrogen-amd64_20160710.iso) to a USB stick, the USB ends up having no/unknown file system. My BIOS/UEFI can hence not see the USB at all. I have tried dd, copy, various Windows-tools (staying away from Unetbootin) but the results are all the same. Some Windows-tool (I think it was Rufus) made the USB visible in BIOS/UEFI, but I still couldn't boot from it at all. I also tried different USB-sticks but no difference. I also downloaded the image twice, and it's working properly in a virtual machine.

This is what GParted shows:
https://s31.postimg.org/cm8rq1ed7/Scree … _02_53.png
https://s31.postimg.org/pewvpypyz/Scree … _03_12.png

Any suggestions? I'm quite new to Linux systems so if any advanced procedure please help me out step-by-step. I've fought with this for the past 2 hours and getting tired, so all help is appreciated. I want to get my system up and running

Thanks in advance

Mod Note: Oversized images changed to links.
-HoaS

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2016-08-01 18:11:34)

Horizon_Brave · 2016-08-01 00:35:02

Stick with dd, as it's the most reliable method to do this. What was the exact command you used?
Also it may serve to help to know what happens when you actually try to boot? Do you even reach the GRUB loader?

Last edited by Horizon_Brave (2016-08-01 00:45:21)

hhh · 2016-08-01 01:23:05

If possible, disable EFI boot in your BIOS and use Legacy booting. debian-live doesn't yet support EFI booting.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-08-01 07:37:31

nikkop wrote:

I have tried dd

That is the generally recommended method but you should post the exact command that you used rather than a vague description.

The Debian jessie installation instructions recommend using cp(1):
https://www.debian.org/releases/jessie/ … -isohybrid

If you cannot disable UEFI or enable "CSM" or "Legacy" mode in your firmware ("BIOS") options then return your defective motherboard and demand a refund you can use a Debian jessie netinstall ISO image to install a basic (no X) system:
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unoff … 0+nonfree/

Then boot the system to a console login and download & run the bunsen-netinstall script:

wget https://github.com/bunsenlabs/bunsen-netinstall/archive/master.tar.gz
tar -xpf master.tar.gz
cd bunsen-netinstall-master
./install

https://github.com/BunsenLabs/bunsen-netinstall

nikkop · 2016-08-01 10:05:05

Thank your for the replies everyone.

hhh wrote:

If possible, disable EFI boot in your BIOS and use Legacy booting. debian-live doesn't yet support EFI booting.

Horizon_Brave wrote:

Stick with dd, as it's the most reliable method to do this. What was the exact command you used?
Also it may serve to help to know what happens when you actually try to boot? Do you even reach the GRUB loader?

The issue is the USB is not even discovered in the BIOS, I cannot see it at all. I guess this have to do with the USB having no/unknown file system after burning the image to it?

I used the dd command recommended at the Debian FAQ:

dd if=<file> of=<device> bs=4M; sync§

I also tried using Etcher (https://www.etcher.io/) and while it validates the burning, it will give an error message that something is wrong.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

nikkop wrote:
I have tried dd
That is the generally recommended method but you should post the exact command that you used rather than a vague description.
The Debian jessie installation instructions recommend using cp(1):
https://www.debian.org/releases/jessie/ … -isohybrid
If you cannot disable UEFI or enable "CSM" or "Legacy" mode in your firmware ("BIOS") options then return your defective motherboard and demand a refund you can use a Debian jessie netinstall ISO image to install a basic (no X) system:
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unoff … 0+nonfree/
Then boot the system to a console login and download & run the bunsen-netinstall script:
wget https://github.com/bunsenlabs/bunsen-netinstall/archive/master.tar.gz
tar -xpf master.tar.gz
cd bunsen-netinstall-master
./install
https://github.com/BunsenLabs/bunsen-netinstall

I used the dd command recommended at the Debian FAQ:

dd if=<file> of=<device> bs=4M; sync§

Haha, it's a laptop so returning the motherboard itself will be hard I have tried the USB in another computer as well and the same problem persists - the USB cannot be seen at all, probably due to the no/unknown file system as shown by GParted?

Thanks for the net install instructions, I will try them as a last resort but I hope I can solve it with a regular image burning to USB.

I mean, where can the issue be? I have tried two different images (i386 and amd64), different USB sticks (different brands) and tried it on different computers. It's super weird

Could it be the image?

damo · 2016-08-01 12:42:34

On my desktop usb3 sticks aren't recognised by the BIOS, so I can only install using isos on usb2.

nikkop · 2016-08-01 14:20:49

damo wrote:

On my desktop usb3 sticks aren't recognised by the BIOS, so I can only install using isos on usb2.

Unfortunately this is not the case as I have successfully installed other distros on the same PC and USB before

pvsage · 2016-08-01 14:41:25

Horizon_Brave wrote:

What was the exact command you used?

nikkop wrote:

Thank your for the replies everyone.
I used the dd command recommended at the Debian FAQ:
dd if=<file> of=<device> bs=4M; sync

This isn't a command, it's a general template. Just to clarify, when you used dd to burn the image, your target was the USB drive itself, not a partition (e.g. it should be of=/dev/sdb)?

nikkop · 2016-08-01 16:03:46

pvsage wrote:

Horizon_Brave wrote:
What was the exact command you used?
nikkop wrote:
Thank your for the replies everyone.
I used the dd command recommended at the Debian FAQ:
dd if=<file> of=<device> bs=4M; sync
This isn't a command, it's a general template. Just to clarify, when you used dd to burn the image, your target was the USB drive itself, not a partition (e.g. it should be of=/dev/sdb)?

I did not target a partition, I targeted the whole USB stick.
My exact command was:

dd if=bl-Hydrogen-amd64_20160710.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M; sync

Is there anything I can try where I can get some kind of error log and hence we can understand why this is happening?

Horizon_Brave · 2016-08-01 16:33:32

Well, the problem is, if you're trying to boot from the USB drive, and it's not even being recognized by your BIOS then it's not starting the Bunsen OS to actually begin logging anything. Just to clarify, is your system BIOS or UEFI firmware based? Also if you can't boot, what OS are you using to take the gparted snapshots in your original post? Boot into whatever OS you have install on your main system, the one that you used to take teh gparted images. Then provide the output of fdisk -l for the USB device.

nikkop · 2016-08-01 16:46:07

Horizon_Brave wrote:

Well, the problem is, if you're trying to boot from the USB drive, and it's not even being recognized by your BIOS then it's not starting the Bunsen OS to actually begin logging anything. Just to clarify, is your system BIOS or UEFI firmware based? Also if you can't boot, what OS are you using to take the gparted snapshots in your original post? Boot into whatever OS you have install on your main system, the one that you used to take teh gparted images. Then provide the output of fdisk -l for the USB device.

Yeah, I never get beyond BIOS, that's correct. My idea is that there's something wrong when writing the image to the USB, and that's why I can't see it at all from BIOS. Like the burning is making the USB corrupt or something (since it's missing/having an unknown file system).

I just "dd" Slackware onto the same USB and it's working, it's booting and no issues what so ever. So it seems the issue might be with the bl image?

I'm running Solus and that's where I took the screenshots. Please see below for the screenshot you asked for:
https://s32.postimg.org/vney4mdf9/Scree … _44_35.png

Thanks for helping me out, I'd really like to run bunsenlabs.

Last edited by nikkop (2016-08-01 16:58:05)

Horizon_Brave · 2016-08-01 17:04:27

If /dev/sdb is the USB, then it should definitely not be HPFS/NTFS formatted. To me, it seems like the boot loader was installed but nothing else...

nikkop · 2016-08-01 17:05:57

Horizon_Brave wrote:

If /dev/sdb is the USB, then it should definitely not be HPFS/NTFS formatted. To me, it seems like the boot loader was installed but nothing else...

The "dd" command is formatting the USB, right? As I just tried to "dd" Slackware, and it's working properly. doesn't that mean that the issue might be with the bl image itself?

Do you have any suggestions on what I could try next?

damo · 2016-08-01 17:27:40

nikkop wrote:

....
Do you have any suggestions on what I could try next?

Burn a dvd?

nikkop · 2016-08-01 17:30:17

damo wrote:

nikkop wrote:
....
Do you have any suggestions on what I could try next?
Burn a dvd?

Good suggestion, but I'm running an ultrabook so there's no optical bay and I don't have any USB powered one either

Horizon_Brave · 2016-08-01 17:34:33

I noticed that your sda is a gpt disk...are you positive your BIOS is booting legacy /CSM mode? I ask because I don't think the BL images can be booted from UEFI. So if you're using the UEFI firmware to boot the sda's gpt drive, then you gotta switch it to legacy bios mode. Sort of running out of idea's myself.

Can you use gparted to completely blow away the contents of the USB and start fresh with all completely blank unallocated space?

Last edited by Horizon_Brave (2016-08-01 17:36:09)

damo · 2016-08-01 17:37:25

nikkop wrote:

.... I'm running an ultrabook so there's no optical bay and I don't have any USB powered one either

That's why it is always useful to post hardware specs, and exact commands used, when asking for help. It saves a lot of time for everyone

nikkop · 2016-08-01 17:49:18

Horizon_Brave wrote:

I noticed that your sda is a gpt disk...are you positive your BIOS is booting legacy /CSM mode? I ask because I don't think the BL images can be booted from UEFI. So if you're using the UEFI firmware to boot the sda's gpt drive, then you gotta switch it to legacy bios mode. Sort of running out of idea's myself.
Can you use gparted to completely blow away the contents of the USB and start fresh with all completely blank unallocated space?

Hmm, my BIOS looks like an old-style BIOS, no flashy features or so. But it seems to be UEFI because of what you mention, yes. I will see what I can do about it, but I'm afraid being a laptop it might be very limited. Do you mean that the burning must be done from my current OS when not booting through UEFI?

I already tried multiple times to use gparted to totally erase the USB and then do "dd", and the results are the same.

I'll try everything I can regarding this and report back.

damo wrote:

That's why it is always useful to post hardware specs, and exact commands used, when asking for help. It saves a lot of time for everyone

That's true, pardon me for not doing so. I will be sure to include it the next time I need help I will blame that it was 2 AM and I was too tired, haha.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-08-01 17:53:11

@OP:

Look for an option for "CSM" or "Legacy" mode in your BIOS menus.

Unless you can find this option, you will not be able to boot the ISO image (even if it is on a DVD).

*All* UEFI systems should have "CSM" (Compatibility Support Module, also known as "Legacy" mode), you just need to find the option.

If you can't find that option, use a Debian jessie netinstall (non-live) ISO image instead.

nikkop · 2016-08-01 18:08:49

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

@OP:
Look for an option for "CSM" or "Legacy" mode in your BIOS menus.
Unless you can find this option, you will not be able to boot the ISO image (even if it is on a DVD).
*All* UEFI systems should have "CSM" (Compatibility Support Module, also known as "Legacy" mode), you just need to find the option.
If you can't find that option, use a Debian jessie netinstall (non-live) ISO image instead.

I found that option! I had read it a couple of times but didn't know it stands for running "Legacy" mode. Well guess what, I turned it "on" and now I can see the USB stick and I'm able to get to GRUB of bl (I didn't try more before coming back here to report).

Soooooo... Where do I start? Thank you everyone for your efforts, you've been really helpful and it pleases me to have become a member of this community. But I would like to apologize for making a thread like this and wasting all of your time when it was really my laptop running in EFI-mode and that I couldn't find/understand that "CSM" was the legacy mode. I've only had this laptop for a month and haven't had time to learn it and understand it fully, so it was my bad. But I sure have learned from this mistake

Thank you everyone again! I hope the installation goes well now.

Last edited by nikkop (2016-08-01 18:09:28)

#1 2016-08-01 00:05:19

[SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#2 2016-08-01 00:35:02

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#3 2016-08-01 01:23:05

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#4 2016-08-01 07:37:31

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#5 2016-08-01 10:05:05

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#6 2016-08-01 12:42:34

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#7 2016-08-01 14:20:49

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#8 2016-08-01 14:41:25

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#9 2016-08-01 16:03:46

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#10 2016-08-01 16:33:32

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#11 2016-08-01 16:46:07

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#12 2016-08-01 17:04:27

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#13 2016-08-01 17:05:57

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#14 2016-08-01 17:27:40

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#15 2016-08-01 17:30:17

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#16 2016-08-01 17:34:33

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#17 2016-08-01 17:37:25

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#18 2016-08-01 17:49:18

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#19 2016-08-01 17:53:11

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

#20 2016-08-01 18:08:49

Re: [SOLVED] Burning to USB doesn't work, UEFI laptop

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