From 2bee0ccf6d26da0d5032ad0d3005f2a9fa4182ae Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Francis Rowe Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 01:45:31 -0400 Subject: docs/howtos/grub_boot_installer.html: Improvements Corrected some HTML errors, improved readability. --- diff --git a/docs/howtos/grub_boot_installer.html b/docs/howtos/grub_boot_installer.html index 9cd05ac..3886f34 100644 --- a/docs/howtos/grub_boot_installer.html +++ b/docs/howtos/grub_boot_installer.html @@ -21,87 +21,108 @@

Boot a GNU/Linux installer on USB

-

How to boot from USB

-

- Connect the USB drive. Check dmesg:
- $ dmesg -

+ +

Prepare the USB drive (in GNU/Linux)

+

- Check that it wasn't automatically mounted. If it was, unmount it. For example:
- $ sudo umount /dev/sdb1
- # umount /dev/sdb1 + Connect the USB drive. Check dmesg:
+ $ dmesg
+ + Check lsblk to confirm which drive it is:
+ $ lsblk

+

- dmesg told you what device it is. Overwrite the drive, writing your distro ISO to it with dd. For example:
- $ sudo dd if=gnulinux.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=8M; sync
- # dd if=gnulinux.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=8M; sync + Check that it wasn't automatically mounted. If it was, unmount it. For example:
+ $ sudo umount /dev/sdb1
+ # umount /dev/sdb1

+

- Boot it in GRUB using the "Parse ISOLINUX config (USB)" option (it's in default libreboot grub.cfg, at least). + dmesg told you what device it is. Overwrite the drive, writing your distro ISO to it with dd. For example:
+ $ sudo dd if=gnulinux.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=8M; sync
+ # dd if=gnulinux.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=8M; sync

+ +

Booting the USB drive (in GRUB)

+

- If the ISOLINUX parser won't work, then press C to get to GRUB command line.
- ls
- Get the device from above output, eg (usb0). Example:
- cat (usb0)/isolinux/isolinux.cfg
- Either this will show the ISOLINUX menuentries for that ISO, or link to other .cfg files, for example /isolinux/foo.cfg.
- If it did that, then you do:
- cat (usb0)/isolinux/foo.cfg
- And so on, until you find the correct menuentries for ISOLINUX. + Boot it in GRUB using the Parse ISOLINUX config (USB) option (it's in default libreboot grub.cfg, at least). + + A new menu should appear in GRUB, showing the boot options for that distro; this is a GRUB menu, converted from the usual + ISOLINUX menu provided by that distro.

+

- Now look at the ISOLINUX menuentry. It'll look like:
- 

-	  kernel /path/to/kernel
-	  append PARAMETERS initrd=/path/to/initrd MAYBE_MORE_PARAMETERS
-
- GRUB works the same way, but in it's own way. Example GRUB commands:
- linux (usb0)/path/to/kernel PARAMETERS MAYBE_MORE_PARAMETERS
- initrd (usb0)/path/to/initrd
- boot
- Of course this will vary from distro to distro. If you did all that correctly, it should now be booting the ISO - the way you specified. -

+ If the ISOLINUX parser won't work, then press C to get to GRUB command line.
+ grub> ls
-

Troubleshooting

+ Get the device from above output, eg (usb0). Example:
+ grub> cat (usb0)/isolinux/isolinux.cfg
-

- Most of these issues occur when using libreboot with coreboot's 'text mode' instead of the coreboot framebuffer. - This mode is useful for booting payloads like memtest86+ which expect text-mode, but for GNU/Linux distributions - it can be problematic when they are trying to switch to a framebuffer because it doesn't exist. -

+ Either this will show the ISOLINUX menuentries for that ISO, or link to other .cfg files, for example /isolinux/foo.cfg.
-

- In most cases, you should use the vesafb ROM's. Example filename: libreboot_ukdvorak_vesafb.rom. -

+ If it did that, then you do:
+ grub> cat (usb0)/isolinux/foo.cfg
-

parabola won't boot in text-mode

+ And so on, until you find the correct menuentries for ISOLINUX. +

-

- Use one of the ROM images with vesafb in the filename (uses coreboot framebuffer instead of text-mode). -

+

+ Now look at the ISOLINUX menuentry. It'll look like:
+ + kernel /path/to/kernel
+ append PARAMETERS initrd=/path/to/initrd MAYBE_MORE_PARAMETERS
+ + + GRUB works the same way, but in it's own way. Example GRUB commands:
+ grub> linux (usb0)/path/to/kernel PARAMETERS MAYBE_MORE_PARAMETERS
+ grub> initrd (usb0)/path/to/initrd
+ grub> boot
+ + Of course this will vary from distro to distro. If you did all that correctly, it should now be booting the ISO + the way you specified. +

-

debian-installer (trisquel net install) graphical corruption in text-mode

-

- When using the ROM images that use coreboot's "text mode" instead of the coreboot framebuffer, - booting the Trisquel net installer results in graphical corruption because it is trying to switch to a framebuffer which doesn't - exist. Use that kernel parameter on the 'linux' line when booting it:
- vga=normal fb=false -

+

Troubleshooting

-

- Tested in Trisquel 6 (and 7). This forces debian-installer to start in text-mode, instead of trying to switch to a framebuffer. -

+

+ Most of these issues occur when using libreboot with coreboot's 'text mode' instead of the coreboot framebuffer. + This mode is useful for booting payloads like memtest86+ which expect text-mode, but for GNU/Linux distributions + it can be problematic when they are trying to switch to a framebuffer because it doesn't exist. +

-

- If selecting text-mode from a GRUB menu created using the ISOLINUX parser, you can press E on the menu entry to add this. - Or, if you are booting manually (from GRUB terminal) then just add the parameters. -

+

+ In most cases, you should use the vesafb ROM's. Example filename: libreboot_ukdvorak_vesafb.rom. +

-

- This workaround was found on the page: https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch05s04.html. - It should also work for gNewSense, Debian and any other apt-get distro that provides debian-installer (text mode) net install method. -

+

parabola won't boot in text-mode

+ +

+ Use one of the ROM images with vesafb in the filename (uses coreboot framebuffer instead of text-mode). +

+ +

debian-installer (trisquel net install) graphical corruption in text-mode

+

+ When using the ROM images that use coreboot's "text mode" instead of the coreboot framebuffer, + booting the Trisquel net installer results in graphical corruption because it is trying to switch to a framebuffer which doesn't + exist. Use that kernel parameter on the 'linux' line when booting it:
+ vga=normal fb=false +

+ +

+ Tested in Trisquel 6 (and 7). This forces debian-installer to start in text-mode, instead of trying to switch to a framebuffer. +

+ +

+ If selecting text-mode from a GRUB menu created using the ISOLINUX parser, you can press E on the menu entry to add this. + Or, if you are booting manually (from GRUB terminal) then just add the parameters. +

+ +

+ This workaround was found on the page: https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch05s04.html. + It should also work for gNewSense, Debian and any other apt-get distro that provides debian-installer (text mode) net install method. +

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