Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2015 04:14:49 -0500 Subject: Documentation: implement theme, drastically improve readability --- (limited to 'docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html') diff --git a/docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html b/docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html index 8a5a8f8..3a99d00 100644 --- a/docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html +++ b/docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html @@ -12,144 +12,168 @@ -

Boot a GNU/Linux installer on USB

- -

Prepare the USB drive (in GNU/Linux)

- -

- Connect the USB drive. Check dmesg:
- $ dmesg
- - Check lsblk to confirm which drive it is:
- $ lsblk -

- -

- Check that it wasn't automatically mounted. If it was, unmount it. For example:
- $ sudo umount /dev/sdb*
- # umount /dev/sdb* -

+ Back to previous index +

+ -

- 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 -

GNU Guix System Distribution?

Prepare the USB drive (in GNU/Linux)

- Guix USB installers use the GRUB bootloader, unlike most GNU/Linux installers which will likely use ISOLINUX. -

- To boot the Guix live USB install, select Search for GRUB configuration (grub.cfg) outside of CBFS from - the GRUB payload menu. After you have done that, a new menuentry will appear at the very bottom with text like - Load Config from (usb0); select that, and it should boot. -

- Once you have installed Guix onto the main storage device, check - grub_cbfs.html#libreboot_grub_config_ondisk for hints on how - to boot it. -

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

Booting ISOLINUX images

+ Check lsblk to confirm which drive it is:
+ $ lsblk +

- Boot it in GRUB using the Parse ISOLINUX config (USB) option. +

+ Check that it wasn't automatically mounted. If it was, unmount it. For example:
+ $ sudo umount /dev/sdb*
+ # umount /dev/sdb* +

- 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. -

+ 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 manually

- -

- If the ISOLINUX parser or Search for GRUB configuration options won't work, then press C to get to the GRUB command line.
- grub> ls
- - Get the device from above output, eg (usb0). Example:
- grub> cat (usb0)/isolinux/isolinux.cfg
+

+ +

GNU Guix System Distribution?

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

+ Guix USB installers use the GRUB bootloader, unlike most GNU/Linux installers which will likely use ISOLINUX. +

+ To boot the Guix live USB install, select Search for GRUB configuration (grub.cfg) outside of CBFS from + the GRUB payload menu. After you have done that, a new menuentry will appear at the very bottom with text like + Load Config from (usb0); select that, and it should boot. +

+ Once you have installed Guix onto the main storage device, check + grub_cbfs.html#libreboot_grub_config_ondisk for hints on how + to boot it. +

+ +

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

+ +

Booting ISOLINUX images

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

+ Boot it in GRUB using the Parse ISOLINUX config (USB) option. -

- 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. -

+ 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. +

+ +

Booting manually

Troubleshooting

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

- 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. -

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

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

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

parabola won't boot in text-mode

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

- Use one of the ROM images with vesafb in the filename (uses coreboot framebuffer instead of text-mode). + And so on, until you find the correct menuentries for ISOLINUX.

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 + 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.

+ +

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

+ +

Troubleshooting

- 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. + 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.

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

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. +

- Copyright © 2014 Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk>
- This document is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License and all future versions. - A copy of the license can be found at ../license.txt. -

+ 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 document is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, - but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of - MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See ../license.txt for more information. -

+ 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. +

+ +

+ Copyright © 2014, 2015 Francis Rowe <info@gluglug.org.uk>
+ This document is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License and all future versions. + A copy of the license can be found at ../license.txt. +

+ +

+ This document is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, + but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of + MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See ../license.txt for more information. +

+ +

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