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Debian and UEFI - procedure changed again?

Ask for help with issues regarding the Installations of the Debian O/S.
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tpprynn
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Joined: 2011-04-11 18:09

Debian and UEFI - procedure changed again?

#1 Post by tpprynn »

I use Debian 9.2 Xfce on two desktop PCs but have just bought one of these stubborn emmc-based laptops. I was going to grin and bear Windows 10 until it started its dialling home nonsense, working against my metered internet. I've tried to use Rufus with four different Linux iso files to no avail. I thought I'd remembered the distros having some content with EFI in the file path, at a point a year ago when I think I got halfway to getting Linux Mint to cooperate with a similar laptop. I had thought I remembered switching a particular file with 'efi' in its title because a 32 bit replacement was needed for some reason. None of the iso files I used resembled what I'd used before.

This laptop is an Archos Cesium 140. It has an American Megatrends 'BIOS' which I've meddled with in various combinations, switcghing Secure Boot off and erasing keys. The laptop only ever boots Windows 10 and not Debian, Peppermint or Mint from either of the two pendrives I've used. I switched off the Fast Boot option too as recommended.

If anyone here is a dab hand with this kind of thing some tips would be appreciated.

I had used the Debian 9.3 Xfce 64 bit iso with the nonfree firmware additions. If there is a better choice let me know. Peppermint is supposed to have the UEFI stuff 'baked in' but I saw no sign of this. The Archos laptop even mentions Linux in one of its options so I'd been hopeful they'd play together well.

Thanks.

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Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: Debian and UEFI - procedure changed again?

#2 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

tpprynn wrote:I've tried to use Rufus
We have had _many_ threads in which people have experienced problems with that software and Debian ISO images, it doesn't seem to work well at all.

I always recommend USBWriter and people seem to report success with that:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/usbwriter/

The best advice though is to install the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) in your Win10 box by running this command from an Administrator prompt and then rebooting:

Code: Select all

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
You can then use the Ubuntu user space that is installed by that command to run `sudo cp debian.iso /dev/sdX` (or so), just as you would in a native GNU/Linux system.

Debian ISO images support UEFI installation (including for mixed-bitness firmware) but Secure Boot should be disabled.
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Re: Debian and UEFI - procedure changed again?

#3 Post by Dai_trying »

If you have installed Debian and the laptop still just boots to Windows you could try pressing F12 during boot up to get the boot device options and see if there is an option to boot Debian (or others if they are installed). If there are no other options then there is a fix that can be done in Windows but I don't recall it without searching previous threads but if you look at some recent UEFI issues in the forum you will likely find it.

tpprynn
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Re: Debian and UEFI - procedure changed again?

#4 Post by tpprynn »

Apparently that Linux For Windows thing has stopped being compatible with newer versions of Windows 10.

I'm aiming to replace Windows, by the way. With 32gb as the emmc drive size, dual booting or virtual machines aren't practical. The 'installations' so far have been on pendrives, i.e. the live .iso

For some reason also the laptop can't even see the pendrive once DD is used - I need to use Lili, Rufus or the application suggests above, or a Debian tool once I get back home.

It's weird - the BIOS doesn't seem in itself an obstacle.

Other threads I've read with 'UEFI' as the search term don't show something I can use, as yet. Don't I need to add the EFI thing to the iso somehow, as was present in, at least, Linux mint 17.1 or 17.2?

Any further assistance or links are appreciated.

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Re: Debian and UEFI - procedure changed again?

#5 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

tpprynn wrote:the laptop can't even see the pendrive once DD is used
It could be that your motherboard's firmware will only boot Microsoft's bootmgfw.efi bootloader, this is completely contrary to the UEFI standard but disappointingly common.

See https://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloade ... ive-naming for more.

You could rebuild a Debian ISO image and copy GRUB's .efi loader to that location in the EFI image that is used for booting[1] if you want but you will have to either perform similar surgery in your installed system to get it to boot or try using `bcdedit` from Windows to get GRUB's .efi loader priority; the latter approach would be better, I think.

[1] post back if you need assistance with this.
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tpprynn
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Re: Debian and UEFI - procedure changed again?

#6 Post by tpprynn »

Thanks. BCEdit would only be applicable with a dual-booting system wouldn't it? I think I used to use that in my early Linux days.

Your link looks promising though.

I think I may have read that the 'testing' iso is a better choice for some reason I now forget - is this true?

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Re: Debian and UEFI - procedure changed again?

#7 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

tpprynn wrote:Thanks. BCEdit would only be applicable with a dual-booting system wouldn't it?
Yes, of course, sorry, I have another ongoing UEFI thread over at bunsenlabs.org and I got confused :oops:
tpprynn wrote:I think I may have read that the 'testing' iso is a better choice for some reason I now forget - is this true?
No, the testing ISO image is usually more likely to be broken.

Worth a try if all else fails though, I suppose.

At any rate I think the problem here is with your UEFI firmware, the Debian images have supported automagical UEFI installation (albeit without Secure Boot) since jessie went stable.
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