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Install CD Hangs at UEFI

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spammy
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Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#1 Post by spammy »

I have a recentish laptop that I'm trying to install Debian on to. It was marketed as a Windows laptop, and there is no official support from the manufacture to install another OS.

Booting with the Debian netinst (both x64 and multiarch) via USB or CD results in a hung system. I have tried the two efi boot commands:

bootia32.efi informs me that "Image type IA32 is not supported by this X64 shell".
bootx64 results in a hung system - there is no output apart from the empty cursor _ (not flashing).

An Ubuntu install CD boots fine (although I haven't gone as far as installing it yet), so I know passing this step isn't impossible and the issue is particular to the Debian installer.

I'm not sure what technical details to give at this point, but the laptop appears to be a generic model (an Iota Slim).

Any help appreciated!

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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#2 Post by bw123 »

Looking up "Image type IA32 is not supported by this X64 shell" that seems to be a win error msg, some posts said there may be a way to select/toggle boot environment.

Did you create the install cd/usb following the instructions?
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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#3 Post by Ardouos »

Lets start with what ISO did you download and the hardware you are using?
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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#4 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

spammy wrote:I have tried the two efi boot commands
Why are you attempting to boot the ISO from the EFI shell?

Which EFI shell are you using and how did you start it?

Have you tried letting the image boot normally (ie, without the aid of the EFI shell)?

The bootx64.efi loader should be GRUB, do you see the boot menu?
bw123 wrote:seems to be a win error msg
The error message occurs because bootia32.efi is a 32-bit UEFI loader but the OP has a 64-bit ("bootx64.efi") machine.
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spammy
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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#5 Post by spammy »

Thank you for the replies. To be clear I have tried the following (in order of complexity, not chronology):

1) Burned the x64 netinst iso to a CD and booted with it -> hangs with a blank screen and cursor (not flashing).
2) Used rufus to write the x64 iso to a USB drive in dd mode and hybrid iso mode -> hangs in the same way as 1)
3) After reading about 32 bit UEFIs, and assuming that was my issue, burned the multiarch netinst to a disc and booted with it -> hangs in the same way as 1)
4) Thinking that bootia32.efi wasn't being executed automatically, executed it directly via the EFI shell -> "Image type IA32 is not supported by this X64 shell", which I took as an indication the laptop is running a 64 bit UEFI.
5) Executing bootx64.efi from the same place -> new line in the console with a non flashing cursor and hang.

Regarding the shell, I am picking the "UEFI shell" option in the boot menu. I presume this came with Windows, or perhaps the BIOS/motherboard (I'm still getting my head around UEFI). The other options in the same menu include "windows boot manager" (which loads windows 10) and "UEFI 0:" or thereabouts (depending on whether I'm using a USB stick or CD drive) which as described in 1 and 2 above, hangs if selected.

Regarding the hardware, its a "Iota Slim 4gb" model with a Pentium N4200. If there's anything else I can provide I can look for it (a bios version or something).

Trying 1) with the Ubuntu DVD resulted in a boot. Since posting I have gotten to the live CD desktop so it seems to work to completion.

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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#6 Post by Dai_trying »

It sounds like you might have secure boot enabled in the UEFI settings (Ubuntu can boot in secure mode, Debian cannot), try disabling this and then boot from your Debian usb/cd/dvd and see if that works.

spammy
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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#7 Post by spammy »

Are UEFI settings different from the BIOS settings (American Megatrends Aptio Setup Utility)?

I have disabled Trusted Computing, Platform Trust Technology and under Secure Boot "Attempt Secure Boot" is disabled.

The status items on the Secure Boot page are as follows:
System Mode: User
Secure Boot: Not Active
Vendor Keys: Active

There is something called TXE EOP Message which I have left enabled.

Edit: I selected an item in secure boot called "Enter Deployment Mode" and now the System Mode is "deployed". All previously described behaviour is the same.

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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#8 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

spammy wrote:hangs with a blank screen and cursor (not flashing)
Do you see the GRUB (boot) menu at any point?

Transferring the image using Rufus should work but only if DD mode [sic] is selected.
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spammy
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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#9 Post by spammy »

No GRUB menu. Apart from a static cursor _ nothing happens. OTOH the laptop shuts down immediately when pressing the power (ie I don't have to force the power off with a 4 second hold).

I have already tried a Rufus USB stick made with the DD command. I may have skipped the multiarch - I'll try that. EDIT: No change, it didn't work.

In the meantime I now have a working Ubuntu install if there's anything I can poke around with via Linux.

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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#10 Post by spammy »

Some progress!

Based on a tip here: http://linuxiumcomau.blogspot.com/2017/ ... ation.html, I tried changing the "OS" option in the South Bridge menu in the BIOS to "Intel Linux" and the stick is now booting to GRUB.

However, the reason why I wasn't using this option previously was because doing so disables the laptop's screen and keyboard (meaning I had to connect a HDMI screen and external keyboard).

I have just tested this option with the Ubuntu install and eventually the screen activates, but that is well into Ubuntu start up (ie I would lose access to BIOS without having a HDMI screen attached).

Would we know why/how the OS option affects things in UEFI installs for Debian and not Ubuntu? That might be a clue as to what's going on. Would making a rEFInd Debian install make any difference?

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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#11 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

spammy wrote:the stick is now booting to GRUB
So does it boot at all?

If the cursor still shows, does the nomodeset kernel parameter get it to boot?
spammy wrote:Would making a rEFInd Debian install make any difference?
Only one way to find out... :mrgreen:
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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#12 Post by Wheelerof4te »

How "newish" this laptop is? Debian 9 might not boot if the hardware is very recent. Or it might boot, but crawl to a halt.

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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#13 Post by spammy »

It's a Pentium N4200, which my searching says is an Apollo Lake? It was released at some point in the first half of this year.
So does it boot at all?

If the cursor still shows, does the nomodeset kernel parameter get it to boot?
I'm not sure what you are asking. I stopped at the GRUB screen due to a lack of time and the pretty annoying bit where I need an external HDMI screen and keyboard ;). I'll give it a full go next.

Where/when would I set nomodeset? if I can't progress past GRUB? I'm relatively confident that from this point on everything will be fine (but largely based on how smoothly the Ubuntu install went).

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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#14 Post by spammy »

I have managed to install Debian in "Intel Linux" mode and so had to use an HDMI monitor and external keyboard. Some issues:

1) Reverting the bios to "Windows" mode causes the laptop to hang at the BIOS screen (I presume for the same reason it's always been hanging - the version of GRUB used by Debian is just not compatible with this laptop).
2) Going back to "Intel Linux" mode allows me to see the GRUB menu (which seems to have replaced the Ubuntu one), and boot Debian. However Debian fails to boot after that - I see some terminal messages and then get a solid and static grey screen, which remains. I have to hold the power button for 4 seconds to turn the laptop off.

For 1), I presume Ubuntu uses a later or different version of GRUB that can boot on this laptop. I've done a bit of searching and think these are the respective versions:

Debian uses 2.02~beta3-5
Ubuntu uses 2.02-2ubuntu8

I do not know what the differences are between these versions.

I have tried loading via rEFInd (it's pretty!), but that also hangs once it attempts to execute what I'm guessing is Debian's bootloader, grubx64.efi.

For 2), I have no idea what the issue is or how to fix it. I suspect this now relates to Wheelerof4te's warning, and Debian simply doesn't support my laptop at this point.

On that basis, I consider my attempt to install Debian to have failed and will (for now anyway!) stick with Ubuntu. Thanks to all for the help (and if for completion/research you'd like me to try anything further let me know).

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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#15 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

spammy wrote:I presume Ubuntu uses a later or different version of GRUB that can boot on this laptop.
Then try installing GRUB to the hard drive from an Ubuntu live ISO image.

If you have a UEFI system then mount the ESP

Code: Select all

# mount /dev/sdXY /mnt
and run

Code: Select all

# grub-install --efi-directory=/mnt --removable
For a non-UEFI system, mount the /boot partition first:

Code: Select all

# mount /dev/sdXY /mnt
Then install GRUB to the drive:

Code: Select all

# grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sdX
This will place all the configuration files and modules on the drive and allow Debian to boot with Ubuntu's GRUB version.
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spammy
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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#16 Post by spammy »

The "solid and static grey screen, which remains" that I described earlier is actually not a crash. It actually appears to be a second screen - pressing enter and then typing in my password progresses to a further empty screen. I suspect some strange display detection is going on here (I'm still forced to use an HDMI screen here). nomodeset fixes this, and my HDMI screen then displays a log in and desktop as expected.

The grub installation commands don't appear to work. I've established that I'm on an UEFI system, and running:
grub-install --efi-directory=/mnt --removable /dev/sda
Results in:
failed to get canonical path of '/cow'
I've tried various chroot suggestions and the like and it feels like I've jumped into a rabbit hole so I've stopped for now.

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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#17 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

spammy wrote:
failed to get canonical path of '/cow'
:?

I've used that method from an Arch Linux live ISO image, Ubuntu must set their's up differently.

Anyway the GRUB thing was a red herring, looks like you need nomodeset — do you have full graphical support with that parameter applied?
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spammy
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Re: Install CD Hangs at UEFI

#18 Post by spammy »

Anyway the GRUB thing was a red herring, looks like you need nomodeset — do you have full graphical support with that parameter applied?
Not quite!

With the BIOS set to "Intel Linux", Debian boots, but I have no display or keyboard (for any OS). If I do boot Debian, case I can use nomodeset to "see" my login screen now that it boots, and it seems fully functional (how to verify?).

With the BIOS set to "Windows", Debian doesn't even get to GRUB. The screen doesn't even get past the BIOS ""Press Del to enter" screen. But at least I can see that frozen screen on the laptop itself ;).

I need to be able to boot Debian in "Windows" mode, just like Ubuntu can. I presume I can do this with a different bootloader. The Ubuntu one didn't work, but now I'm thinking that since I have access to Debian (albeit via an external screen), I can use that to replace GRUB with something else (rEFInd probably).

EDIT:

Changing the bootloader worked. rEFInd will boot Debian under "windows" mode, and so I can use Debian with the laptop's screen, keyboard and mouse. Further I no longer need nomodeset to fix display problems.

rEFInd presents two Linux options, which I presume were autodetected:

1) Boot vmlinuz-4.9.0-7-amd64 from 244 MiB ex2 volume
2) Boot EFI\debian\grubx64.efi from system partition

As expected, 1) works and 2) does not.

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