install debian 9.7.0 not booting

[richjoh]

Install Debian 9.7.0 to a second HD (120GigByte), chose option to install Grub to sdb drive but unable to boot. I want to install Grub to the second HD and not over my windows MBR, sda. I set my BIOS to boot from sdb it fails.

I copy debian 9.7.0 DVD1, DVD2 and DVD3 iso to a usb stick, boot from the usb for the install. I used WinSetupFromUSB_1-8_X64 to write multiple ISOs to a single USB stick. I'm new to Debian of course. Is this a bug? Is there a fix?

My hardware is Clevo laptop, model P151SM1, Intel Core i7-4900MQ CPU @ 2.80GHz. Tried uploading a pic, Apache server error.

richjoh

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Have you disabled Secure Boot?

GRUB should detect Windows and make a boot entry for it if your firmware ("BIOS") is unable to boot from the second drive.

[richjoh]

"Secure Boot", if that's the password to run BIOS then boot up, I don't have it enabled. If that's not it then what ...

[p.H]

I set my BIOS to boot from sdb it fails.

How does it fail ? What happens ?

[Head_on_a_Stick]

"Secure Boot", if that's the password to run BIOS then boot up

Nope.

Use a search engine ffs.

[stevepusser]

"Secure Boot", if that's the password to run BIOS then boot up, I don't have it enabled. If that's not it then what ...

No, Secure Boot is different. You usually find its setting under Security in the Setup. Debian currently does not work with Secure Boot turned on.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Debian currently does not work with Secure Boot turned on.

Actually, testing/unstable can be made to work with it enabled:

https://wiki.debian.org/SecureBoot/Testing

Hopefully Debian 10 will support Secure Boot OOTB.

[richjoh]

Turns out I'm running Legacy Boot Loader, no Secure Boot. My BIOS is Aptio Setup Utility, 1.00.01 (c) 2012. It's as if the BIOS doesn't allow me to set both disc as boot disk, I'm able to set 1 as boot but not both. "Hard Drive BBS Priorities" menu list both drive. But Boot Option #1 is WinSSD & Boot Option#2 is Realtek PXE B05 D00. If I set sdb (Debian) to Boot Option #1 it doesn't boot. Blinking underscore. There is a UEFI menu in the BIOS, but only gives me "Network stack" as a UEFI Boot option.

I think my problem is setting this BIOS to see both drives during boot up and so far I can't find that setting.

Well I also don't follow if I wrote the Grub to sdb why doesn't Debian 9.7.0 boot? I get nothing even if I choose Boot Override of sdb from inside the BIOS.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

If I set sdb (Debian) to Boot Option #1 it doesn't boot. Blinking underscore.

Can you switch to a console screen with <ctrl>+<alt>+F2?

Have you tried disabling modesetting?

https://wiki.debian.org/KernelModesetting#Disabling_KMS

A "blinking underscore" usually indicates that the system is booted but the graphics drivers have failed.

@p.H may have better advice, they're good with this sort of thing.

[richjoh]

Let me check if I got this correct. AMD64 Debian runs Intel based PC 64bit correct? The AMD64 9.7.0 is what fails to boot each time I install Debian 9.7.0 DVD iso1, iso2 and iso3. The i386 Debian is the 32 bit Intel/MS PC version correct? Or do I have this wrong?

[Head_on_a_Stick]

AMD64 Debian runs Intel based PC 64bit correct?

amd64 is for all 64-bit x86 CPUs.

The i386 Debian is the 32 bit Intel/MS PC version correct?

i386 is for all 32-bit x86 CPUs.

[p.H]

Turns out I'm running Legacy Boot Loader

How do you know ?

If I set sdb (Debian) to Boot Option #1 it doesn't boot. Blinking underscore.

Before or after the GRUB menu ?

[bw123]

... I used WinSetupFromUSB_1-8_X64 to write multiple ISOs to a single USB stick...

Why do it that way, instead of the right way? Multi-iso things are known to cause problems. You could make a good install media the right way and reinstall grub from rescue mode in the installer?


https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual

There's also a nice FAQ where you got the dvd iso https://www.debian.org/CD/faq/ be sure and check that out.

[richjoh]

I know I'm running Legacy Boot Loader, Win10 System reports BIOS Mode "Legacy". Also from the BIOS menu, only PXE Lan Boot is only option for UEFI boot.

From my BIOS I can do a "force boot". I select sdb them immediately (<<1sec) you get the blinking underscore.I never get a GRUB menu booting from sdb (Debian install HD)

I will go back and create an install USB with Debian dvd1 iso.

[richjoh]

Still no luck on booting up Debian. This time I added a 750G SATA HD to Port 0. Previously tried SATA Port5 that is an mSATA drive. My Win10 is installed on SATA Port4 SSD.

During install, when I got to "Install the GRUB boot loader on a hard disk" the install detected "Windows Vista" and "Debian GNU/Linux 9(stretch). I installed the Boot Loader to Debian disk, since I don't want to overwrite my Win Sys. Its reporting "debian" at this step because the initial disk I where I made attempts to install is there too.

I install GRUB to the disk where Debian exist, boot up fails. Has anyone successfully tried this?

[p.H]

When GRUB's boot image is executed, it prints at least "GRUB" on the screen. When loading the GRUB's core image (next stage), it prints "loading". If you see nothing, either
- GRUB's boot image is not installed in the MBR
- the BIOS does not execute the MBR code
- GRUB's boot image and core image are executed too fast to see the "GRUB loading" message and GRUB hangs when changing the display mode.

Could you launch a live system or the Debian installer in rescue mode and report the output of the following commands ?

Code: Select all

fdisk -l /dev/sdX
hd -n 512 /dev/sdX

where /dev/sdX is the drive you installed Debian on. I do not need the full output of hd, just check that the "GRUB" string is present in the MBR.

[richjoh]

Booted from Debian Live USB. The output from "hd -n 512 /dev/sdb" command shows me 12 lines of hex numbers but no text about GRUB.

Grub did not get installed? During the installer, it mentioned install was successful though.

Can you post a sample of what is expected for Grub output? The installer is not writing Grub to disc when its NOT the MBR boot disc?

[p.H]

The output from "hd -n 512 /dev/sdb" command shows me 12 lines of hex numbers but no text about GRUB.

Only 12 lines ? It shows me many more (32). Here are the last ones containing the GRUB related strings, the partition table (actually a GPT protective partition) and the MBR signature aa55 :

Code: Select all

00000180  7d e8 2e 00 cd 18 eb fe  47 52 55 42 20 00 47 65  |}.......GRUB .Ge|
00000190  6f 6d 00 48 61 72 64 20  44 69 73 6b 00 52 65 61  |om.Hard Disk.Rea|
000001a0  64 00 20 45 72 72 6f 72  0d 0a 00 bb 01 00 b4 0e  |d. Error........|
000001b0  cd 10 ac 3c 00 75 f4 c3  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |...<.u..........|
000001c0  01 00 ee fe ff ff 01 00  00 00 af 4b f9 0d 00 00  |...........K....|
000001d0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  |................|
*
000001f0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 55 aa  |..............U.|

The installer is not writing Grub to disc when its NOT the MBR boot disc?

What do you mean by "the MBR boot disc" ?

[stevepusser]

Does your laptop's Setup allow you to disable Secure Boot but still boot in UEFI mode?

I have a freaking Acer laptop that makes you set a security password for the Setup before it lets you do that, for some reason..as well as a couple other hoops you have to jump through to get Linux to boot. The MSI laptop GP63 I have, whose makers don't give a hoot about Linux, is actually much easier to set up and run.

[richjoh]

I enable disabled & renable every password setting in the BIOS. Now this BOIS only letting me boot using "Realtek PXE B05 D00" network boot device, UEFI only. Won't allow me to select HDs to boot from and I'm not able to turn off network boot now. Well I have to get back to my starting point of seeing disk now.

I've inadvertantly enabled secure boot, when I put my usb debian stick in to boot from, I'm prevented "Invalid signature detected". I'm working on turning this off now.

MBR - master boot record, what windows looks for to boot.

Yes I'm only getting 12 lines and nothing about GRUB or aa55.