Re: USB server install problem

From	Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid>
Newsgroups	alt.os.linux
Subject	Re: USB server install problem
Date	2019-02-03 14:01 -0800
Message-ID	<gbp6mcF58d4U1@mid.individual.net> (permalink)
References	(5 earlier) <20190130145552.1d155a2a@WizardsTower> <gbehp2Fp7dfU1@mid.individual.net> <q33ie0$a4d$1@saria.nerim.net> <gbl4qiF86lfU1@mid.individual.net> <q34v4h$mv1$1@saria.nerim.net>

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Pascal Hambourg wrote:
> Mike Easter a écrit :
> 
>> My initial attempt was to use the Ubuntu server .iso which has a text 
>> based installer.  I wrote it to USB and booted it for the live 
>> installation to another USB.  I was unsuccessful in getting a USB with 
>> the Ub server installed to boot.  The installer went through the 
>> 'motions' and installed and there was a grub boot loader, but it 
>> didn't boot.
> 
> Can you elaborate ? How did you install GRUB ? Was it EFI or BIOS boot ?

All attempts were BIOS.  The equipment being used displays a choice of 
EFI or 'non-efi' (I have legacy enabled in the setup) for each disk in 
its boot menu and I always choose non-efi/ bios.

My uncertainty was about how to prepare the USB prior to the installer. 
My usual practice, which has mostly been with graphical installers, not 
the server-type text installer, and with hdd/s not USB, is to do a 
preliminary 'staging' of the hdd with GPartEd for formatting, setting 
boot flags, and mount point.

However, there are a lot of different guides about installing to USB 
which involve more parts and those guides caused me confusion.  So, I 
was confused about preliminary setting up of the USB and unfamiliar with 
the text installer.

That attempt resulted in an install that wouldn't boot.  A boot-repair 
tool told me there was a grub at the front, but I wasn't able to figure 
out how to fix it.

Next I tried a pathway more familiar in which I attempted to install a 
regular DE (Mate Ub) to the USB which gave me a graphical Ubiquity 
installer, but I was still uncertain about how to prepare the USB, 
unformatted (ask the installer to format), partitioned with a fat at the 
front and ext4 or ext2 or whatever with a / mount point.

That attempt also installed and put a grub at the front, but it wouldn't 
boot either.  The flash on the screen was the system telling me there 
wasn't something there it recognized as bootable.

I have no experience with 'crafting' a bootable USB by hand; I've always 
used a tool, either graphical Wins or semi-graphical text such as mkusb 
which uses dd underneath.

With my failures and uncertainties (and the inability to turn off the 
hdd from the BIOS and aversity to opening the case and doing it manually 
for such a trivial project) and my determination that it wasn't really a 
worthwhile cause since a bootable USB with persistence can do everything 
I have any interest in, I grew weary of trying to solve the mystery.

I've read a lot more since then, but my interest in full-installing to 
USB hasn't returned.  The part I don't like much is not being able to do 
it when I think I should be able to.

-- 
Mike Easter

Thread

USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 08:19 -0800
  Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 08:52 -0800
  Re: USB server install problem Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2019-01-30 17:27 +0000
    Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 09:48 -0800
      Re: USB server install problem Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2019-01-30 18:15 +0000
        Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 10:25 -0800
          Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 10:45 -0800
          Re: USB server install problem "Cybe R. Wizard" <cybe_r_wizard@WizardsTower.invalid> - 2019-01-30 14:55 -0600
            Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 13:03 -0800
              Re: USB server install problem "Cybe R. Wizard" <cybe_r_wizard@WizardsTower.invalid> - 2019-01-30 15:47 -0600
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 16:00 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 16:20 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 17:01 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-01 07:00 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-01 09:01 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-01 11:04 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Lucifer <LuciferMorningstar@bigpond.com> - 2019-02-02 06:17 +1100
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-01 11:47 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 17:19 -0800
              Re: USB server install problem Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2019-02-02 08:55 +0100
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-02 01:05 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2019-02-02 10:50 -0500
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-02 08:39 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2019-02-02 21:38 +0100
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-03 14:01 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2019-02-04 21:58 +0100
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-04 15:33 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2019-02-05 12:29 +0000
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-05 09:34 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2019-02-05 20:27 +0100
                Re: USB server install problem Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2019-02-05 20:29 +0100
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-05 13:04 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-05 13:29 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2019-02-05 23:44 +0100
                Re: USB server install problem Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2019-02-05 23:47 +0100
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-05 15:58 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-05 16:16 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-05 16:57 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-02-05 17:25 -0800
                Re: USB server install problem Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2019-02-06 20:17 +0100
          Re: USB server install problem Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2019-01-30 21:44 +0000
            Re: USB server install problem Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2019-01-30 21:56 +0000
              Re: USB server install problem Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2019-01-30 22:04 +0000
          Re: USB server install problem Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2019-02-02 08:52 +0100
        Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 12:32 -0800
  Re: USB server install problem Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid> - 2019-01-30 12:03 -0800

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