live usb stalls -- incomplete boot [SOLVED]

Stripey · posted: 2015-12-31 13:51

Problem: antiX on usb drive fails to complete boot sequence.

I get as far as the extlinux boot screen without any problem. Then I can get no further.

Is blkid -o full (or something like it) failing to detect usb once control of boot passes from extlinux to initfs? Or maybe no module in antiX for the usb pendrive? Just guesses.

The symptoms and signs:

Extlinux menu boots quickly. Great!

Then after control passes to init:

"Loading device specific modules..."
"Scanning ..."

Unable to find antiX/linux.fs.
The device (usb/sdb) does not show in list of devices queried.

With bootcode from=usb:"Fatal error no usb devices found"

The OS boots fine from CD.

I get the same mis-behaviour on three systems.

It's not a broken usb-drive. This thumbdrive can be made to work with (tiny)core OS. In seconds had a working bootable core pendrive. Tried Lili with antiX & gets to boot menu no problem... then fails.

The same error comes about with and without antix2usb as installer. That's not the culprit.

Tried: antiX 15 i386 iso and i686 isos with same result. Downloaded today (30 Dec) and checked: md5sums ok.
Used 32 and 64 bit hardware of different mfgs and form-factor. Installed from mswin & antiX.

What can be done? Has anyone else had, or able to replicate, this problem? You might have the answer.

I need the 32 bit antiX-live pendrive to install new OS on used pcs for sale at charity thrift shop.
It needs to 'just work' for the regular workers __{{emoticon}}__

I would like something more durable and maybe faster than a cd for most jobs. AntiX usb drive looks to be the ticket!

Thanks for reading this!

Related posts:

@rokytnji Did it work as expected?

I expect no problems on my live usb ...
post44305.html?hilit=usb%20install#p44305

@Eperbab Is it working?
post44284.html?hilit=usb%20install#p44284

searc h. php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keywords=%2Blive++%2Busb++

Stripey · posted: 2015-12-31 14:02

The error message specified Bitjam should be notified of this issue.

Thx __{{emoticon}}__

dolphin_oracle · posted: 2015-12-31 14:13

have you tried a different usb port? perhaps make sure usb port is a usb-2 port (not 3 or 1)

rokytnji · posted: 2015-12-31 15:01

@rokytnji Did it work as expected?

If talking 15.1 which is still in experimental stage.
64 bit = no
32 bit = yes

If wanting a good 64 bit install go with the AntiX 15 iso. Not the AntiX 15.1.

If making the live usb in MX or AntiX using unetbootin.

extlinux and syslinux needs to upgraded. If anyone ever pays attention to the readouts on apt-get dist-upgrade. There is a message line that those packages are held back on being upgraded.

Howdy and Welcome.

Happy Trailz, Rok

skidoo · posted: 2015-12-31 17:28

extlinux and syslinux needs to upgraded. If anyone ever pays attention to the readouts on apt-get dist-upgrade.
There is a message line that those packages are held back on being upgraded.

The pinning is probably necessary, to match the version of syslinux bundled within initrd.gz, in case a snapshot}}LiveUSB is created.

Stripey · posted: 2016-01-01 10:54

Happy New Year!

That's how I like to start the year off -- getting something to work. I say"whoo!"

Have tried many things. Found extlinux not the problem here. I used grub and grub2 with the same result.

My usb drive was not being detected by initrd in time. Adding try=60 boot code made it work.

I decided to boot the iso from usb as it is smaller/compressed and I want to use it primarily as an OS installer.

Thank you all for helping get this little problem sorted.
Thanks again for antiX!

Outline/Basic Steps

1. Make a one GB fat32 bootable partition as the first partiton on a usb thumbdrive.
I used gparted, but parted or fdisk (root terminal) will work.
(Make a larger partition for more ISOs.)

2. Open su session (root terminal), mount the partition, & install grub2.

Code: Select all


# assumes mount point is /media/USB
# and that the usb pendrive is device /dev/sdx

grub-install --force --no-floppy --boot-directory=/media/USB/boot /dev/sdx

3. Add antiX menu entry to /media/USB/boot/grub/grub.cfg

Code: Select all


menuentry"antiX 15 (32 bit) ISO" {
 loopback loop /antiX-15-V_386-full.iso
 linux (loop)/antiX/vmlinuz from=usb try=60 fromiso=/antiX-15-V_386-full.iso ro quiet
 initrd (loop)/antiX/initrd.gz
}

In order to make future upgrades easy one might rename iso to antiX-32.iso, then a menu could be:

Code: Select all


menuentry"antiX (32 bit) ISO" {
 loopback loop /antiX-32.iso
# here we wait only 30 sec before giving up
 linux (loop)/antiX/vmlinuz from=usb try=30 fromiso=/antiX-32.iso ro quiet
 initrd (loop)/antiX/initrd.gz
}

Upgrade would be simple -- copy new iso over old one __{{emoticon}}__

4. Copy iso to root of usb key.

One can add multiple isos -- have a 64 bit option, for example. Make menu entries as needed.
If persistence with live (fromiso) mode is desired it looks possible, too.

5. Consider persistence. I decided against it. Make your own choice.

Mepis says:

On a LiveCD the default persistence device is whatever device has the disk label antiX-Persist.

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://www.mepiscommunity.org/wiki/system/boot-parameters"
linktext was:"http://www.mepiscommunity.org/wiki/syst ... parameters"
====================================

A second partition on the usb could act to give persistence, if desired.
Add the label with parted or gparted __{{emoticon}}__

This page might also help, but I didn't get to it:
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Bootable_MEPIS_USB_key"
linktext was:"http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php? ... IS_USB_key"
====================================

This page helped out:
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-multiple-iso-from-usb-via-grub2-using-linux/"
linktext was:"http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-multi ... ing-linux/"
====================================

We can call this one solved.

Stripey · posted: 2016-01-01 10:55

ps 64 bit worked, as did several other distros.

Added back.jpg to usb to get gfx (graphical) grub screen. Edited grub.cfg to make it work.

fairshuru · posted: 2016-01-09 08:39

Have tried many things. Found extlinux not the problem here. I used grub and grub2 with the same result.
My usb drive was not being detected by initrd in time. Adding try=60 boot code made it work.
I decided to boot the iso from usb as it is smaller/compressed and I want to use it primarily as an OS installer.
Thank you all for helping get this little problem sorted.

Blurey · posted: 2016-01-10 23:07

My other trouble it Antix 15,1 - 64 you starting the clicking Network disappears totally manager his icon, and I cannot be attached because of this with the live usb stalls smoothly.