UEFI doesn't work for me...

tlmiller · posted: 2016-09-17 16:52

So I was trying to install antiX onto a laptop I sold a friend. All my hardware is UEFI only as unlike many, I'm a HUGE fan of UEFI, and would never consider using MBR again, so all legacy support is turned off in everything I own. I downloaded and used dd to put the antiX iso on a USB drive. I downloaded the base and full iso via torrent, AND downloaded the base iso via the servers. Tried 3 differnt pc's and 2 different USB's, but NONE of the machines even saw the USB to boot as a UEFI device. Take and throw the Debian netinstall 8.x on them and now it's seen, so obviously not hardware issue. Is there something else you need to do to get antiX iso to be able to boot in full UEFI mode?

Just in case, yes secureboot is turned off, while I love UEFI, not a fan of secureboot.

anticapitalista · posted: 2016-09-17 17:45

Don't use dd to install to usb, but use rufus (if using windows) or the native antix2usb app

dolphin_oracle · posted: 2016-09-17 19:40

tlmiller wrote:So I was trying to install antiX onto a laptop I sold a friend. All my hardware is UEFI only as unlike many, I'm a HUGE fan of UEFI, and would never consider using MBR again, so all legacy support is turned off in everything I own. I downloaded and used dd to put the antiX iso on a USB drive. I downloaded the base and full iso via torrent, AND downloaded the base iso via the servers. Tried 3 differnt pc's and 2 different USB's, but NONE of the machines even saw the USB to boot as a UEFI device. Take and throw the Debian netinstall 8.x on them and now it's seen, so obviously not hardware issue. Is there something else you need to do to get antiX iso to be able to boot in full UEFI mode?

Just in case, yes secureboot is turned off, while I love UEFI, not a fan of secureboot.

I also really like the UEFI system. However, I've had zero problem with UEFI. one thing I have done is to disable the"compatibility" mode that my lenovo and my son's dell have, which will boot antiX in legacy mode rather than UEFI.

You didn't mention which antiX version. I assume antiX 16. You also didn't mention if the laptop in question has a 32bit UEFI, which antiX does still have a problem with, at least on the installer side.

tlmiller · posted: 2016-09-17 23:18

anticapitalista wrote:Don't use dd to install to usb, but use rufus (if using windows) or the native antix2usb app

I don't use Windows. That's too bad, I really would have liked to try out antiX, but not willing to download 1 program from outside the repos just to install a single OS. Thanks for the info though, I thought maybe I was going nuts that the front page says it works, but nothing I own recognized it!!

dolphin_oracle wrote:
tlmiller wrote:So I was trying to install antiX onto a laptop I sold a friend. All my hardware is UEFI only as unlike many, I'm a HUGE fan of UEFI, and would never consider using MBR again, so all legacy support is turned off in everything I own. I downloaded and used dd to put the antiX iso on a USB drive. I downloaded the base and full iso via torrent, AND downloaded the base iso via the servers. Tried 3 differnt pc's and 2 different USB's, but NONE of the machines even saw the USB to boot as a UEFI device. Take and throw the Debian netinstall 8.x on them and now it's seen, so obviously not hardware issue. Is there something else you need to do to get antiX iso to be able to boot in full UEFI mode?

Just in case, yes secureboot is turned off, while I love UEFI, not a fan of secureboot.
I also really like the UEFI system. However, I've had zero problem with UEFI. one thing I have done is to disable the"compatibility" mode that my lenovo and my son's dell have, which will boot antiX in legacy mode rather than UEFI.

You didn't mention which antiX version. I assume antiX 16. You also didn't mention if the laptop in question has a 32bit UEFI, which antiX does still have a problem with, at least on the installer side.

antiX16 & 64-bit, yes. 32-bit UEFI is kinda rare, since when the specs were written it was never intended to be used in a 32-bit environment.

rokytnji · posted: 2016-09-18 01:26

I have no problemo with UEFI and 32 bit AntiX .

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harry@biker:~
$ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: biker Kernel: 4.6.2-antix.1-686-smp-pae i686 (32 bit gcc: 4.9.3)
           Desktop: IceWM 1.3.8
           Distro: antiX-15-V_386-full Killah P 30 June 2015
Machine:   System: LENOVO (portable) product: 2347DS2 v: ThinkPad T430
           Mobo: LENOVO model: 2347DS2
           UEFI [Legacy]: LENOVO v: G1ET41WW (1.16 ) date: 05/25/2012
Battery    BAT0: charge: 34.9 Wh 97.4% condition: 35.8/56.2 Wh (64%)
           model: SANYO 45N1001 status: Charging
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i5-3320M (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 10376
           clock speeds: max: 3300 MHz 1: 1500 MHz 2: 1673 MHz 3: 1335 MHz
           4: 1225 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1600x900@60.01hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ivybridge Mobile x86/MMX/SSE2
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.3.2 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel 7 Series/C210 Series Family High Definition Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: ALSA v: k4.6.2-antix.1-686-smp-pae
Network:   Card-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection
           driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: 5080 bus-ID: 00:19.0
           IF: eth2 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak]
           driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 320.1GB (16.1% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: HGST_HTS545032A7 size: 320.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 7.6G used: 5.1G (71%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: /home size: 68G used: 2.5G (4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 4.19GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda3
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 43.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 3219
Info:      Processes: 173 Uptime: 2:01 Memory: 345.5/15932.1MB
           Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 4.9.2
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.301) inxi: 2.3.1 
harry@biker:~
$

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harry@biker:~
$ sudo -i
[sudo] password for harry: 
root@biker:~# dmidecode --type 0
# dmidecode 2.12
SMBIOS 2.7 present.

Handle 0x000E, DMI type 0, 24 bytes
BIOS Information
    Vendor: LENOVO
    Version: G1ET41WW (1.16 )
    Release Date: 05/25/2012
    Address: 0xE0000
    Runtime Size: 128 kB
    ROM Size: 12288 kB
    Characteristics:
        PCI is supported
        PNP is supported
        BIOS is upgradeable
        BIOS shadowing is allowed
        Boot from CD is supported
        Selectable boot is supported
        EDD is supported
        3.5"/720 kB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
        Print screen service is supported (int 5h)
        8042 keyboard services are supported (int 9h)
        Serial services are supported (int 14h)
        Printer services are supported (int 17h)
        CGA/mono video services are supported (int 10h)
        ACPI is supported
        USB legacy is supported
        BIOS boot specification is supported
        Targeted content distribution is supported
        UEFI is supported
    BIOS Revision: 1.16
    Firmware Revision: 1.7

root@biker:~#

Can you show me yours? To be clear though. I have UEFI enabled along with Legacy enabled. Both are enabled in bios.
Also. I did this install on a older computer and moved the drive into this laptop.

tlmiller · posted: 2016-09-18 03:43

Well, I can't show you the system that I was trying to install it on, as I had to get it installed so it could be given to it's new owner, but another machine that I couldn't boot the antiX image to is:

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root@dracolich:~# dmidecode --type 0
# dmidecode 3.0
Getting SMBIOS data from sysfs.
SMBIOS 2.8 present.

Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 24 bytes
BIOS Information
        Vendor: Dell Inc.
        Version: A13
        Release Date: 05/17/2016
        Address: 0xF0000
        Runtime Size: 64 kB
        ROM Size: 12288 kB
        Characteristics:
                PCI is supported
                PNP is supported
                BIOS is upgradeable
                BIOS shadowing is allowed
                Boot from CD is supported
                Selectable boot is supported
                EDD is supported
                5.25"/1.2 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
                3.5"/720 kB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
                3.5"/2.88 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
                Print screen service is supported (int 5h)
                8042 keyboard services are supported (int 9h)
                Serial services are supported (int 14h)
                Printer services are supported (int 17h)
                ACPI is supported
                USB legacy is supported
                Smart battery is supported
                BIOS boot specification is supported
                Function key-initiated network boot is supported
                Targeted content distribution is supported
                UEFI is supported
        BIOS Revision: 65.13

UEFI enabled legacy support disabled in BIOS. This isn't drastically different from the other though, that was a Latitude E7440, this is a Latitude E5450.

rokytnji · posted: 2016-09-19 00:09

I guess the difference may be that my drive came out of another laptop installed then. Thanks for posting your bios output though that does not seem much different than mine that I can see.

tlmiller · posted: 2016-09-19 00:19

rokytnji wrote:I guess the difference may be that my drive came out of another laptop installed then. Thanks for posting your bios output though that does not seem much different than mine that I can see.

Not at all, they're definitely extremely similar.

greywolf · posted: 2016-09-19 12:52

I am like @timiller in that all my laptops are now uefi 64bit based. I support a lot of systems, hence run multiple boot machines, and, if the march of time and circumstances have moved me to 64bit, I do not intend to muck around flipping to and from legacy mode. So, I only run & support opsys that are 64bit uefi based. Not a love of uefi but a practical necessity going forward?! __{{emoticon}}__

I too have a machine that will not even recognize the Antix16 usb stick. This machine already runs Mint, PCLinuxOS, Manjaro, Solus and MX-15. Details are:

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# dmidecode 2.12
# SMBIOS entry point at 0x778e0000
SMBIOS 3.0 present.
# SMBIOS implementations newer than version 2.7 are not
# fully supported by this version of dmidecode.

Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 24 bytes
BIOS Information
    Vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
    Version: X555UJ.207
    Release Date: 03/14/2016
    Address: 0xF0000
    Runtime Size: 64 kB
    ROM Size: 6016 kB
    Characteristics:
        PCI is supported
        BIOS is upgradeable
        BIOS shadowing is allowed
        Boot from CD is supported
        Selectable boot is supported
        BIOS ROM is socketed
        EDD is supported
        5.25"/1.2 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
        3.5"/720 kB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
        3.5"/2.88 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
        Print screen service is supported (int 5h)
        8042 keyboard services are supported (int 9h)
        Serial services are supported (int 14h)
        Printer services are supported (int 17h)
        ACPI is supported
        USB legacy is supported
        Smart battery is supported
        BIOS boot specification is supported
        Targeted content distribution is supported
        UEFI is supported
    BIOS Revision: 5.11

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# inxi -Fxdz
System:    Host: deverry Kernel: 4.7.2-pclos5 x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 4.9.2) Desktop: MATE 1.14.1 (Gtk 3.14.14)
           Distro: PCLinuxOS
Machine:   Mobo: ASUSTeK model: X555UJ v: 1.0 Bios: American Megatrends v: X555UJ.207 date: 03/14/2016
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i5-6200U (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 9599
           clock speeds: max: 2800 MHz 1: 499 MHz 2: 499 MHz 3: 499 MHz 4: 499 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel HD Graphics 520 bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Card-2: NVIDIA GK208M [GeForce 920M] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.org 1.18.4 drivers: v4l,intel tty size: 120x32 Advanced Data: N/A for root
Audio:     Card Intel Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.7.2-pclos5
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: d000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter driver: ath9k bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1000.2GB (7.2% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST1000LM024_HN size: 1000.2GB temp: 26C
           Optical: /dev/sr0 model: MATSHITA DVD-RAM UJ8HC rev: 1.00 dev-links: cdrom,cdrw,dvd,dvdrw,scd0
           Features: speed: 24x multisession: yes
           audio: yes dvd: yes rw: cd-r,cd-rw,dvd-r,dvd-ram state: running
Partition: ID-1: / size: 30G used: 7.2G (26%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/root
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 10.74GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda6
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 38.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 2300
Info:      Processes: 209 Uptime: 1 day Memory: 631.0/7877.9MB Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 4.9.2
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.331) inxi: 2.2.21

I have no access to Windows (for about 10 years now __{{emoticon}}__ ) and no installed version of Antix to be able to use antix2usb. Is that just a script? If so, can someone post it please. What about other alternative methods to"dd" ( which I do use most often ). I could use Mint, I think has a script or PCLinuxOS has one?? I guess I am asking what is different or special about the way antix2usb creates the usb stick that the other methods don't do?

Antix was always my"low resource" alternative to offer/support converts and I would love to offer it again, but at present I can't even boot it on my support machine let alone install it.

greywolf.

hobbyist7890 · posted: 2016-09-19 16:54

I also had difficulty using strict UEFI mode so went to compatibility mode. The antix installer then worked. About 6 months ago I installed antix-15 and antix-16 onto comparatively small partitions after using the gparted partitioner for the 6TB GPT disk. I then setup the partition to boot in UEFI mode (another subject) and then switched the motherboard back to strict UEFI mode. I now have debian, pclinuxos, antix and void all running in UEFI mode on an ASUS minipc.

Shay · posted: 2016-09-19 18:13

Look at the contents of the EFI folder in MX-15 and Antix-16 USB sticks.

Shay · posted: 2016-09-19 18:26

This Toshiba E45W will not bootup the MX-15 stick __{{emoticon}}__

greywolf · posted: 2016-09-19 18:31

hobbyist7890 wrote:I also had difficulty using strict UEFI mode so went to compatibility mode. The antix installer then worked. About 6 months ago I installed antix-15 and antix-16 onto comparatively small partitions after using the gparted partitioner for the 6TB GPT disk. I then setup the partition to boot in UEFI mode (another subject) and then switched the motherboard back to strict UEFI mode. I now have debian, pclinuxos, antix and void all running in UEFI mode on an ASUS minipc.

I have seen the essence of this solution elsewhere but it is unfortunately not for me. Whilst I could manage it once for me alone, there is no way I could get the remote people I support to go thru something like changing bios modes and boot structures. I have enough trouble explaining"the BIG RED button"?! __{{emoticon}}__

No, I just need the familiar boot from usb and install process of the past. I just cannot figure out what is so different from other distros that I cannot even get the stick recognized? I thought it might be a Debian Jessie thing so I have started looking there in some online sites but no luck as yet.

Perplexing and frustrating - I really do love Antix but I cannot physically travel to (possibly) hundreds of machines ( lots of Asus & HP) just to do really complex installs.

greywolf.

greywolf · posted: 2016-09-19 18:39

Shay wrote:Look at the contents of the EFI folder in MX-15 and Antix-16 USB sticks.

There's a clue. I will do that later today. See if there is something obvious.

I think the problem is more what the usb creation script ( or the iso structure itself) does with that info that is different somehow to what the other distros do. As"dd" works for all the other isos, the solution would seem to be in the processes in antix2usb?

Anyway, I will keep trying.
greywolf.

Shay · posted: 2016-09-19 20:26

I can boot all my rigs that use UEFI except this silly Toshiba E45W that I bought last November.