Installing from USB thumb drive

Micronaut · 2022-10-01 23:23:51

Since I don't want to fall behind, I decided it was time to install a copy of chimera. Trying to be 'up-to-date' in other ways as well, I created a thumb drive with Rufus instead of burning a DVD. But when I plugged the USB drive into the machine and tried to get it to install it complained it could not 'mount' the install media. ??? Didn't it already 'mount' the install media if the installer is running? Is there a problem with installing Devuan from a USB drive rather than a DVD?

ralph.ronnquist · 2022-10-01 23:52:18

Which iso?

Camtaf · 2022-10-02 08:41:45

It's likely something to do with Rufus, I've had no problems with using dd to create installer pendrives.

Andre4freedom · 2022-10-02 08:46:08

Easiest way:
just download https://files.devuan.org/devuan_chimaera/installer-iso/devuan_chimaera_4.0.0_amd64_desktop.iso
test its checksum and dd it to a USB-stick.
The USB stick doesn't have to be partitioned or formatted, just dd it to the device file /dev/sd? and not to /dev/sd?1 or so. (? = your drive. Find out with lsblk)
Then boot that USB drive and of you go...

(sudo dd if=devuan_chimaera_4.0.0_amd64_desktop.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=1M)

Andre4freedom · 2022-10-02 08:47:10

Oh, you were quicker than me ;-)

rolfie · 2022-10-02 09:06:08

When booting the installer make sure you are booting either in legacy mode for a CSM installation or in UEFI mode for a modern efi installation.

Marjorie · 2022-10-02 09:57:26

Micronaut wrote:

But when I plugged the USB drive into the machine and tried to get it to install it complained it could not 'mount' the install media. ??? Didn't it already 'mount' the install media if the installer is running

Just too check: can I assume that having plugged in the usb drive you then rebooted, having prioritised the usb drive over the hard disk(s) in the bios?

Micronaut · 2022-10-03 00:05:53

Yes, I rebooted and it booted from the USB drive and started the installer. Then it complained it could not 'mount' the install media to get something it needed. Very odd.

This is the 4 GB 'desktop' ISO. I like a full install, don't want to have to download too much.

ralph.ronnquist · 2022-10-03 01:18:27

Perhaps you can capture /var/log/syslog from the installer and show here.

For instance use ctrl-alt-f2 to enter a shell at vt2, then set up a receiver

nc -l -p 10000 > capture.log

on another machine, say 10.0.0.5, and copy over with

nc -w 2 10.0.0.5 10000 < /var/log/syslog

from the installer shell to the receiver on that other machine.

The ISO is a s.c hybrid ISO that presents itself both as a CDROM and as a disk image with 2 partitions where the first is a CDROM and the second is a FAT filesystem (for UEFI boot). The partition block ranges overlap of course, as the FAT filesystem is in fact an image file within the CDROM, but the bios is not clever enough to worry about that.

In any case, the log file should give some lead to why the installer cannot find the CDROM.

Camtaf · 2022-10-03 09:11:49

Latest version is 4.0.2 - try that.

ralph.ronnquist · 2022-10-03 09:51:25

No, the installer-iso is still version devuan_chimaera_4.0.0_amd64_desktop.iso.

I think @Camtaf is talking about desktop-live, which is a different alternative that many people prefer.

fsmithred · 2022-10-03 13:39:36

If you don't want to re-make the usb with dd or cat, you might get around the problem with some creative symlinking to /cdrom. I've done it in the past, but it's been a few years. Try linking the usb mountpoint or a relevant directory on the usb to /cdrom.

Camtaf · 2022-10-03 16:38:34

ralph.ronnquist wrote:

I think @Camtaf is talking about desktop-live, which is a different alternative that many people prefer.

Yes, sorry, both 'live' versions have been updated, & I assumed that the 'desktop' would have been too, 'my bad', as some say.

Last edited by Camtaf (2022-10-03 16:38:57)

Devarch · 2022-10-03 17:49:04

https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html
Probably this is the best solution for installation media. One need to create ventoy flash drive only once. Just copy iso file to that drive (or as many iso as possible) and boot from flash drive.

Last edited by Devarch (2022-10-03 17:50:09)

Micronaut · 2022-10-05 01:54:42

I've burned a DVD but haven't had the time to try again yet. It's gonna need a couple hours (at least) to install the OS and then all the little tweaks that I like in any distro. Probably this weekend I'll try again. If it still doesn't work I'm gonna be very annoyed.

But that 'ventoy' utility looks very interesting. Gonna have to try that out.

Micronaut · 2022-11-28 16:27:44

OK, I finally decided not to let myself be 'too busy' and actually try again. The install works flawlessly from a plastic disk. Same ISO. So why could it not do its job from a USB? Odd.

It was late at night when I did this, so I didn't do all my usual customizations yet. Now I'm preparing to do all the customization, such as installing the nVidia drivers. Has the odd problem of permanently incomplete install of proprietary video drivers been solved in chimaera? Or will I have to go back to those threads about elaborate extra steps to complete the installation?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2022-11-28 16:45:35

Micronaut wrote:

Has the odd problem of permanently incomplete install of proprietary video drivers been solved in chimaera?

Debian is over 20 years old now and has never, in all that time, included any proprietary video drivers in an official release. What makes you think that will change any time soon? And why do you describe it as "odd"? Supplying proprietary drivers is expressly forbidden by Debian's Social Contract.

Micronaut · 2022-11-28 17:31:01

You misunderstand what I am referring to. I am not complaining about the 'no non-free software by default' policy, I am referring to a permanent bug in the install of said software if you choose to do so. viz.

https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=4802

Last edited by Micronaut (2022-11-28 17:31:20)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2022-11-28 17:49:30

Well you should have been more specific then

Did you try the fix given at the end of the thread? Doesn't seem very "elaborate" to me... EDIT: drama queen.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2022-11-28 17:50:19)

GlennW · 2022-11-29 03:02:25

I'm sure you know how to get rid of the unwanted packages, ... I know it's tedius but worth the effort.

at boot I go the recovery route, and edit the "linux" line to say... (check for conflicts)

vga=794 modeset.nouveau=0

The main trick is to have all the dependants installed, edit the module blacklist and boot the machine without the nouveau module loading before the install.

Micronaut · 2022-12-10 21:07:43

Nope, same old same old. Every time the system boots, I get the error:

[ 0.862162] udevd[118]: Error running install command 'modprobe -i nvidia-current ' for module nvidia: retcode 1

Looks like the nVidia drivers just cannot be properly installed in Devuan. But the system does run, so at least it's a minor error, not a system ruining disaster.

Devarch · 2022-12-10 23:48:35

Micronaut wrote:

Has the odd problem of permanently incomplete install of proprietary video drivers been solved in chimaera? Or will I have to go back to those threads about elaborate extra steps to complete the installation?

Download unofficial non-free image of Debian and convert it installed to Devuan. There is always a choise.

delgado · 2022-12-11 14:44:26

Devarch wrote:

Download unofficial non-free image of Debian and convert it installed to Devuan.

Can't confirm that. The modprobe -i nvidia-current error in /var/log/dmesg is present in both cases, migration with installed nvidia drivers and devuan installation.

But, does it do something at all?
lsmod says nvidia modules are loaded, I' just ignoring it.

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#1 2022-10-01 23:23:51

Installing from USB thumb drive

#2 2022-10-01 23:52:18

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#3 2022-10-02 08:41:45

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#4 2022-10-02 08:46:08

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#5 2022-10-02 08:47:10

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#6 2022-10-02 09:06:08

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#7 2022-10-02 09:57:26

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#8 2022-10-03 00:05:53

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#9 2022-10-03 01:18:27

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#10 2022-10-03 09:11:49

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#11 2022-10-03 09:51:25

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#12 2022-10-03 13:39:36

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#13 2022-10-03 16:38:34

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#14 2022-10-03 17:49:04

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#15 2022-10-05 01:54:42

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#16 2022-11-28 16:27:44

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#17 2022-11-28 16:45:35

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#18 2022-11-28 17:31:01

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#19 2022-11-28 17:49:30

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#20 2022-11-29 03:02:25

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#21 2022-12-10 21:07:43

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#22 2022-12-10 23:48:35

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

#23 2022-12-11 14:44:26

Re: Installing from USB thumb drive

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