[SOLVED] Debian USB Install: "No Boot Sector on USB Device" on laptop

juju · 04-22-2015, 05:15 PM

Greetings,

I'm fairly competent with Slackware, but am a newbie with Debian.

I want to be able to work with Debian on my laptop. This machine is an old Dell Inspiron, with Win 7 installed on the main, internal drive.

My intention was to install Debian and the bootloader on a usb drive, so it wouldn't interfere with my rickety, old Windows install. I'm using a WD My Passport Ultra (1 TB).

I installed Debian "wheezy" on the usb drive and everything went well. I created a number of partitions and put GRUB2 (v. 1.99) on the first one (sdb1).

Every time I boot to the usb drive, I get an the error message, "No Boot Sector on USB Device." I've selected the usb drive manually and placed it 1st in the BIOS boot sequence. I get the same message, either way.

I used Super Grub2 Disk 2 and it shows the grub install on my usb drive. I can boot the Debian installation off of SG2D2 and it works fine.

Here is some select info from SG2D2:

Code:

Windows Vista (hd1, msdos1)
Linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-4-486 (hd1, msdos1)
Linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-4-486 (single) (hd1, msdos1)

Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 3.2.0-4-486
Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 3.2.0-4-486 (recovery mode)
Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda2)

GRUB2 (hd1, msdos1) /boot/grub/grub.cfg

I also ran boot info script (bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net) on the drive. Here are its results:

Code:

                  Boot Info Script 0.61      [1 April 2012]


============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

 => Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
 => Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb and looks at sector 1 of 
    the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks 
    for (,msdos1)/boot/grub on this drive.

sda1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       vfat
    Boot sector type:  Dell Utility: FAT16
    Boot sector info:  No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        /DELLBIO.BIN /DELLRMK.BIN /COMMAND.COM

sda2: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7: NTFS
    Boot sector info:  No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        /bootmgr /Boot/BCD

sda3: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7: NTFS
    Boot sector info:  No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  Windows 7
    Boot files:        /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sdb1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  Grub2 (v1.99)
    Boot sector info:  Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the boot sector of sdb1 
                       and looks at sector 629186 of the same hard drive for 
                       core.img. core.img is at this location and looks for 
                       (,msdos1)/boot/grub on this drive.
    Mounting failed:   mount: /dev/sdb1 already mounted or sdb1 busy

sdb2: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       Extended Partition
    Boot sector type:  Unknown
    Boot sector info: 

sdb5: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info: 
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdb6: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info: 
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdb7: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       swap
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info: 

sdb8: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info: 
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdb9: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info: 
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdb10: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info: 
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sda1                  63        80,324        80,262  de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2    *         81,920    30,783,487    30,701,568   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sda3          30,783,488   625,137,344   594,353,857   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS


Drive: sdb _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sdb: 1000.2 GB, 1000170586112 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121597 cylinders, total 1953458176 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sdb1    *          2,048       686,032       683,985  83 Linux
/dev/sdb2             686,078 1,953,456,127 1,952,770,050   5 Extended
/dev/sdb5             686,080    18,262,015    17,575,936  83 Linux
/dev/sdb6          18,264,064    24,121,343     5,857,280  83 Linux
/dev/sdb7          24,123,392    40,734,719    16,611,328  82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb8          40,736,768    41,517,041       780,274  83 Linux
/dev/sdb9          41,517,056 1,486,829,555 1,445,312,500  83 Linux
/dev/sdb10      1,486,829,568 1,953,456,127   466,626,560  83 Linux


"blkid" output: ________________________________________________________________

Device           UUID                                   TYPE       LABEL

/dev/sda1        3030-3030                              vfat       DellUtility
/dev/sda2        36F8A821F8A7DD7D                       ntfs       RECOVERY
/dev/sda3        01CB71A73C074E60                       ntfs       OS
/dev/sdb1        c8263e40-6570-44b8-bdc0-f85384838aae   ext4       
/dev/sdb10       ff9c5c26-d62e-4a99-9f65-c32fa2c2542a   ext4       
/dev/sdb5        02310ac7-1148-4f49-bc9c-4f4c76714daa   ext4       
/dev/sdb6        fdc8595b-1944-48cb-802e-d1ac789d611b   ext4       
/dev/sdb7        a8bb17be-148b-43ae-a764-68450b823aae   swap       
/dev/sdb8        ea41c8c9-b7e1-4529-84cb-1178ee4c0208   ext4       
/dev/sdb9        adbaf3ee-bfd0-4510-a77f-ec47b3beb09e   ext4       

================================ Mount points: =================================

Device           Mount_Point              Type       Options

/dev/disk/by-uuid/c8263e40-6570-44b8-bdc0-f85384838aae /                        ext4       (rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/sdb10       /usr/local               ext4       (rw,relatime,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/sdb5        /usr                     ext4       (rw,relatime,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/sdb6        /var                     ext4       (rw,relatime,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/sdb8        /tmp                     ext4       (rw,relatime,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/sdb9        /home                    ext4       (rw,relatime,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered)


======================== Unknown MBRs/Boot Sectors/etc: ========================

Unknown BootLoader on sdb2

00000000  22 9d 35 3c 86 6b 43 82  ed 0b b5 0d 6d b2 d2 99  |".5<.kC.....m...|
00000010  a1 cb ff 9f 9c f6 4f bf  78 58 0f d1 96 24 62 0a  |......O.xX...$b.|
00000020  40 09 77 38 c4 55 14 fd  d4 fe 4b 49 17 b8 6f 0d  |@.w8.U....KI..o.|
00000030  0c 8c 95 a6 05 43 68 3c  9e 5d 6f 4e 26 c4 50 ec  |.....Ch<.]oN&.P.|
00000040  12 06 fa 20 24 04 36 f6  e0 1b 32 0b cd c2 4c d0  |... $.6...2...L.|
00000050  91 7f 51 d3 9e 41 8a 40  88 de 59 4d 8f 7f 70 d4  |..Q..A.@..YM..p.|
00000060  3f de 5c 93 f4 65 75 bb  c2 45 c3 4e 16 f3 08 37  |?.\..eu..E.N...7|
00000070  d6 ba 2b bf 12 f0 dd ef  b6 9b 5e 1a 80 68 83 ad  |..+.......^..h..|
00000080  dd 7e 48 7d 42 d2 35 90  f1 74 12 4d 0a 9f d9 da  |.~H}B.5..t.M....|
00000090  29 64 0b 74 01 e7 44 35  46 52 9e ef fc 7e fe 84  |)d.t..D5FR...~..|
000000a0  ed e6 39 38 25 a7 b2 d7  a1 86 2c 6e 89 72 30 2f  |..98%.....,n.r0/|
000000b0  b2 9c 2b 86 e6 d3 75 1c  d7 e4 7f 9c 98 8a db 27  |..+...u........'|
000000c0  08 e0 6b 29 19 cf 1a 91  41 d0 10 87 de 12 7a 04  |..k)....A.....z.|
000000d0  6b 46 07 5d 34 9c 6d f2  98 83 6f b4 11 4d fe 95  |kF.]4.m...o..M..|
000000e0  32 12 dd bc 72 c6 4b 13  67 f7 38 c8 e3 f5 4c ac  |2...r.K.g.8...L.|
000000f0  a2 a4 55 dc 0d ea 09 7c  9c 58 71 94 65 68 cf 42  |..U....|.Xq.eh.B|
00000100  6f 2b 14 b2 2d 2b 89 b2  b0 4e cc 05 36 6f 98 89  |o+..-+...N..6o..|
00000110  ec 8e 20 89 1e 3f 4a c0  d8 50 39 1a 7d a8 24 12  |.. ..?J..P9.}.$.|
00000120  3b 58 eb 37 6c a5 1b 4a  82 2c 45 10 b5 41 ca ef  |;X.7l..J.,E..A..|
00000130  32 35 80 9e db 88 04 fa  fa d0 cc 79 c8 48 6f 20  |25.........y.Ho |
00000140  c8 bd 9c 70 0e 0b a8 30  0a 00 34 79 ad 19 83 70  |...p...0..4y...p|
00000150  15 25 93 a7 40 39 7e b9  02 be a4 c4 32 a7 90 23  |.%..@9~.....2..#|
00000160  98 8f 77 73 a7 4b 5d a1  d6 4b 06 d3 fd 9c d0 0a  |..ws.K]..K......|
00000170  92 ba ab 27 f8 28 a1 ca  2d 00 f1 ba 4c fa d6 4a  |...'.(..-...L..J|
00000180  1f 0d 57 f0 14 64 0e 3b  db d1 b7 13 b2 25 a4 f2  |..W..d.;.....%..|
00000190  3c 6a 4c 2a b6 89 e6 a5  77 0a e3 83 00 d1 42 3c  |<jL*....w.....B<|
000001a0  80 e9 3e 01 fa 6d 0b 63  fc 55 83 31 90 6b 52 93  |..>..m.c.U.1.kR.|
000001b0  2e 4d e2 f3 11 14 26 15  1c 38 6d 97 e0 0b 00 b4  |.M....&..8m.....|
000001c0  0b 2a 83 fe ff ff 02 00  00 00 00 30 0c 01 00 fe  |.*.........0....|
000001d0  ff ff 05 fe ff ff 02 30  0c 01 00 68 59 00 00 00  |.......0...hY...|
000001e0  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.|
00000200


========= Devices which don't seem to have a corresponding hard drive: =========

sdc 

=============================== StdErr Messages: ===============================

xz: (stdin): Compressed data is corrupt
xz: (stdin): Compressed data is corrupt

Looks good, right? It looks good enough and is, because it works fine on my Dell Studio desktop.

This would be fine normally, but I want a portable Debian workstation.

I have a much older version of Fedora on a WD usb drive and it boots fine off the laptop. I'm thinking the BIOS on my laptop is too old to boot a usb2/usb3 drive. The most recent update was in 2009.

I'm sure I'm missing something here, which is why I'm posting to LQ. Any suggestion would be a great help.

Thanks...

jefro · 04-22-2015, 07:56 PM

I have plenty of ideas but maybe just as easy to start all over.

Since you say it did work on a different system makes me wonder what made it work versus what prevented it from working. Best idea I have is /boot put too high on drive. Doubt this has anything to do with pae.

Just to test. Make a virtual machine without a hard drive. Boot to debian installer and install to a 8G flash drive maybe. This way the install is isolated from any host. It should create a drive that can be used on this system.

Other ideas may be that you have to go to bios and see the usb drive.

Still can't explain the odd install and grub location. Why did you put it on sdx1?

juju · 04-23-2015, 12:40 AM

I'm inclined to agree with you on starting over.

When I went to bios setup on my desktop, it had recognized its name and version. The bios on my laptop just says, in effect, "plain old usb." But then, the desktop is a much newer machine.

The laptop bios does recognize it as a unique drive.

This is the 2nd install. I installed on /dev/sdb the first time and got the same result. This is where my impatience and ignorance come into play. I thought installing on sdb1 would be the best place to install grub.

This is a 1 TB drive. I wonder if this makes a difference. It took FOREVER to format the drive.

EDDY1 · 04-23-2015, 01:15 AM

Have you checked in bios to see if it's listed under hdd's? Passports have software at the beginning of the drive so trying the usb option maybe trying to boot from it. Try hdd's, because most usb drives that are bootable appear there althouh may be listed in usb or cd devices.

juju · 04-23-2015, 07:32 PM

I did check the bios, before boot and the usb drive was not listed. It was only the internal drive and the cd/dvd drive.

I installed Debian on my older, smaller WD usb drive and it boots and works just fine. Go figure.

jefro · 04-23-2015, 08:41 PM

"I installed Debian on my older, smaller WD usb drive and it boots and works just fine." This makes me think that size of drive is issue.

Locations important data too high on the drive. Once linux is running this shouldn't matter.

I'd assume this is all usb2 isn't it?

juju · 04-23-2015, 09:37 PM

According to the WD site, with this drive, you get, "compatibility with the latest USB 3.0 devices and backward compatibility with USB 2.0 devices as well."

juju · 04-24-2015, 12:23 PM

Last night, I figured the boot failure problem was due to the fact the WD usb is more or less a usb 3 drive. I did a search for Debian, usb 3.0 and failure to boot and I found the following page:

How to install Ubuntu Server on a USB 3.0 stick and boot that stick

This seemed close enough to my issue. I ignored the "installation" section. I loaded Debian via my Super Grub2 Disk 2 dvd and made the prescribed changes in the 2nd section (with the exception of plugging the drive into a usb 3 port, since my laptop doesn't have one).

I rebooted and had no luck. I wasn't surprised.

I got up this morning and turned on my laptop and was indeed surprised, this time around. I'd left my usb drive plugged in and GRUB loaded properly and launched Debian. I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke and rebooted. Again, I got the no boot sector error. So I shutdown completely and started the machine fresh. GRUB/Debian loaded properly.

It seems Debian boots only after a fresh start-up. I'm not sure why this is. And I'm not sure the changes I made to the install, last night, had an effect, but this setup will work.

widget · 04-24-2015, 04:29 PM

On a hard shutdown/boot you get a full hardware review when you boot.

On a soft shutdown/reboot you get most of the check but a full check is not run because in most cases this would be a waste of time as you are rebooting an internal hdd.

You are booting a drive over 2gigs and this can cause some real problems for your bios which were not really designed for that sort of thing at all. Not sure why it happens at 2 gigs but that seems to be the cutoff.

Your OS and grub are obviously not having any problem with it as long as they have the complete hardware check.

If you repartition ever I would recommend using cfdisk (or fdisk) as this gives a lot cleaner job, cfdisk will probably not open your drive becuase of overlapping partitions right now.

Split the thing in half making 2 large partitions. Make the second one extended. Make the first partition in sda fill the whole of sda as an extended partition too. Then the drive will appear to bios as 2, 2gig devices and make it happier. Will also be much faster to format.