Can't boot from CDROM or USB using certain light distros

idude · 09-17-2018, 05:15 PM

Hello,

I'm an issue that's driving me nuts, first I want to let everyone know that I have no problems booting from a CD or USB if I use an image from Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint or any other well-known distros. I'm trying to install Porteus which a very light distro in a USB drive, I use their directions but it doesn't boot, I burned the image into a CD just to try it and it won't boot either, so I tried other light distros like Puppy and Slax burned them in a CD and USB drive and they won't boot either! I can't really understand why, 'cause I can boot on any well-known distro using their image.

Regards,
Ed

rtmistler · 09-18-2018, 08:25 AM

When you burn the ISO files to the USB or CD what does the file system look like? Boot your system from Fedora, Ubuntu, or Mint, insert the media for Porteus, Puppy, or Slax and look at what the USB or CD contents show. Such as is the disk boot capable? Is there a boot loader on the disk? Things like that.

This would bother me too. Having never tried Puppy, I grabbed the ISO file quickly and it booted on my VM. Not to say that had I programmed it to a USB stick that the same would result, but that is my instinct, along with confirmation that the copy of XenialPup that I grabbed was valid.

What's occurring to me here is that your system may have UEFI BIOS and some distributions detect this automatically while others may not.

Perhaps you can share the specifications for your system as well.

jefro · 09-18-2018, 01:11 PM

uefi???

fatmac · 09-19-2018, 04:53 AM

Every distro comes with installation info, you just have to read it.

idude · 09-19-2018, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatmac

Every distro comes with installation info, you just have to read it.

Yes I know and I follow it to no avail.

hydrurga · 09-19-2018, 01:09 PM

Two posters have mentioned that your firmware may be UEFI and that the lighter distros may not be handling that correctly. Have you booted your computer's firmware configuration screens and checked to see what your Legacy BIOS and Secure Boot settings are?

Try switching Secure Boot off and change UEFI BIOS to Legacy BIOS (or similar, the terms vary in different firmware configuration software) and see if that makes a difference.

Some more info on BIOS/UEFI:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI

idude · 09-20-2018, 07:42 AM

I will try it when I get home tonight. If I change that to legacy BIOS, it does not effect the performance of the computer, does it?

hydrurga · 09-20-2018, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idude

I will try it when I get home tonight. If I change that to legacy BIOS, it does not effect the performance of the computer, does it?

No, it shouldn't do.

jefro · 09-20-2018, 02:15 PM

Side note, actually it will still be uefi but in a mode that simulates legacy as I understand it. Uefi has an ability to present hardware so in some instances parts of some systems may not be available in CSM/legacy.

Speed should not be affected as hydrurga points out.

idude · 09-21-2018, 05:04 AM

Well I've tried last night, it works but I lose access to other drives, bios will not recognize them because they are GPT or something like that. It doesn't make any sense having to set my bios just run an OS whenever I want. I would like to be able to install a small distro on a stick for emergencies, I will look for something that is compatible with UEFI.

colorpurple21859 · 09-21-2018, 06:03 AM

slacko and fatdog puppy will boot in efi mode. AntiX is lightweight and boots in efi mode

you could also try this for other puppy iso's, haven't tried it so use at your own risk http://helledussen.com/linux/files/U...table_usb.html

the newest Quirky that is related to puppy is also efi compatible

yancek · 09-21-2018, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Well I've tried last night, it works but I lose access to other drives, bios will not recognize them because they are GPT or something like that.

What does "lose access to other drives" mean? There is absolutely no reason you would not be able to access another drive whether it is GPT or MSDOS from either another installed Linux system or a Live CD/USB. If your BIOS doesn't recognize the drives, that has nothing to do with the system you are using. You might clarify exactly what you mean.

Quote:

It doesn't make any sense having to set my bios just run an OS whenever I want

Yes, actually it does. You are using an entirely different boot mode and UEFI will boot UEFI installs, Legacy will boot Legacy installs. THe whole purpose of UEFI was to (hopefully) make booting more secure. The exception to this in my experience is that a Legacy Grub will detect UEFI installs of a Linux system, create a menuentry and boot it. It will not do that withe a windows install, at least any way I know of. It's similar to booting from a USB/DVD rather than a drive as you need to enter the BIOS to change the boot priority to do that.

idude · 09-21-2018, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yancek

What does "lose access to other drives" mean? There is absolutely no reason you would not be able to access another drive whether it is GPT or MSDOS from either another installed Linux system or a Live CD/USB. If your BIOS doesn't recognize the drives, that has nothing to do with the system you are using. You might clarify exactly what you mean.

Yes, actually it does. You are using an entirely different boot mode and UEFI will boot UEFI installs, Legacy will boot Legacy installs. THe whole purpose of UEFI was to (hopefully) make booting more secure. The exception to this in my experience is that a Legacy Grub will detect UEFI installs of a Linux system, create a menuentry and boot it. It will not do that withe a windows install, at least any way I know of. It's similar to booting from a USB/DVD rather than a drive as you need to enter the BIOS to change the boot priority to do that.

I loose access, BIOS will not recognize them, that's why I get this message if I remove the stick with the OS.

Code:

Check cable connetion
PXE-M0F:  Existing Intel PXE Rom
Reboot and select proper boot device

jefro · 09-21-2018, 08:49 PM

In some systems, UEFI will prevent onboard devices to not be available in csm/legacy.