Puppy Linux UEFI boot EASY

[T-Biscuit]

what happened ? Did it work?

Not at all, Limbomusic. The brain-damaged firmware of this device sees the uefi flash drive, makes a brief token effort to boot, then gives up and goes to the windows boot.

It has some odd dialect of grub2 (or uefi script?) -- e.g., instead of "linux" it seems to expect "linuxefi" and likewise for "initrdefi". Ofen I simply don't know what it hated. I've had partial success with Android_x86 and Sparky Linux, which got to live boot bit would not install. Which was OK because I didn't want then anyhow.

In a couple of months it will be a 2 year wait. By the 3rd year I'll quit waiting and donate this baytrail + win-10 junk to someone and get a small laptop I can verify before I buy.

But, I appreciate your suggestions. Thank you!

[jd7654]

... But, my cheap W10 2-in-1 netbook/tablet uses the nasty Baytrail Atom Z3735F soc. For reasons that seem to me silly or mean it has W10-32 and requires a 32 bit UEFI. Nor does it have a legacy boot option in its firmware....

I got one of those Bay Trail tablets. It does work with Puppy/Linux but takes some fiddling around. Mine is mostly dead now, bad battery. I'll probably replace it with a Cherry Trail that has normal 64-bit EFI so easier to work with Linux.

[T-Biscuit]

I got one of those Bay Trail tablets. It does work with Puppy/Linux but takes some fiddling around. Mine is mostly dead now, bad battery. I'll probably replace it with a Cherry Trail that has normal 64-bit EFI so easier to work with Linux.

Ditto! I've seen a few dual core Celerons such as N3060 that make me itchy, but I will definitely look for a legacy mode option and mainstream 64-bit uefi, too. Or it will be returned same day.

With any luck maybe my current cheapo will expire prematurely, too.

[jd7654]

Ditto! I've seen a few dual core Celerons such as N3060 that make me itchy, but I will definitely look for a legacy mode option and mainstream 64-bit uefi, too. Or it will be returned same day.

With any luck maybe my current cheapo will expire prematurely, too.

I'd stay away from those N3050/N3060 chips myself, awful performance. Atom x5 Cherry Trail is way better. The quad core N3150/3160 are comparable, but those seem to be for Chromebooks.

FYI, Baytrail Linux boot should work as shown with just those files. I noticed the bootia32.efi file that was posted previously was different from the one I was using successfully. That one is 558KB and the one which works for me is 607KB.(came from here) The one in the original post is larger still, but can't check that one as my tablet is out for a while.

[T-Biscuit]

[quote="jd7654" I'd stay away from those N3050/N3060 chips myself, awful performance. Atom x5 Cherry Trail is way better. The quad core N3150/3160 are comparable, but those seem to be for Chromebooks.

FYI, Baytrail Linux boot should work as shown with just those files. I noticed the bootia32.efi file that was posted previously was different from the one I was using successfully. That one is 558KB and the one which works for me is 607KB.(came from here) The one in the original post is larger still, but can't check that one as my tablet is out for a while.[/quote]

I appreciate the tips on the chips ( ) and will give them weight when the opportunity comes. And I have downloaded the boota32.efi file that worked for you & will give it a try -- maybe tonight!

[s1wood]

I have finally managed to persuade my Aspire Switch 10 to recognise a USB boot of Xenialpup but I just get to a command line which says
>Grub 2.02 beta 2
Minimal BASH-like editing is supported<
Pressing tab as suggested brings up a long list of incomprehensible instructions.

Can anyone help me with this - in very simple terms, I am not good with the command line.

Susan

[T-Biscuit]

I encountered this myself when getting one of Barry's Easy OS showing some willing. I've lost my notes but maybe can remember what I pieced together from googling.

You need to find out the exact name and location on drive for the vmlinux and initrd files. Assuming that the drive is hd0 (because it booted, almost), your need 4 grub commands.
Something like . . .

root (hd0,0)
vmlinux /vmlinuz.q
initrd /initrd.rd
boot

Hope this helps.

TB

[foxpup]

@s1wood
What do you mean with "a USB boot of Xenialpup"?
Is xenialpup on a usb? How did you put it there?
Did you go into BIOS to choose usb boot?
Did you take 64bit version?

[s1wood]

I downloaded xenialpup-7.5-uefi.iso and installed it on a USB drive with UNetbootin.
I created an EFI folder and a Boot folder inside it and put bootia32.efi and bootx64.efi in that.
So far, so good, both options came up to be authenticated, I went for the 32 since I think this machine is 32-bit (not sure how to check since I can't currently get into it), and when I booted I got this grub screen.

The OS runs perfectly on my Thinkpad.

Susan

[foxpup]

Susan,
It looks too complicated to me: combining both UNetbootin and EFI boot folder.
This is easier: Use the linux command dd to put the iso on your usb. When you insert the usb be sure to know the letter for your usb. Let's say it is sdc. Then the dd command should be something like this:

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dd if=/path_to_xenialpupiso/xenialpup-7.5-uefi.iso of=/dev/sdc bs=1M

An EFI folder is already prepared in the iso of xenialpup.
My guess is you have a 64bit cpu. The grub, included in the iso, should launch 32bit as well, but if not and to be sure, try the 64bit version as well.

[s1wood]

I've put the command in but sdg1 can't be opened: I get 'permission denied' even when using sudo. Any suggestions?

[foxpup]

I've put the command in but sdg1 can't be opened: I get 'permission denied' even when using sudo. Any suggestions?

Do you mean that sdg1 is for your usb? Then you should use /dev/sdg in the dd command and not /dev/sdg1. Probably with sudo; I am not very familiar with the sudo-thing; there is no such thing in Puppy

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sudo dd if=/path_to_xenialpupiso/xenialpup-7.5-uefi.iso of=/dev/sdg bs=1M

You should not try to enter /dev/sdg nor /dev/sdg1 btw.

[s1wood]

I've now loaded the ISO on the USB using the command line and it works on the Thinkpad but won't boot the Aspire at all - I have been through all the steps to authorise the .efi.

I was going to try again with the EFI/boot folder but the device is now coming up as read-only and won't let me put a new folder in.

Any advice, or should I try a different OS? I did want to use Puppy because this netbook has a tiny HDD.

Susan

[foxpup]

I've now loaded the ISO on the USB using the command line and it works on the Thinkpad but won't boot the Aspire at all - I have been through all the steps to authorise the .efi.

What steps do you mean?
And where in the boot proces on the Aspire does it stop?
Just another thought: did you make a savefile or -folder on the Thinkpad on first shutdown and is it on the usb? If you use the usb with the savefile from the Thinkpad on the Aspire it may not boot.

[s1wood]

I have cracked the problem! I re-installed on the USB with Unetbootin and then (having done some more research) downloaded rEFInd and transferred the folders to the USB. After going through the loading procedure again it booted first time.
Sadly after all that, it won't be of any use since I can't get the wireless to work. I shall have to try another OS.

Thanks for your assistance,

Susan

[foxpup]

Well done solving your booting problem. It is a bit unusual to me to boot the usb with refind.
For the wireless, use dmesg in console to find out what driver and version your kernel is looking for, for wifi. Then google the driver or go find it in the big repos of ubuntu and drop it in /lib/firmware and restart.

[mikeslr]

Hi s1wood,

Combined foxpup's suggestion to see what was available from the "Big Distros" with your indication that you were going to try another OS and did some research.

The only thing I could find which might be useful was that someone running Ubuntu Precise Pangolin was able to compile the necessary driver after switching to the 3.16.2 Kernel. At least, that was my take from this thread, https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php ... 936&page=3

You might want to try an early (Beta) FatDog64-700, which used that kernel and may have the necessary driver already present. Alternatively, you might want to try FatDog64-702, which used the 3.18.7 Kernel "This is a conscious decision to ensure that all existing 3rd party kernel modules for 700 will continue to work in 701." http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 107#883107.

Although firmware can be ported from one Puppy to another, drivers have to be compiled against the kernel of the operating system.

mikesLr

p.s. This thread may be of interest: https://gist.github.com/franga2000/2154d09f864894b8fe84

[foxpup]

Although firmware can be ported from one Puppy to another, drivers have to be compiled against the kernel of the operating system.

If I may add, Mikeslr: this is not always true. The wifi drivers intel delivers are just executables/blobs(?) you have to put in /lib/firmware. No compiling in that case, but the version has to be right.
Problem in Puppy is often that the version of the blob is not right for the kernel of the Puppy. It is not easy to know what version(s) of the driver are right if you do not have the graphic card to try.
Also mind that some wifi cards do not work for older kernels. You can find that info on the site of the card maker (often intel).
On the intel sites I often cannot find the right version: intel often just gives one version of the driver, often an old one. But in the repos of debian and ubuntu all the versions are collected.


In fact, gyro on Puppy also keeps a great collection of firmware drivers: http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=97276
If that does not work, you may have to compile!

[rcrsn51]

If I may add, Mikeslr: this is not always true. The wifi drivers intel delivers are just executables/blobs(?) you have to put in /lib/firmware. No compiling in that case, but the version has to be right.

You are confusing drivers with firmware. Intel provides an open-source wifi driver that is part of the standard kernel. Run:

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modinfo iwlwifi

But the driver ALSO requires firmware which changes with each new model of Intel's wifi adapter. See the "firmware" list from the previous command.

If the required firmware is not included in the Puppy ISO, you need to install it separately.

[foxpup]

You are confusing drivers with firmware. Intel provides an open-source wifi driver that is part of the standard kernel. Run:

Code: Select all

modinfo iwlwifi

But the driver ALSO requires firmware which changes with each new model of Intel's wifi adapter. See the "firmware" list from the previous command.

If the required firmware is not included in the Puppy ISO, you need to install it separately.

Thanks for pointing this out, rcrsn51.