Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:22:04 +0100 Subject: actually add the documentation directory. (I forgot git add in last commit) --- docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html | 312 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 312 insertions(+) create mode 100644 docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html (limited to 'docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html') diff --git a/docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html b/docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..f6e9b687 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/gnulinux/grub_boot_installer.html @@ -0,0 +1,312 @@ + + + + + + + + + How to install GNU/Linux on a libreboot system + + + +

How to install GNU/Linux on a libreboot system

+ This section relates to preparing, booting and installing a + GNU/Linux distribution on your libreboot system, using nothing more than a USB flash drive (and dd). +

Prepare the USB drive (in GNU/Linux)
Installing GNU/Linux with full disk encryption
GNU Guix System Distribution?
Trisquel net install?
Booting ISOLINUX images (automatic method)
Booting ISOLINUX images (manual method)
Troubleshooting

+ Back to previous index +

+ +

+ This section is only for the GRUB payload. For depthcharge (used on CrOS devices in libreboot), instructions + have yet to be written in the libreboot documentation. +

+ +

Prepare the USB drive (in GNU/Linux)

+ +

+ Connect the USB drive. Check dmesg:
+ $ dmesg
+ + Check lsblk to confirm which drive it is:
+ $ lsblk +

+ +

+ Check that it wasn't automatically mounted. If it was, unmount it. For example:
+ $ sudo umount /dev/sdX*
+ # umount /dev/sdX* +

+ +

+ dmesg told you what device it is. Overwrite the drive, writing your distro ISO to it with dd. For example:
+ $ sudo dd if=gnulinux.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=8M; sync
+ # dd if=gnulinux.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=8M; sync +

+ +

+ You should now be able to boot the installer from your USB drive. Continue reading, for + information about how to do that. +

+ +

+ Back to top of page. +

+ +

Installing GNU/Linux with full disk encryption

+ +

+ Back to top of page. +

+ +

GNU Guix System Distribution?

+ +

+ The Guix installers uses the GRUB bootloader, unlike most GNU/Linux installers which will likely use ISOLINUX. +

+ To boot the Guix live USB install, select Search for GRUB configuration (grub.cfg) outside of CBFS from + the GRUB payload menu. After you have done that, a new menuentry will appear at the very bottom with text like + Load Config from (usb0); select that, and it should boot. +

+ Once you have installed Guix onto the main storage device, check + grub_cbfs.html#option1_dont_reflash for hints on how + to boot it. +

+ +

+ GuixSD (Guix System Distribution) is highly recommended; it's part of GNU, and + endorsed by the Free Software Foundation. +

+ +

+ Back to top of page. +

+ +

Trisquel net install?

+ +

+ Tip: don't use the official net install image. Download the full GNOME ISO (the ~1.5GiB one). + In this ISO, there is still the capability to boot the net install, while it also provides + an easy to use live system (which you can boot from USB). This ISO also works using + syslinux_configfile -i (the Parse ISOLINUX menu entries in the default + GRUB configuration that libreboot uses). +

+ +

+ Back to top of page. +

+ +

Booting ISOLINUX images (automatic method)

+ +

+ Boot it in GRUB using the Parse ISOLINUX config (USB) option. + + A new menu should appear in GRUB, showing the boot options for that distro; this is a GRUB menu, converted from the usual + ISOLINUX menu provided by that distro. +

+ +

+ Back to top of page. +

+ +

Booting ISOLINUX images (manual method)

+ +

+ These are generic instructions. They may or may not be correct for your + distribution. You must adapt them appropriately, for whatever GNU/Linux distribution + it is that you are trying to install. +

+ +

+ If the ISOLINUX parser or Search for GRUB configuration options won't work, then press C in GRUB to access the command line.
+ grub> ls
+ + Get the device from above output, eg (usb0). Example:
+ grub> cat (usb0)/isolinux/isolinux.cfg
+ + Either this will show the ISOLINUX menuentries for that ISO, or link to other .cfg files, for example /isolinux/foo.cfg.
+ + If it did that, then you do:
+ grub> cat (usb0)/isolinux/foo.cfg
+ + And so on, until you find the correct menuentries for ISOLINUX. + The file /isolinux/foo.cfg is a fictional example. Do not actually + use this example, unless you actually have that file, if it is appropriate. +

+ +

+ For Trisquel (and other debian-based distros), there are typically menuentries listed in + /isolinux/txt.cfg or /isolinux/gtk.cfg. For dual-architecture ISO images + (i686 and x86_64), there may be separate files/directories for each architecture. + Just keep searching through the image, until you find the correct ISOLINUX configuration file. +

+ +

+ Now look at the ISOLINUX menuentry. It'll look like:
+ + kernel /path/to/kernel
+ append PARAMETERS initrd=/path/to/initrd MAYBE_MORE_PARAMETERS
+ + + GRUB works the same way, but in it's own way. Example GRUB commands:
+ grub> set root='usb0'
+ grub> linux /path/to/kernel PARAMETERS MAYBE_MORE_PARAMETERS
+ grub> initrd /path/to/initrd
+ grub> boot
+ Note: usb0 may be incorrect. Check the output of the ls command in GRUB, + to see a list of USB devices/partitions. + + Of course this will vary from distro to distro. If you did all of that correctly, then it should now be booting your USB + drive in the way that you specified. +

+ +

+ Back to top of page. +

+ +

Troubleshooting

+ +

+ Most of these issues occur when using libreboot with coreboot's 'text mode' instead of the coreboot framebuffer. + This mode is useful for booting payloads like memtest86+ which expect text-mode, but for GNU/Linux distributions + it can be problematic when they are trying to switch to a framebuffer because it doesn't exist. +

+ +

+ In most cases, you should use the vesafb ROM images. Example filename: libreboot_ukdvorak_vesafb.rom. +

+ +

parabola won't boot in text-mode

+ +

+ Use one of the ROM images with vesafb in the filename (uses coreboot framebuffer instead of text-mode). +

+ +

debian-installer (trisquel net install) graphical corruption in text-mode

+ When using the ROM images that use coreboot's "text mode" instead of the coreboot framebuffer, + booting the Trisquel net installer results in graphical corruption because it is trying to switch to a framebuffer which doesn't + exist. Use that kernel parameter on the 'linux' line when booting it:
+ vga=normal fb=false +

+ +

+ Tested in Trisquel 6 (and 7). This forces debian-installer to start in text-mode, instead of trying to switch to a framebuffer. +

+ +

+ If selecting text-mode from a GRUB menu created using the ISOLINUX parser, you can press E on the menu entry to add this. + Or, if you are booting manually (from GRUB terminal) then just add the parameters. +

+ +

+ This workaround was found on the page: https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch05s04.html. + It should also work for gNewSense, Debian and any other apt-get distro that provides debian-installer (text mode) net install method. +

+ +

+ Back to top of page. +

+ +

+ Copyright © 2014, 2015 Leah Rowe <info@minifree.org>
+ Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document + under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 + or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; + with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. + A copy of the license can be found at ../gfdl-1.3.txt +

+ +

+ Updated versions of the license (when available) can be found at + https://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html +

+ +

+ UNLESS OTHERWISE SEPARATELY UNDERTAKEN BY THE LICENSOR, TO THE + EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE LICENSOR OFFERS THE LICENSED MATERIAL AS-IS + AND AS-AVAILABLE, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF + ANY KIND CONCERNING THE LICENSED MATERIAL, WHETHER EXPRESS, + IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHER. THIS INCLUDES, WITHOUT LIMITATION, + WARRANTIES OF TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR + PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ABSENCE OF LATENT OR OTHER DEFECTS, + ACCURACY, OR THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF ERRORS, WHETHER OR NOT + KNOWN OR DISCOVERABLE. WHERE DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTIES ARE NOT + ALLOWED IN FULL OR IN PART, THIS DISCLAIMER MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. +

+ TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, IN NO EVENT WILL THE LICENSOR BE LIABLE + TO YOU ON ANY LEGAL THEORY (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, + NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, + INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, OR OTHER LOSSES, + COSTS, EXPENSES, OR DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THIS PUBLIC LICENSE OR + USE OF THE LICENSED MATERIAL, EVEN IF THE LICENSOR HAS BEEN + ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSSES, COSTS, EXPENSES, OR + DAMAGES. WHERE A LIMITATION OF LIABILITY IS NOT ALLOWED IN FULL OR + IN PART, THIS LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. +

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+ +

+ + + -- cgit v1.2.3-70-g09d2