SOLVED: (4th try) Samsung Chromebook 3, live antiX USB does not boot, MX 17 does

[Member Buck Fankers]

(I don’t know why, but every time I edit my post, it disappears)

I replaced BIOS with MrChromebook, MX 17 works on it although without sound.

But antiX would be more suitable for this weak laptop. I can’t get any antiX to even boot from live USB.

I tried:
– 17.2_x64-full
– 17.1_x64-full
– 17_x64-full
– 17.2_x64-base
– 17.2_386-base
Same with latest mx 18.1 beta all give me the same error

First I see: Error: unknown filesystem, press any key to continue

Few seconds later or it I press a key, I see asci like boot menu, no graphic, no F options at the bottom, there are two boot options (none works, screen just goes dark and stays tat way, cant switch to TTY, third option is memory test and if I choose it, i get another error:

Error: disk ‘hd0 msdos2’ not found

Interestingly, MX 17.1 does bot and I managed to install it.
But new beta MX 18.1 is acting the same as all 17 antix versions.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Specs:

My guess/hope is, since MX uses antiX base and since MX 17 works, maybe I can get antiX on it too somehow

System:    Host: mx Kernel: 4.15.0-1-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 6.3.0 Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 
           Distro: MX-17.1_x64 Horizon March 14  2018 base: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch) 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: GOOGLE product: Celes v: 1.0 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: GOOGLE model: Celes v: 1.0 serial: <filter> UEFI: coreboot v: MrChromebox date: 08/27/2018 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 28.1 Wh condition: 34.6/33.4 Wh (103%) model: SDI 4352D44 status: Discharging 
CPU:       Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Celeron N3060 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Airmont rev: 4 
           L2 cache: 1024 KiB 
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 6400 
           Speed: 1971 MHz min/max: 480/2480 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1666 2: 705 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel Atom/Celeron/Pentium Processor x5-E8000/J3xxx/N3xxx Integrated Graphics driver: i915 
           v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1366x768~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell) v: 4.5 Mesa 13.0.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel Atom/Celeron/Pentium Processor x5-E8000/J3xxx/N3xxx Series High Definition Audio 
           driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.15.0-1-amd64 
Network:   Device-1: Intel Wireless 7265 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 1000 bus ID: 02:00.0 
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 14.68 GiB used: 7.04 GiB (48.0%) 
           ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 model: DF4016 size: 14.68 GiB 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 11.18 GiB used: 7.04 GiB (63.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/mmcblk0p2 
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 2.00 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/mmcblk0p3 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 54.0 C mobo: N/A

• This topic was modified 3 months, 3 weeks ago by masinick. Reason: solved, updated by moderator

[Member caprea]

The only thing that comes to my mind, did you already try different tools like unetbootin to create the live-stick ?

[Member Buck Fankers]

caprea wrote:

The only thing that comes to my mind, did you already try different tools like unetbootin to create the live-stick ?

Ahh, sorry, forgot to mention, live antiX USB sticks are working great and they boot normally on other computers. (I use dd)

[Anonymous]

Since MX works, maybe easier way would be to install MX and then add IceWM with antiX configuration files.
You can keep XFCE as a backup GUI or uninstall it — if it doesn’t run, it’ll not use any resources.
Or, you can add i3 to it if you can live with tilling WM, which can manage floating windows too.
Services you don’t use or need, you simply uncheck in XFCE Autostart and that was all to it.

[Member male]

Hello Buck Fankers

you did everything right. The Chromebook is prepared accordingly.
The different versions of the live-usb-sticks (mx17.1 YES – antiX17.2 etc. NO) must lie in the routines running there.

Unfortunately I can’t name them to you either. Here anti or Dave should answer you.

Again for your understanding, when booting up with live-antiX17.2 you immediately see the error: unknown file system, right?

[Forum Admin Dave]

Hmm my guess is probably an update happened between 17.1 and 17.2 versions that is causing the issue. As we know that there is one version of mx that boots but not the other we can compare the two versions for differences. I am suspecting the kernel, or init as it sounds like it is happening very early… however it is throwing me off that the memtest is having an issue as well.

Perhaps an easier route at the moment would be to try an 17.1 version of antix to see if it works like the 17.1 version of mx. If it does not perhaps try loading a debian kernel like mx17.1 has

Computers are like air conditioners. They work fine until you start opening Windows. ~Author Unknown

[Member Buck Fankers]

male wrote:

Again for your understanding, when booting up with live-antiX17.2 you immediately see the error: unknown file system, right?

Yes, that’s correct. (unknown file system at start)
Then few seconds later, some kind ascii boot loader menu appears, but if I choose to boot to antiX I only get black screen.

The same is with all three latest antiX 17 versions and new MX18 beta. But MX 17.1 works

• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by Buck Fankers.

[Member caprea]

Buck Fankers wrote:

live antiX USB sticks are working great and they boot normally on other computers

There was no doubt about that, What I mean is the combination antix an dd doesn’t work on the laptop, so maybe try another one.

[Member Buck Fankers]

caprea wrote:

Buck Fankers wrote:

live antiX USB sticks are working great and they boot normally on other computers

There was no doubt about that, What I mean is the combination antix an dd doesn’t work on the laptop, so maybe try another one.

I see thanks, I will install some usb burning software and try, can’t hurt. I was under impression that dd is the most raw, direct and bullet proof, so I always used only dd and until now I had no problems.

[Moderator masinick]

The correct usage of the dd command will create a usable USB that can be used to boot the system.

A sample dd command that is syntactically valid is:

sudo dd if=/home/my-UID/myUSB.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M; sudo sync

Replace the file in the if= subcommand by the location of your bootable image, and of= by the device file of your USB device.

Brian Masinick

[Member Buck Fankers]

masinick wrote:

A sample dd command that is syntactically valid is:

sudo dd if=/home/my-UID/myUSB.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M; sudo sync

Thank you, will try with your command next 😉
Here is what i used so far: (running it from folder where iso file is, to make the command simpler)

sudo dd if=image.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress && conv=fsync

And when writing is finished, I type sync on more time just to be on a safe side

• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by Buck Fankers.
• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by Buck Fankers.

[Moderator masinick]

If the options you have used work for you, then I’d say “great”, but since you were having problems, I’d suggest trying the simpler syntax.
I have seen the status=progress clause; recently it did not work for me on at least one of my systems. I believe that I have experienced similar issues with the conv=fsync clause too, which is why I omitted them both from my simple example; they may work on some systems and I’ve seen them mentioned in the documentation, but I’ve had at least one (if not more than one) instance in which they did not work.

If the simpler command also does not work, then I’d suspect either media issues or a problem with the connection where you are plugging in the USB.

I hope these things are helpful; try the simpler command because I have always experienced success using it.

Buck Fankers wrote:

masinick wrote:

A sample dd command that is syntactically valid is:

sudo dd if=/home/my-UID/myUSB.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M; sudo sync

Thank you, will try with your command next
Here is what i used so far: (running it from folder where iso file is, to make the command simpler)

‘sudo dd if=image.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress && conv=fsync’

And when writing is finished, I type sync on more time just to be on a safe side

• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by rokytnji.

Brian Masinick

[Member Buck Fankers]

masinick wrote:

If the simpler command also does not work, then I’d suspect either media issues or a problem with the connection where you are plugging in the USB.

Thanks, I didn’t know potential issues when using more flags, but yes makes sense, more options, more chances something may go wrong. I will use from now on simple syntax to avoid possible problems.

That being said, I would like to point out, that all these DD’s works great on two other computers, they always boot without the problem. The only problem I have is, getting them to boot on this Chromebook converted laptop. I can get MX 17.1 to boot but none of antiX would boot. I tried full, base and core iso for all three versions, 17.2.1, 17.1 and 17. Since MX 17.1 does boot I’m hoping I can get antiX on this laptop. New beta MX 18 is behaving exactly the same way with the same errors as all antiX versions.

Since laptop is slow and weak i would really like to get antiX working on it instead MX. Beside, if I can’t solve the problem, future versions of MX will not work either, based on the same problems I have with beta MX 18.

Bottom line is, media (USB sticks) are OK, I’m using several different and all of them works great on two other computers with these same antiX ISO files.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by Buck Fankers.

[Member Buck Fankers]

Dave wrote:

Perhaps an easier route at the moment would be to try an 17.1 version of antix to see if it works like the 17.1 version of mx.

I somehow missed your answer, sorry.
I did, I tried all three antiX versions, 17, 17.1 and 17.2.1 and for each version I tried all three of them, full, base and core. I even tried net version for 17.2.1 and every one of them causes the exact same error, it is acting the same way. The boot menu is in weird ascii mode after file error msg. And I laptop will not boot.

Tomorrow or day later I will dl different MX versions and see if only that single one works or there are any other that would boot. I will let you know the results and thanks for responding.

[Anonymous]

Since laptop is slow and weak i would really like to get antiX working on it instead MX.

I already told you what to do if MX is booting fine.

There is actually no such thing like antiX, MX … it is a Debian stable.

The difference is in Software and configurations and some specific Tools that Distros configure or add.

That means, by starting with MX and using antiX IceWM configurations, you end up on almost the same.

Just as if you would start with pure Devuan.

MX does not use more or less CPU or RAM then antiX or other way round.

If I let all the services from MX to run on antiX, then antiX is neither usable on those old or weak Junkputers.

Dissabling the services on MX lessens the CPU and RAM usage drastically.

Either way, it will use as much as your knowledge will allow it. 😉

All you need to do is, use the appropriate combination of Software and running services that fits your bill (your HW).

There is no magic in Salix XFCE using 200 MB RAM and beeing quick and Manjaro, Mint or MX using 500 MB and beeing slugish on the same HW.

[Author]

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