- This topic has 5 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated Feb 1-5:31 pm by lubod.
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lubod
Bizarre problem on USB boot, on Asrock K8NF6G-VSTA and ECS G41T-r3
So I’ve been trying to set up a LiveUSB of AntiX 19.1 64 bit Base, with all the software I want already installed from the repos, and the indexes and packages entirely up to date. So I can take it wherever, and as long as there is a compatible 64 bit PC that boots USB, I’m ready to go. Easy, Peazy, right? Not so much! 🙁
The following problems occur on two separate desktops, both generic whitebox using legacy BIOS and MBR partitions.
I suspected hardware failure of some rare, corner case variety, but now I don’t know what the cause is 🙁System specs:
Motherboard:
system 1 – Asrock K8NF6G-VSTA
system 2 – ECS G41T-r3Support page:
system 1 – https://www.asrock.com/mb/NVIDIA/K8NF6G-VSTA/#BIOS
system 2 – http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_DOWNLOAD/EN/Motherboard/G41T-R3%20-LL-V1-DO-0A-RR-/Socket%20775%20-LL-Intel-RR-BIOS:
system 1 – 1.70 (already on latest version. Does reflashing a working BIOS with the same version make sense? Not that I’ve heard.)
system 2 – 04/07/2010 (there is only 1. Does reflashing a working BIOS with the same version make sense? Not that I’ve heard.)
Note: Both systems have AMI BIOS, in case it makes a difference.RAM:
system 1 – 2 Gb, tested OK with Memtest
system 2 – 2 Gb, not yet tested, but has never had a problem after OS bootsOnboard USB 2 on both, tried all possible USB ports, front and back, to rule out one port/controller malfunction
Tried with 2 separate USB flash drives, and one SD card
SD card plugs into an external USB reader for one system, which is known to boot other systems, and with an internal reader on the other systemThe problem is as follows: When I write an AntiX ISO (either 17.4 or 19.1 64 bit base, both verified OK by matching MD5SUM) to a known good flash drive or SD card, with Live-USB-Maker in AntiX 17.4 (32 bit, fully updated), the flash drive/SD card works, exactly once.
After I tell it to save the persistent root, which “works” with no errors, and restart or shutdown
every subsequent boot fails, usually with the error “No operating system found” press any key … blah blah
I pressed it once, and up came another error about Grub lacking configuration or some suchAfter it fails once, nothing other than rewriting the flash/SD with Live-USB-Maker boots, ever again.
Both systems have USB listed as a boot device in BIOS, selecting it there (after it failed the first time) still boots from hard drive, skipping USB or complains “No OS found”
Both systems list the flash drive or SD card reader when boot menu is used via F11, but it also fails that way (after it failed the first time)I tried booting the “failed” flash on my 32 bit laptop, expecting it to halt and complain the CPU is only 32 bit
No such luck, it also said “No OS found”
Tried boot repair from 32 bit 17.4 on the “failed” flash:MBR repair on affected device /dev/sdb failed:
Could not set up chroot environment.
Please double-check the selected location.PBR repair on either main or second partition created by Live-USB-Maker, sdb1 or sdb2, also failed:
Could not set up chroot environment.
Please double-check the selected location.ESP repair (even though I’m using BIOS only on all systems, but why not!)
Could not find EFI system partition (ESP) on any system disks. Please create an ESP and try again.Grub repair on either main or second partition, sdb1 or sdb2, also failed:
Could not set up chroot environment.
Please double-check the selected locationThe flash always mounts/reads with no errors in the working 32 bit 17.4, even after it is unbootable.
And all the partitions/files it claims it can’t find are exactly where they should be!I’m thinking saving the persistent root somehow corrupts Grub. Which is why I’ve run memtest, to rule out bad RAM as the cause.
Any diagnostic info you need to narrow it down, I’ll do my best to post it. But I have more access to the
Asrock K8NF6G-VSTA, the ECS G41T-r3 is at another location, so I have to go there to test, and all tests must be done
without restarting, unless I carry 2 or more flash drives, because after 1 restart, no further tests are possible on that flash
drive until it is remastered again.Any ideas for fixes/workarounds welcome, so long as you don’t suggest something I tried already.
Otherwise consider this a warning, that these motherboards are flaky as hell. I.E. not reliable 🙂
And now that I wrote all that, they worked several times in a row on the ASRock (about 3 or 4), both after shutdown and reboot,
and then failed in a new and exciting way! After the text about retpoline, the text gets garbled, and no other text
or graphics loads, it appears to freeze. Yet I can’t find any hardware problem with either the flash or the computer(s).Color me confused. And frustrated.
- This topic was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by lubod. Reason: Spellings errors, clean up grammar to clarify meaning
- This topic was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by lubod. Reason: added note that ISOs were verified with MD5SUM
- This topic was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by lubod. Reason: Clean up text
Restore older computers to working order.
Computers everyone else insists are obsolete and useless.Current recordholder:
Generic Pentium III 600 Mhz with 512Mb RAM and 10Gb HD
Working on Cyrix M2 333 Mhz with 64Mb RAM and OS on IDE to SD card 4GbModdIt
Hallo Lubod, long shots but experienced maximum iso boot size problem on old box when booting from usb.
That is early BIOS Problem.
Also found some USB sticks caused issues like yours. Now only using the aluminium case intenso
Overflashing BIOS might work, but consider unlikely as first boot is consistent.You might separate board issues from USB troubles by a hdd test install if not done already.
lubod
@Moddit
Thanks for the reply. Yes, that might actually be the cause, or related in some obscure, hard to diagnose way. The BIOS in question is old, but I thought not that old, given it is 64 bit! But maybe it is? One is from circa 2006, the other 2010. I’ve been trying only Base for all versions, maybe I should try Net or Core, they are much smaller.
I haven’t installed on a HD yet (will later). I tried the 32 bit base on the same stick, it worked to save persistence on another 32 bit system. And the next boot, on one of the affected 64 bit BIOSes, also worked, but again only once! So no matter how many times it has booted OK on another system, with or without saving changes to persistent root, every boot after the first on the affected 64 bit BIOSes fails, it would seem.
Unless other steps can work around the problem, the best option is to use LiveUSB to boot once, and immediatelly install to HD. Maybe if I turn off root persistence it might work twice or more? But that makes LiveUSB less configurable and less useful.
Hallo Lubod, long shots but experienced maximum iso boot size problem on old box when booting from usb.
That is early BIOS Problem.
Also found some USB sticks caused issues like yours. Now only using the aluminium case intenso
Overflashing BIOS might work, but consider unlikely as first boot is consistent.You might separate board issues from USB troubles by a hdd test install if not done already.
Restore older computers to working order.
Computers everyone else insists are obsolete and useless.Current recordholder:
Generic Pentium III 600 Mhz with 512Mb RAM and 10Gb HD
Working on Cyrix M2 333 Mhz with 64Mb RAM and OS on IDE to SD card 4Gblubod
Unless the antix developers (anticapitalista, et. al.) say otherwise, all who wish to use antix (any version, 32 or 64 bit) are well advised to avoid these 2 desktop motherboards like a plague.
system 1 – Asrock K8NF6G-VSTA
system 2 – ECS G41T-r3If there is any logs/diagnostics I can provide, ask.
Restore older computers to working order.
Computers everyone else insists are obsolete and useless.Current recordholder:
Generic Pentium III 600 Mhz with 512Mb RAM and 10Gb HD
Working on Cyrix M2 333 Mhz with 64Mb RAM and OS on IDE to SD card 4GbElite G41T-r3 board is supposed to be ok, just dated.
The As-rot board known to have very buggy usb 2 Implimentation.
Legacy usb might work (BIOS setting) but really too slow to run live.
Personaly I would try different stick type and manufacturer. Helped in some cases, stick no bigger than 8 Gig.
Try if Kali or Buntu will run with persistence, sometimes systems and boards trip each other up. That might give some clues, or even just work, I gave several stick types and OS in my bag because I support for free and want to avoid drives..
You could look for a usb 3 expansion card (if slot available) with own controller and give that a go, that can be good as update and fix broken or crappy boards. Before you spend take a look at the larger condensors on the board, if any are starting to bulge repair or bin board. Known As rot problem but fixable.Yes Asrot spelling is on purpose, rotten products deserve name.
Did you try changing the Kernel, you can do that on other computer and remaster easily. That can magicaly solve many issues.
More an info for new users.
I assume the usb stick/sticks and sd card are as claimed to be. In my draw is a fake lookalike Intenso 8GB stick, it actualy holds about 1.8GB. the rest writes to nirvana without notifying errors. I kept it to give some kids a challenge. All fell over the assumption that rated and actual were same, only writing it full shows it is crap. Lots of this around especialy in high capacity both sd cards and usb sticks, E Bay ssd sometimes too.- This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by ModdIt.
lubod
@moddit
I am very grateful for your help. May I ask, where you live? I would guess France or Germany, but I may be a world away?
In any case, your suggestions are helpful and appreciated, so thank you very much.I have tried at least 3 USB sticks, I think the BIOS is so bad it won’t support features officially listed in the boot menu. No worries mate. Peace.
I fight the good fight, because I can, and no one else wants to. Because evil wins, when good people stay silent. I am American, and I refuse to stay silent. 🙂Elite G41T-r3 board is supposed to be ok, just dated.
The As-rot board known to have very buggy usb 2 Implimentation.
Legacy usb might work (BIOS setting) but really too slow to run live.
Personaly I would try different stick type and manufacturer. Helped in some cases, stick no bigger than 8 Gig.
Try if Kali or Buntu will run with persistence, sometimes systems and boards trip each other up. That might give some clues, or even just work, I gave several stick types and OS in my bag because I support for free and want to avoid drives..
You could look for a usb 3 expansion card (if slot available) with own controller and give that a go, that can be good as update and fix broken or crappy boards. Before you spend take a look at the larger condensors on the board, if any are starting to bulge repair or bin board. Known As rot problem but fixable.Yes Asrot spelling is on purpose, rotten products deserve name.
Did you try changing the Kernel, you can do that on other computer and remaster easily. That can magicaly solve many issues.
More an info for new users.
I assume the usb stick/sticks and sd card are as claimed to be. In my draw is a fake lookalike Intenso 8GB stick, it actualy holds about 1.8GB. the rest writes to nirvana without notifying errors. I kept it to give some kids a challenge. All fell over the assumption that rated and actual were same, only writing it full shows it is crap. Lots of this around especialy in high capacity both sd cards and usb sticks, E Bay ssd sometimes too.Restore older computers to working order.
Computers everyone else insists are obsolete and useless.Current recordholder:
Generic Pentium III 600 Mhz with 512Mb RAM and 10Gb HD
Working on Cyrix M2 333 Mhz with 64Mb RAM and OS on IDE to SD card 4Gb
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