LiveUSB microSD in USB adapter black screen at login

[Member DaveW]

As a backup to my installed Antix 17.4, 32 bit system, I had a live-USB on a 32 GB micro-SD plugged into a single slot USB adapter.
It booted up and ran fine.
After dropping the USB to micro-SD adapter, it had I/O errors, which apparently corrupted the micro-SD card.

Now, with a new USB micro-SD adapter, I made two new live-USB micro-SDs (one on a new micro-SD card, the other on the original micro-SD after reformatting).

Both cards appear to boot… up to the login dialog. But, after user and password are entered, the screen goes black.

Is this a problem with the USB adapter? (I bought two. Both do the same thing.) Is there a way to troubleshoot what lies beyond the black screen?

Thanks!

[Moderator christophe]

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I don’t know. But this happened to me. I booted one day, and it seemed to take forever to finish booting, and nothing was happening. Eventually I tried the keyboard brightness keys. It worked! It was an easy fix — once I realized. So have you tried that? (Just a shot in the “dark.”)

• This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by christophe.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by christophe.

confirmed antiX frugaler, since 2019

[Moderator BobC]

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You should say what kind of computer it is and post inxi -Fxz output if you can. It might need a different kernel or boot cheatcode.

[Member DaveW]

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Christophe, I tested your suggestion. The problem is not due to screen brightness control.

BobC, This is a Dell D620, with SSD primary drive. In the inxi readout, below, the sdc is the Live-USB (micro-SD)
I probably had sdb USB stick plugged in the first time I tried booting from the Live-USB (micro-SD).
The two micro-SD cards are 32GB (one PNY, the other Kingston).
But the problem persists with only one USB in place.
I have another live-USB memory stick, which boots properly.

inxi -Fxz
System:
Host: D620antix17 Kernel: 4.9.240-antix.1-486-smp i686 bits: 32 compiler: gcc
v: 6.3.0 Desktop: IceWM 1.4.2
Distro: antiX-17.1_386-base Heather Heyer 17 March 2018
base: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)
Machine:
Type: Portable System: Dell product: Latitude D620 v: N/A serial: <filter>
Mobo: Dell model: 0FT292 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A10 date: 05/16/2008
CPU:
Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 T5600 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Core Merom
rev: 2 L2 cache: 2048 KiB
flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 7322
Speed: 1000 MHz min/max: 1000/1833 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1000 2: 1333
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel Mobile 945GM/GMS 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell
driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0
Display: server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: intel unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa
resolution: 1280×800~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 945GM x86/MMX/SSE2 v: 2.1 Mesa 13.0.6
direct render: Yes
Audio:
Device-1: Intel NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio vendor: Dell
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0
Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.9.240-antix.1-486-smp
Network:
Device-1: Broadcom Limited NetXtreme BCM5752 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express
vendor: Dell Latitude D620 driver: tg3 v: 3.137 port: 10c0 bus ID: 09:00.0
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network driver: iwl3945 v: in-tree:s
port: 10c0 bus ID: 0c:00.0
IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 92.25 GiB used: 24.89 GiB (27.0%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Kingston model: SNVP325S264GB size: 59.63 GiB
ID-2: /dev/sdb type: USB vendor: Kingston model: DT 101 G2 size: 3.73 GiB
ID-3: /dev/sdc type: USB model: Mass Storage Device size: 28.89 GiB
Partition:
ID-1: / size: 35.49 GiB used: 15.22 GiB (42.9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 67.0 C mobo: N/A sodimm: 56.0 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0
Info:
Processes: 175 Uptime: 5h 03m Memory: 1.96 GiB used: 396.2 MiB (19.8%)
Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 6.3.0 Shell: bash v: 4.4.12 inxi: 3.0.36

[Member ModdIt]

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Sounds like what I had a few days ago, Took a while to fix, after some fails I had to
delete partitions and reformat with G Parted to fat 32. Use antiX formatting tool
then make a live again, if that will not work you may need to reformat to msdos from command
line, then use usb formatter and reinstall. Same with usb sticks at times too, somehow corrupted,
even been to the point where I needed a manufacturers tool to fix on windows..

And please be careful with the usual write protect switch on your adapter, that might
have been the cause for your corruption, only partial contact. Put a tiny blob of hot glue on it
so it can not move, Instant glue gel works ok too. Not thin as it creeps in to the adapter and will,
if you are unlucky destroy adapter and card.

[Member DaveW]

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Moddit, These cards are micro-SD. As far as I know, they don’t have a lock switch. But you make a good point regarding the regular SD cards, or SD to micro-SD adapters.

I reformatted the original micro-SD (that might have been corrupted), and remade the LiveUSB from the same iso, using the D620 computer and the USB to microSD adapter. The make LiveUSB process went smoothly. But Boot-up still fails after the login dialogue.

However, the same microSD, placed in an SD to microSD adapter, boots up nicely in my Asus eeepc900. (The D620 computer does not have an SD slot.) With the same microSD card in a USB to microSD adapter, the eeepc fails at the same place as the D620.

I’ll see if the guy who sold me the USB adapter has any clues.

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

[Member fatmac]

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I have bought adapters that were only ‘read’ & would not allow ‘write’, so I’m guessing it’s the adapter at fault.

(Most are so cheap, I’d just but another one of a different make.)

Linux (& BSD) since 1999

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