- This topic has 38 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated Dec 11-11:33 pm by christophe.
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christophe
Robin,
Probably the BIOS can’t handle multiple partitions or ext file systems for boot. I’ll have to create a stick containing an FAT32 DOS partition instead of an UEFI Partition, likewise chaining to the big ext4 partition for further boot after syslinux is running already. Possibly this could help out.
That’s actually what my instruction post (https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/recommended-way-to-create-live-usb-when-pc-expects-it-to-be-different/page/2/#post-72261) & download are doing, except that I used fat16 instead of fat32 (I thought it to maybe be more compatible).
– I’ve used the syslinux tool mkdiskimage to create an USB stick in HDD style, to make it accepted by BIOS as a real USB HDD. Starting at Block 63 instead of 2048 and showing 255 heads and 63 sectors on 7648 Cylinders, LBA mode and Boot flag set, formatted FAT32. (syslinux comes up this way, but doesn’t find its file ldlinux.c32 anymore now, while it sits in the very folder.
You may be onto something here. I suggest a total re-do first: gparted to make a new partition table, then reformat, THEN install syslinux & the mbr. I think there’s a good chance that will make a difference. (I ran into something like that with extlinux before.)
Of course, if you want, I am willing to burn you an antiX-21 cd/dvd & mail it to you… but I think that’s rather not the point. 😉
(But I just wanted to put that out there.)- This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by christophe.
confirmed antiX frugaler, since 2019
ModdIt
If a cd or dvd is needed, Robin pls just ask, I am probably the nearest to you.
just need to know where to send to, would pack with the open action cam I have over.
no postage wanted.Robin
Good morning @christophe and @ModdIt
Of course, if you want, I am willing to burn you an antiX-21 cd/dvd & mail it to you… but I think that’s rather not the point. 😉
(But I just wanted to put that out there.)If a cd or dvd is needed, Robin pls just ask, I am probably the nearest to you.
just need to know where to send to,This is the true spirit of antiX I sense in your answers. Many thanks for your kind offers, but as Christophe has guessed already: This is not the point. Even if I can’t burn CD/DVD right now myself, since the internal DVD writer of the notebook wouldn’t recognise any disk anymore (cleaned its lense meanwhile, but no success), and I don’t know how or where to get a replacement writer which will fit in the slot of this ARIMA Rim 2000 Notebook… I have many much easier options of seizing a burnt antiX 21 DVD than you sending it to me 🙂 My point in insisting on this theme is: Other people will run into the same problems when trying to boot, and will fail even if antiX would actually run like a charm on these machines, if it would only boot… So I checked everything which could solve the riddle, by now all in vein.
Since the stick written in the style like the one I have here from antiX 17.4.1 is bootable in this old style PCs flawlessly, what is the true reason all the freshly created sticks now refuse to work, and what can be done to change this behaviour, allowing to boot it on these machines again straightaway, without using other obscure boot helper tools. As said, it’s not the hardware that has changed, and even a 1:1 dd copy of the old one on a brand new stick will boot fine. I simply want to know what’s behind all this miracle. As said before: I don’t believe in haunting, so there must be a comprehensible reason. (Or should I better? Would save some time and trouble probably, simply saying: „this is about magic, we have to accept it”)…
Windows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.
olsztyn
My point in insisting on this theme is: Other people will run into the same problems when trying to boot, and will fail even if antiX would actually run like a charm on these machines, if it would only boot…
Since the stick written in the style like the one I have here from antiX 17.4.1 is bootable in this old style PCs flawlessly, what is the true reason all the freshly created sticks now refuse to work, and what can be done to change this behaviour, allowing to boot it on these machines again straightaway, without using other obscure boot helper tools.
Just want to say that I also consider this very important for all of us to understand the cause of this issue and hopefully to fix it. Not just for the sake of your case but for many of us who would run into such case that newly produced antiX Live (or other distro) is not booting on some machines.
I think you are not alone with such issue. Just that many antiX users are traditionally installing antiX on HD from a DVD rather than taking advantage of antiX Live, so never run into such issue and not realize that it is possibly a more widespread issue affecting many.
I would also pursue this tirelessly until I understand the cause and find a solution.
Your effort is greatly appreciated.Live antiX Boot Options (Previously posted by Xecure):
https://antixlinuxfan.miraheze.org/wiki/Table_of_antiX_Boot_ParametersPlease send me a pic of the drive, make and model, I have several, you will need ide I think, or a botch
up with IDE to sata two way adapter. I run my prized Lite on drive that way as my desktop has only SATA.
Once I know more i can ask a friend, he has a huge stock of second hand but good stuff.I sent you a mail regarding usb stick ghosts. Not for forum unless a solution is found, that may take some
more time and experiment.Now i know what the laptop is: checked, I have no IDE slimline laptop drive.
Is it this one ? new slimline drive ide interface
https://www.ebay.de/itm/273815497856 @26 Euro incl postage. Dealer in DE Nürnberg.- This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by ModdIt.
- This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by ModdIt.
Many thanks @ModdIt for your kind efforts and the link to the spare part on ebay. I’m not the great ebuyer, but the seller looks trustworthy. My original intention was to find a different type of DVD writer fitting in this notebook for replacement, since this Panasonic writer didn’t make the best impression to me. I’ve always had problems with so called “Un-CDs” (don’t know how to express this in English language, it refers to CDs/DVDs produced intentionally defective, which was meant as a kind of copy protection.) The truth is: This keeps you from playing these CD’s, e.g. Audio CDs in this very drive, since it is obviously outmatched by all the built in errors. Moreover it produced above average failing burns, compared what I was used to from old desktop dvd-writers. Also its mechanical construction is not that high standard I’d really want to replace it by the same type, if I could get e.g. a “Lite on (SOSW-852s ?)” or “Phillips” drive fitting, or even a “slot-in drive”. I have no great experience in Notebooks, so there might be some pitfalls I’m not aware of, while thinking in categories of freely configurable desktop PC, where it is no problem at all to use a replacement made by a different manufacturer. I’d need somebody with a collection of different slimline writers locally, so we could check which one will fit and which one is accepted by firmware… But all specialised stores here would need to order themselves a drive exclusively for me also, they don’t have these on stock, so no checkout possible. Probably I’ll end up buying the original drive from your link.
But before buying, I’ll have to dismount the writer from the notebook, to check whether the one from ebay is actually the correct type. I believe there should be a single screw to be removed at bottom of the notebook to allow the drive to get pulled out carefully.Back to the USB boot problem. Meanwhile I believe there must be a bug in this syslinux/extlinux bootmanager, preventing it from seeing the folders and files. I double checked they are actually present in filesystem, even accessible from true MS-DOS 5 booted from fdd.
Could it be true that syslinux searches the wrong partition for its files after it has come up with its first message? Does somebody accidentally know whether there is a way to tell syslinux explicitly which partition or UUID to search for its files? I’ve checked, It doesn’t “see” neither its config nor its .c32 files when trying to call them manually from “boot” entry. Looks as if it would figure itself siting on a completely empty disk… But again, why all this works fine with the old 17.4.1 stick and all 1:1 copies made from it?
If syslinux fails on that, what about plop boot manager you’ve pointed me to? I’ve read the instructions from its home page you’ve linked me to @christophe but I can’t find out what I exactly have to do to put this bootloader on the stick. Seems to me it expects always to get written to a hdd, or am I mistaken here? I’d like to have it that way: Boot this obscure plop thing from a first fat16/32 partition on the stick, and letting it chainload the complete ext4 antiX partition for further startup then.
Even if I’ll be going to use temporarily a DVD and the from=USB option to run antiX 21 on this very PC, this is not really convenient, compared with the way I had it until now with antiX 17.4.1, just plugging the USB Stick and the network cable to have full network access in some seconds without checking anything on startup. Booting from DVD instead I’ll have always to wait for the screen and reenter all the boot options (which are normally stored on the stick when booting from it) manually, each time when switching from Win2000 to antiX for a network file exchange only.
So long
RobinWindows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.
Hi Robin, not sure if you have a one screw drive remove, you seem to have a medion device, the service manual should be available somewhere online, some Laptops have drives secured with a rear adapter bracket and are a pig to remove, good side is cooling fan and heat exchanger becomes accesible for cleaning.
Unless I am much mistaken any IDE drive which will fit the slot will work, they were in general called full height or half height. What does often differ is that some brands have specified the draw end plate (Blende) to fit an exterior design.
Looking at the drive I found and the Lite on, and listening about, it seems a DS-81W1P. From a dell modell might do the trick.
Has some scuff marks but assured was working before removal. A UJ-870 rev 7 made by panasonic, sloped front panel (schrägblende) looks new is also availabe.Phillips was at the forefront in the day, they helped to make the copy protection along with sony cbs, probably others were in the party.
Cost,
a donation to antiX, you paid that already 🙂 by translating work which is not at all trivial.
I fix the rest.
Can be sent by Hermes Monday on but need to know where.Can also send other item we discussed months ago, not sure how useful as although it was originaly claimed that a webcam connection could be made it can only be use in action cam mode for video. The video quality is ok in good light. A service guy in china told me in a mail the camera was burning out in webcam mode.
Maybe better I somehow get that in a christmas box for a childrens home nearby. up to you.
Booting from DVD instead I’ll have always to wait for the screen and reenter all the boot options (which are normally stored on the stick when booting from it) manually, each time when switching from Win2000 to antiX for a network file exchange only.
Maybe when you have the system running and can make a snapshot you can get a working stick.
Did you try formatting a stick with the special HP USB Format tool for old computers. It worked some magic for me many times.christophe
My undesrstanding of plop is that it will boot from a floppy or cd.
A CD with plop boot mgr sounds like it would work. I’ve never used it, but I’ve heard/read that it boots from cd, then chainloads to other options, like usbs. That would eliminate any need to type in boot parameters each session. Of course, the new cd/dvd-reader/writer would be needed. (Or a floppy drive.)- This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by christophe.
confirmed antiX frugaler, since 2019
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