182 lines
7.1 KiB
Markdown
182 lines
7.1 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: Installing GNU+Linux
|
|
x-unreviewed: true
|
|
...
|
|
|
|
# Introduction
|
|
|
|
This guide assumes that you are using the GNU GRUB bootloader directly.
|
|
If you're using SeaBIOS, it's quite intuitive and works similarly to other BIOS
|
|
software; refer to the documentation on <https://seabios.org/SeaBIOS>.
|
|
|
|
This guide explains how to prepare a bootable USB for Libreboot systems that
|
|
can be used to install several GNU+Linux distributions. For this guide, you
|
|
will only need a USB flash drive and the `dd` utility (it's installed into all
|
|
GNU+Linux distributions, by default).
|
|
|
|
These instructions are intended to be generic, applicable to just about any
|
|
GNU+Linux distribution.
|
|
|
|
## Prepare the USB Drive in GNU+Linux
|
|
If you downloaded your ISO while on an existing GNU+Linux system, here is how
|
|
to create the bootable GNU+Linux USB drive:
|
|
|
|
Connect the USB drive. Check `lsblk`, to confirm its device name
|
|
(e.g., **/dev/sdX**):
|
|
|
|
lsblk
|
|
|
|
For this example, let's assume that our drive's name is `sdb`. Make sure that
|
|
it's not mounted:
|
|
|
|
sudo umount /dev/sdb
|
|
|
|
Overwrite the drive, writing your distro ISO to it with `dd`. For example, if
|
|
we are installing *Foobarbaz* GNU+Linux, and it's located in our Downloads
|
|
folder, this is the command we would run:
|
|
|
|
sudo dd if=~/Downloads/foobarbaz.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=8M; sync
|
|
|
|
That's it! You should now be able to boot the installer from your USB drive
|
|
(the instructions for doing so will be given later).
|
|
|
|
## Prepare the USB drive in NetBSD
|
|
[This page](https://wiki.netbsd.org/tutorials/how_to_install_netbsd_from_an_usb_memory_stick/)
|
|
on the NetBSD website shows how to create a NetBSD bootable USB drive, from
|
|
within NetBSD itself. You should the `dd` method documented there. This will
|
|
work with any GNU+Linux ISO image.
|
|
|
|
## Prepare the USB drive in FreeBSD
|
|
[This page](https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/bsdinstall-pre.html) on the
|
|
FreeBSD website shows how to create a bootable USB drive for installing
|
|
FreeBSD. Use the `dd` method documented. This will work with any GNU+Linux ISO
|
|
image.
|
|
|
|
## Prepare the USB drive in LibertyBSD or OpenBSD
|
|
If you downloaded your ISO on a LibertyBSD or OpenBSD system, here is how to
|
|
create the bootable GNU+Linux USB drive:
|
|
|
|
Connect the USB drive. Run `lsblk` to determine which drive it is:
|
|
|
|
lsblk
|
|
|
|
To confirm that you have the correct drive, use `disklabel`. For example,
|
|
if you thought the correct drive were **sd3**, run this command:
|
|
|
|
disklabel sd3
|
|
|
|
Make sure that the device isn't mounted, with `doas`; if it is, this command
|
|
will unmount it:
|
|
|
|
doas umount /dev/sd3i
|
|
|
|
The `lsblk` command told you what device it is. Overwrite the drive, writing
|
|
the OpenBSD installer to it with `dd`. Here's an example:
|
|
|
|
doas dd if=gnulinux.iso of=/dev/rsdXc bs=1M; sync
|
|
|
|
That's it! You should now be able to boot the installer from your USB drive
|
|
(the instructions for doing so will be given later).
|
|
|
|
## Debian or Devuan net install
|
|
Download the Debian or Devuan net installer. You can download the Debian ISO
|
|
from [the Debian homepage](https://www.debian.org/), or the Devuan ISO from
|
|
[the Devuan homepage](https://www.devuan.org/).
|
|
|
|
Secondly, create a bootable USB drive using the commands in
|
|
[#prepare-the-usb-drive-in-gnulinux](#prepare-the-usb-drive-in-gnulinux).
|
|
|
|
Thirdly, boot the USB and enter these commands in the GRUB terminal
|
|
(for 64-bit Intel or AMD):
|
|
|
|
set root='usb0'
|
|
linux /install.amd/vmlinuz
|
|
initrd /install.amd/initrd.gz
|
|
boot
|
|
|
|
If you are on a 32-bit system (e.g. some Thinkpad X60's) then you will need to
|
|
use these commands (this is also true for 32-bit running on 64-bit machines):
|
|
|
|
set root='usb0'
|
|
linux /install.386/vmlinuz
|
|
initrd /install.386/initrd.gz
|
|
boot
|
|
|
|
## 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.
|
|
|
|
## 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, then run the `ls` command:
|
|
|
|
ls
|
|
|
|
Get the device name from the above output (e.g., `usb0`). Here's an example:
|
|
|
|
cat (usb0)/isolinux/isolinux.cfg
|
|
|
|
Either the output of this command will be the ISOLINUX menuentries for that
|
|
ISO, or link to other `.cfg` files (e.g, **/isolinux/foo.cfg**). For example,
|
|
if the file found were **foo.cfg**, you would use this command:
|
|
|
|
cat (usb0)/isolinux/foo.cg`
|
|
|
|
And so on, until you find the correct menuentries for ISOLINUX.
|
|
|
|
For Debian-based distros (e.g., Ubuntu, Devuan), 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.
|
|
|
|
**NOTE: Debian 8.6 ISO only lists 32-bit boot options in txt.cfg.
|
|
This is important, if you want 64-bit booting on your system. Devuan versions
|
|
based on Debian 8.x may also have the same issue.**
|
|
|
|
Now, look at the ISOLINUX menuentry; it'll look like this:
|
|
|
|
kernel /path/to/kernel append PARAMETERS initrd=/path/to/initrd ...
|
|
|
|
GRUB works similarly; here are some example GRUB commands:
|
|
|
|
set root='usb0'
|
|
linux /path/to/kernel PARAMETERS MAYBE_MORE_PARAMETERS
|
|
initrd /path/to/initrd
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
## Troubleshooting
|
|
Most of these issues occur when using Libreboot with coreboot's `text-mode`
|
|
with libgfxinit for video initialization. This mode is useful for text mode
|
|
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 no mode switching support is present (Linux/BSD kernels
|
|
do Kernel Mode Setting, so they are able to initialize a frame buffer in bare
|
|
metal regardless of whatever coreboot is doing).
|
|
|
|
### debian-installer Graphical Corruption in Text-Mode (Debian and Devuan)
|
|
When using the ROM images that use Coreboot's `text mode`, instead of the
|
|
coreboot framebuffer, while using libgfxinit, booting the Debian or Devuan net
|
|
installer results in graphical corruption, because it is trying to switch to a
|
|
framebuffer while no mode switching support is present. Use this kernel
|
|
parameter on the `linux` line, when booting it:
|
|
|
|
fb=false
|
|
|
|
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.
|