Installation problem

[mzoro]

Hello,

I am a programmer coming from the Windows world, hence knowing very few about the Linux world.
I tried again and again to install Salix in an exterior disk, without success.
I describe here some aspects of my attempts that I think are the most possible sources of failure.

First, my Desktop computer is x64.
I downloaded this version of Salix iso file: https://sourceforge.net/projects/salix/ ... o/download
and burnt it to a DVD disk.

The PC already has two internal disks containing windows 7 and folders, and I wished to install Salix on an exterior disk.
So I connected an exterior 1 TB disk with an USB adaptor and started the computer with the DVD inside.

This stated up the Salix installation. I describe here only the main options I configured, which I suspect something may be wrong; the other options seem to be unimportant for the problem.
I configured the exterior disk ("sdc") as:
sdc1: 30 GB, linux partition, bootable, write the partition table to the disk;
sdc2: 12 GB, linux swap partition, write the partition table to the disk;
sdc3: rest of the disk, linux partition, write the partition table to the disk.

Then they asked me about format: I configured
sdc1: / , ext4
sdc2: /swap
sdc3: /home, ext4

Then I chosen the full installation, which ended properly.

Then they asked me about Lilo and I chosen the first option (I don't remember the name, "super root" or something like this, they said this may demand some further work with sfscan).
Thus Lilo was installed successfully.
After creating one user account, and some unimportant things, they asked me to reboot and I did that.

When the system rebooted, Lilo offered me to chose "Linux" and I typed "Enter".
Then after doing "things" successfully, Lilo (or Salix) suddenly entered in a so-called "panic" and wrote finally :

Not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,33).

I tried several times to install Salix with slightly different choices, ending either with errors even sooner during the installation process, or with the same error after rebooting when the installation was seemingly successful.

Thank you in advance.

[djemos]

Welcome to salix.

Try this first: boot with the external disk plug in and press f2 or whatever is the Function key to go to boot menu. From there choose usb and boot on your salix system.
If cannot boot then read bellow.

Download salixlive64-xfce
Burn it to a dvd. Boot with it. After boot plug in the external disk
Then run sli (salix-live-installer) and install the salix on /dev/sdc (choose /dev/sdc1 for system , /dev/sdc3 for /home and check to format home. choose grub as the default boot loader, choose your keyboard, locale, time zone, set user name and password and proceed to installation).
then reboot with the external disk plug in and press F2 or whatever is the Function key to go to boot menu. From there choose usb and boot on your salix system. You have to do this every time want to boot from an external disk or a usb stick having salix installed.
When upgrade the kernel can install this gui tool to easily upgrade kernel and boot from the external disk.

Using the same procedure can also boot with dvd and plug in a 32 or 64GB usb stick and install there salix too, to upgrade it and have it always with you. A real ported installed system. I am writing this message running salix installed on 64GB usb stick.
More details on salix_live_startup_guide

[mzoro]

Thank you for answering me.
I succeeded to boot into Salix with the Salix live iso on a DVD, but that's the only thing I've succeeded so far after a week of struggling.
I feel very frustrated and depressive because of the exhausting effort and the waste of time. It seems like the Salix team has not tested the installation procedures for all the systems, or haven't given enough information for non very acquainted Linux users. For example, there is no step by step instruction manual with a pictures for each step. The Salix manual really lacks screenshots.

So, I have tried almost everything to install (non live) Salix on a USB exterior disk with your solutions above, after booting with a live Salix DVD.
But when I rebooted with the usb disk, the system just said: "error".

Then I tried to install a live Salix on an exterior USB ssd disk, using the "instonusb" Gui inside Salix. This seemed to install well. At reboot, with the USB disk, Salix succeeded to boot as it did with the DVD, letting me choose among the various Salix options. But after that, the installation was finally aborted with the following error message:
live system error: live media not detected; exiting.

My general impression: it seems that Salix always installs UEFI folders and needs UEFI boot system. But my system is only Legacy bios and does not offer UEFI. Despite what they say, it looks like the system won't install without some tweak on a Legacy bios. Could it be possible that during the writing of their manual, the Salix team assumed a UEFI system and didn't test their instructions with legacy bios?

[mzoro]

I think I have found the cause of the problem: the installation works with a usual disk-on-key, but not with a ssd disk connected to USB via an adaptor. I've posted a thread in the bug section.

[Kimdino]

I think it may be a bit more complicated than that. I have what sounds like a similar problem and have tried many times. But my BIOS does support UEFI and I have a standard SATA drive on the PCI bus.

[djemos]

The PC already has two internal disks containing windows 7 and folders, and I wished to install Salix on an exterior disk.
So I connected an exterior 1 TB disk with an USB adaptor and started the computer with the DVD inside.

This stated up the Salix installation. I describe here only the main options I configured, which I suspect something may be wrong; the other options seem to be unimportant for the problem.
I configured the exterior disk ("sdc") as:
sdc1: 30 GB, linux partition, bootable, write the partition table to the disk;
sdc2: 12 GB, linux swap partition, write the partition table to the disk;
sdc3: rest of the disk, linux partition, write the partition table to the disk.

Then they asked me about format: I configured
sdc1: / , ext4
sdc2: /swap
sdc3: /home, ext4

This is a really interesting system.

What to do:

1. Boot with SalixLive64 Xfce 15.0 dvd.
Your first disk is /dev/sda, Your second disk is /dev/sdb
2. While on live environment plug in the usb where external disk is connected to install salix.
This external disk will be /dev/sdc.

Steps:
1. click on gparted. Create a gpt partition table. (click on Partition->New-> gpt)
2. create a vfat32 300MB partition for UEFI (/dev/sdc1.) After creation sign it esp,boot. (right click with the mouse on it and click on Manage flags. Click on boot) You will see boot,esp on flags column..
3. create a linux swap partition (/dev/sdc2)
4. create a linux ext4 partition (/dev/sdc3)
close gparted.
5. choose /dev/sdc3 as install location:
6. Grub is already checked. Do not change it.
7. Filesystem is already set to ext4. Do not change it.
8. click on system clock and set time zone
9. click on Language and set Language
10. click on keyboard and set keyboard
11. type the user name
12. type the user password twice.
13. click on install live system.
wait until installation finish.

After installation finish do not close the computer.
1. Download and save the attachment script with the name install-portable-n to /home/one folder.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
# We will install GRUB in the parent device of the root partition, so
# that the system stays bootable if moved, at least if the firmware of
# the machine where this devices lands is set to boot from it first.
# This script is from Slint and is modified for salix.
export TEXTDOMAIN=salix
. gettext.sh
if [ ! $(id -u) -eq 0 ]; then
	gettext "Only root may run this script."
	exit
fi
if [ "$(df|grep /mnt$)" = "" ]; then
	echo "The root partition (/) of the newly installed system should be"
	echo "mounted as /mnt before running this script."
	exit
fi
export ROOTDELAY=5
TMP=$(mktemp)
dialog \
--title "$(gettext "INCLUDE EXTRA PARAMETERS IN THE BOOT COMMAND LINE?")" \
--inputbox \
"$(gettext "You might need extra parameters to be included in the boot command \
line of the installed system. If you typed parameters before booting \
the Slint installer, you will probably want to enter the same ones here. \
If you don't need any extra parameter to be included, just press ENTER \
to continue.
")" 12 72 2> $TMP
export KERNELPARAMS=$(<$TMP)
rm $TMP
USB_HOST_AND_STORAGE="mmc \
mmc_block \
mmc_core \
pcmcia \
pcmcia_core \
ssb \
ehci-hcd \
ehci-pci \
ehci-platform \
fotg210-hcd \
isp116x-hcd \
isp1362-hcd \
ohci-hcd \
ohci-pci \
ohci-platform \
oxu210hp-hcd \
r8a66597-hcd \
sl811-hcd \
sl811_cs \
ssb-hcd \
uhci-hcd \
whci-hcd \
xhci-hcd \
xhci-pci \
xhci-plat-hcd \
uas \
ums-freecom \
usb-storage \
wusbcore \
umc \
uwb \
whci"
#EFI="efi-pstore \
#efivars"
USB_KBD="uhci-hcd \
usbhid \
hid-huge"
btrfs="btrfs"
ext2="mbcache \
ext2"
ext3="jbd2 \
mbcache \
crc32c-intel \
ext4"
ext4="jbd2 \
mbcache \
crc32c-intel \
ext4"
# f2fs="f2fs"
jfs="jfs"
reiserfs="reiserfs"
xfs="xfs"
MODULES="$USB_HOST_AND_STORAGE $USB_KBD"
ROOTPART=$(lsblk -l -o name,mountpoint| grep /mnt$|sed "s,\([^[:space:]]*\).*,/dev/\1,")
ROOTNAME=$(echo $ROOTPART|sed "s,/dev/,,")
ROOTUUID=$(lsblk -l -o name,uuid|grep ^$ROOTNAME|sed "s/[^ ]*[[:space:]]*//")
FSTYPE=$(lsblk -l -o name,fstype|grep ^$ROOTNAME|sed "s/[^ ]*[[:space:]]*//")
ROOTDEVICE=/dev/$(lsblk -l -o name,pkname|grep ^$ROOTNAME|sed "s/[^ ]*[[:space:]]*//")
BRAND=$(grep ^NAME /mnt/etc/os-release|sed "s/.*=//")
KERNELVERSION=$(ls -1tr /mnt/boot/vmlinuz-huge-*|sed -n '/$/s,.*-,,p')
EFIINSTALL=n
check_efi() {
	# We will install grub for UEFI booting if and only if an ESP on the
	# same drive as the root partition is mounted on /mnt/boot/efi
	# If no partition is mounted as /boot/efi, bail out.
	PARTNAME=$(lsblk -l -o name,mountpoint |grep /mnt/boot/efi|sed "s/[[:space:]]\{1,\}.*//")
	if [ "$PARTNAME" = "" ]; then
		return
	fi
	# If the partition mounted as /boot/efi is not an ESP, bail out.
	# The UEFI specification states that an ESP has a GUID of
	# C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B in case of a GPT layout.
	# In case of a DOS layout instead, an ESP should have an OS type of
	# 0xEF. lsblk writes these values in the same field PARTTYPE.
	ESPPARTTYPE=C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B
	OSTYPE=0xEF
	PARTTYPE=$(lsblk -l -o parttype,name|grep $PARTNAME|sed "s/[[:space:]]\{1,\}.*//")
	if [ "$(echo $PARTTYPE|grep -i $ESPPARTTYPE)" = "" ] && \
	[ "$(echo $PARTTYPE|grep -i $OSTYPE)" = "" ]; then
		return
	fi
	# If the file system of the partition mounted as /efi/boot is not
	# VFAT, bail out.
	PARTFSTYPE=$(lsblk -l -o fstype,name|grep $PARTNAME|sed  "s/[[:space:]]\{1,\}.*//")
	if [ "(echo $PARTFSTYPE| grep -i  vfat)" = "" ]; then
		return
	fi
	# The ESP mounted as /mnt/boot/efi should be on the same device as 
	# the target root partition.
	ESPDEVICE=/dev/$(lsblk -l -o pkname,name|grep ${PARTNAME}$|sed "s/[[:space:]]\{1,\}.*//")
	if [ ! "$ESPDEVICE" = "$ROOTDEVICE" ]; then
		return
	fi
	EFIINSTALL=y
}
#check_efi
case $FSTYPE in
	btrfs) FS=$btrfs;;
	ext2) FS=$ext2;;
	ext3) FS=$ext3;;
	ext4) FS=$ext4;;
	jfs) FS=$jfs;;
	reiserfs) FS=$reiserfs;;
	xfs) FS=$xfs;;
	*) echo "Root file system $FSTYPE is not supported."
	exit
esac
export MODULES=$(printf "$MODULES $FS"|sed "s/ /:/g")
lsblk -l -o uuid,type,name|grep part| \
sed "s, *\([^ ]*\) *[^ ]*  *\([^ ]*\).*,s;/dev/\2;UUID=\1;," > /mnt/tmp/part_list

cat << EOF > /mnt/etc/salix-version
salix 15.0
EOF

export SALIXVERSION=$(</mnt/etc/salix-version)

cat << EOF > /mnt/boot/grub/grub.cfg
# This grub.cfg is part of a portable Slint.
# Do NOT remove or modify the line above, as it indicates to the script
# update-kernel that it should install a new initrd but run the script
# update-portable instead of update-grub after a kernel upgrade.

set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=white/blue

terminal_output console
set timeout=10
play 480 262 1 330 1 392 1 523 1

menuentry 'Boot $SALIXVERSION kernel $KERNELVERSION' {
	echo "Starting $SALIXVERSION kernel $KERNELVERSION.  Please wait..."
	insmod part_gpt
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod btrfs
	insmod f2fs
	insmod ext2
	insmod jfs
	insmod reiserfs
	insmod xfs
	insmod all_video
	search --fs-uuid --set=root $ROOTUUID
	linux /boot/vmlinuz-huge-$KERNELVERSION root=UUID=$ROOTUUID vga=normal ro $KERNELPARAMS
	initrd /boot/initrd.gz
}
EOF
cat << EOF > /mnt/bin/post_install
#!/bin/sh
if [ ! -f /etc/fstab ]; then
	gettext "I can't find /etc/fstab in the newly installed system.
Please complete its installation before running this script."
	echo
	exit
fi
echo "creating initrd.gz"
mkinitrd -c -k $KERNELVERSION -f $FSTYPE -r UUID=$ROOTUUID -m $MODULES -w $ROOTDELAY -u -o /boot/initrd.gz 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
if [ ! -f /etc/fstab.orig ]; then
	cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.orig
fi
sed -f /tmp/part_list /etc/fstab > dummy
mv dummy /etc/fstab
# Let's replace the huge kernel by a huge one.
# Remove the huge kernel, the huge one should already be there.
#if [ -f /boot/vmlinuz-huge-* ]; then
#	removepkg kernel-huge 
#	( cd /boot
#	rm -f System.map config config-huge vmlinuz vmlinuz-huge
#	)
#fi

EOF
mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
chmod 755 /mnt/bin/post_install
chroot /mnt /bin/post_install

# We install in both Legacy and EFI modes if possible.
#echo ROOTDEVICE=$ROOTDEVICE
#chroot /mnt grub-install --target=i386-pc $ROOTDEVICE
#if [ "$EFIINSTALL" = "y" ]; then
#	chroot /mnt grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --no-nvram --removable $ROOTDEVICE
#fi
#rm /mnt/bin/post_install /mnt/tmp/part_list
umount /mnt/proc
umount /mnt/sys
umount /mnt/dev

Open a terminal and type df -H to check that /dev/sdc1 and /dev/sdc3 are not mounted.
2. mount the /dev/sdc3 partition where system installed to /mnt

Code: Select all

sudo mount /dev/sdc3 /mnt

It is important to mount the external disk in /mnt otherwise script will not work
3. now type

Code: Select all

sudo sh /home/one/install-portable-n

and type the password it is one
initrd.gz will be created to /mnt/boot/ and also a grub.cfg file in /mnt/boot/grub/
to check type sudo ls -l /mnt//boot/
You will see initrd.gz there check the date and time to see it is newly created.
Type sudo cat /mnt/boot/grub/grub.cfg
You will see the grub.cfg file.
umount the disk typing

Code: Select all

sudo umount /mnt

Shutdown the system

Unplug the usb external disk and plug in the usb external disk again.
Turn on pc and immediatelly Press fn+F12 or whatever is the F key to your system to go to bios boot menu. You see there the USB disk. Boot from it.

A user of slackel had a problem like this and this method worked. He did the installation using a live-usb to boot and install to external ssd disk using btrfs filesystem.


Please report if it worked.