porteus expert needed

Here you can post about your various experiences with PC hardware. You can also post about hardware that is not compatible with the linux kernel or not recommended for use with Porteus.
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francois
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porteus expert needed

Post#1 by francois » 13 Sep 2014, 02:16

@brokenman or fanthom:

This is a translated french post from:
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=3859

Hello,
I presently work in a company named ORANGE (an optic fiber internet provider company covering France) as a subcontractor for installing FTTH (a very performant fiber technology). We have a USB key with Porteus app to settle the ONT (CONVERTER for fiber). This is why I need you. On recent PC UEFI BIOS will not boot from it. And when I use the legacy bios boot key the ethernet card will not work (a driver problem maybe.

I have tried to make a porteus key with a more recent version of Porteus, but as I put in it the modules it returns as before. I am lost, orange no longer updates its sofware, and there is only UEFI in in new pc. If anyone can help me?

Thanks in advance.

Note: Maybe I went too far in the french post asking for some donation. Just tell me. :wink:
Prendre son temps, profiter de celui qui passe.

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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#2 by fanthom » 13 Sep 2014, 05:17

(i'm not an EFI expert yet so may be mistaken)
if Porteus is installed on a FAT formatted partition then should be enough to:

a) copy whole EFI folder from here on the usb stick (next to /porteus and /boot):
http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/ftp.slackw ... re64-14.1/

b) create empty /mnt/sdXY/kernels/huge.s/bzImage file on the stick. this file tells GRUB where to set the root as per:
http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/ftp.slackw ... bedded.cfg

c) adjust grub.cfg to match porteus entries:
/mnt/sdXY/EFI/BOOT/grub.cfg

this is it - such prepared stick should boot on EFI enabled PC.
Maybe I went too far in the french post asking for some donation. Just tell me. :wink:
i have no objections asking companies for donations to the kiosk project if i'm doing some work for them (very often they are making direct profit from kiosk so i believe this is right). asking private persons is different IMO. i would rather say 'please donate if you can' rather than 'please donate - otherwise you wont get the help'.
Please add [Solved] to your thread title if the solution was found.

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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#3 by Ed_P » 13 Sep 2014, 05:43

Perhaps this thread would help him francois.

http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3560
Ed

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francois
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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#4 by francois » 13 Sep 2014, 20:35

@fanthom:
You know how I look at you, you are next to god when it comes to linux. I have the impression that you know and can resolve everything. 8)
EFI seems to be the exception confirming the rule. :wink:

@Ed_P:
Thanks a lot for the link. Lets us be there for the pursuit of this discussion. I think that I am going to generate some more writing for you.
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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#5 by brokenman » 13 Sep 2014, 22:47

So is the question how to install Porteus on UEFI? I recently uploaded a video about how to do this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_AXMoa ... tu.be?hd=1

PS: fanthom doesn't own a UEFI machine, otherwise he would no doubt live up to your expectation.
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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#6 by beny » 13 Sep 2014, 22:59

hi i have undestand that the orange guys have to boot porteus key into uefi machines and it fails,maybe i am wrong and fanthom why not use elilo to try

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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#7 by fanthom » 13 Sep 2014, 23:02

will play with this next week and see if anything comes up. my goal is to deliver a zipped archive (with porteus inside) which should be extracted on a FAT formatted stick. that stick should work ootb on EFI PCs - i think running the installer wont be needed at all (or will be needed only if you want to run porteus on EFI and BIOS PCs)

will see how it goes :)
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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#8 by francois » 13 Sep 2014, 23:54

On recent PC UEFI BIOS will not boot from it. (with porteus usb install)

Is there any reason why the regular porteus usb would not boot on EFI systems?

@fanthom and brokenman:
I have transmitted your proposals.

Thanks.
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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#9 by Ed_P » 14 Sep 2014, 00:22

francois wrote:Is there any reason why the regular porteus usb would not boot on EFI systems?
It should boot if the machine's BIOS supports Legacy mode and is switched to that mode before booting. Legacy mode uses the MBR for booting. EFI mode uses the GUID Partition Table (GPT).
fanthom wrote: my goal is to deliver a zipped archive (with porteus inside) which should be extracted on a FAT formatted stick. that stick should work ootb on EFI PCs
I have a UEFI machine if you need help testing it.
Ed

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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#10 by brokenman » 14 Sep 2014, 14:36

Is there any reason why the regular porteus usb would not boot on EFI systems?
There could be a number of reasons. The problem is the variation of hardware implementations and failure to strictly follow the UEFI standards. I understand you have a hybrid BIOS/EFI machine in which case the settings to switch between using BIOS/MBR and EFI/GPT reside in the entering the BIOS/EFI using the hotkey (maybe F2) during boot. The machine can only be in one state or the other. Not both.

If the machine is in EFI mode then it will not boot from a standard Porteus install. In that case follow the video I sent to create an EFI USB stick (it follows the EFI standards) or wait for Fanthom to create the zip. There are also elements out of our control such as if it is a dual boot machine (no doubt it is). The onboard EFI firmware is where the boot preference lives and in this case you must use efitools (or bcdedit in windows) to choose your preferred operating system. My machine for example refused to boot anything except Windows or Redhat. This was fixed but now it will ONLY boot from the default EFI boot file (bootx64.efi) and even if I change this in the firmware it reverts back to its original state. Then you must make sure secure boot mode is turned off. Fast boot mode and any otheer 'fast' mode is disabled in the BIOS/EFI.

So in the end I would recommend booting from EFI mode (supports +2Terrabyte drives) and creating an EFI USB stick. I can knock that up today no problems if you need it and you can't follow the video. It hasn't failed to boot on the 3 EFI machines I have tested it on.
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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#11 by Ed_P » 14 Sep 2014, 21:57

brokenman wrote: My machine for example refused to boot anything except Windows or Redhat.
How did Redhat get added to it?
This was fixed but now it will ONLY boot from the default EFI boot file (bootx64.efi) and even if I change this in the firmware it reverts back to its original state.
I would hardly call that a fix. Something isn't right.
Ed

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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#12 by francois » 15 Sep 2014, 17:27

@brokenman:
The essence of your writing are for me:

1) If the machine is in EFI mode then it will not boot from a standard Porteus install. In that case follow the video I sent to create an EFI USB stick (it follows the EFI standards) or wait for Fanthom to create the zip.

2)... you can't follow the video ... . We will try that first with that french gentlemen. I might look at it myself as my box seems to be EFI.

Thanks.

Note: I did not answer on the EFI thread, but I read it too. Its seems that your discussion with Ed is not finished.
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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#13 by brokenman » 15 Sep 2014, 18:59

Correct. The Porteus ISO available on the server will not boot whilst in EFI mode.
Its seems that your discussion with Ed is not finished.
As far as I am concerned, yes it is finished now.
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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#14 by fanthom » 15 Sep 2014, 20:17

.zip file is nearly ready.
just waiting on brokenman to confirm one thing.
Please add [Solved] to your thread title if the solution was found.

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Re: porteus expert needed

Post#15 by francois » 16 Sep 2014, 00:59

It seems that the problem has been solved. I am trying to get the detailed solution to which he just arrived. I will report if he follows up.

Thanks.
Prendre son temps, profiter de celui qui passe.

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