Well I meant "two" more files and an "EFI" partition. I need some rest...
Le 11/01/2022 à 11:46, Didier Spaier a écrit : > Hi, > > thanks for the files. > > First I need to more files: >>From Slint type: find /boot/efi > efislint >>From Debian type: find /boot/efi > efidebian > (I mistakenly wrote find instead of find in my previous message) > > Then you wrote: > >> There is NO EFI partition on the USB File Stick that I was using to install >> Debian, it is just an iso copied to the USB stick - it's a Debian >> installation >> with firmware that I put on the USB stick with the command cp debian.iso >> /dev/sdc. > > Actually there is an USB partition on the USB stick, the magic being done by > xorriso from Thomas Schmitt when writing the ISO in case of Slint. > > Example below: > # cp debian-11.2.0-amd64-netinst.iso /dev/sdd > # lsblk -lo name,size,fstype|grep sdd > sdd 7,4G iso9660 > sdd1 378M iso9660 > sdd2 2,5M vfat > # mount /dev/sdd2 /mnt > # find /mnt > /mnt > /mnt/efi > /mnt/efi/boot > /mnt/efi/boot/bootx64.efi > /mnt/efi/boot/grubx64.efi > /mnt/efi/debian > /mnt/efi/debian/grub.cfg > > As an aside there is no /efi/boot/grub.cfg but only /efi/debian/grub.cfg so I > fail to understand what told your firmware to look for \EFI\BOOT\grub.cfg > (wich is equivalent to /efi/boot/grub.cfg) > > Maybe the additional files that I requested will tell us? > > Cheers, > Didier > > Le 11/01/2022 à 08:36, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. a écrit : >> Didier, >> >> I didn't know if you wanted me to reply also to the list, which I will do, >> but >> I'm sending this to you only until you tell me otherwise. >> >> Yes I confused GRUB menu with the firmware, from what I understand it is GRUB >> that is changing the UEFI settings in my firmware BIOS SETUP to boot to the >> last >> operating system, even before my USB stick if I wanted to boot from one - >> say to >> put a new distro on my computer. I cannot interrupt the boot into the last >> operating system which is at the top of the BIOS settings. I will grab my >> camera and take a picture! >> >> >> Here are the files you asked for. >> >> >From Slint, type as root: efibootmgr > efivars and send me the file efivars >> >From Slint, send me the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg renamed grubslint >> >From Slint, type: file /boot/efi > efislint and send me the file efislint >> >From Debian, send me the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg renamed grubdebian >> >From Debian type: file /boot/efi > efidebain ans send me the file efidebian >> >From Slint, identify the EFI partition of the repair bot stick; mount it on >> >/mnt >> and type: find /mnt > stick and send me the file stick. >> >> There is NO EFI partition on the USB File Stick that I was using to install >> Debian, it is just an iso copied to the USB stick - it's a Debian >> installation >> with firmware that I put on the USB stick with the command cp debian.iso >> /dev/sdc. >> >> So I used a file stick from the multi-boot utility SARDU and I'm sending you >> the >> results of "find /mnt/efi > stick". I can use some of the programs on that to >> repair grub and so forth. >> >> If you want me to send this to the debian-accessibility list, I will do so. >> >> Thanks again for your help, but I still am not sure you are understanding me, >> but time will tell. >> >> BRGDS, >> David >> >> >> On Mon, Jan 10, 2022 at 5:53 PM Didier Spaier <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> Hi, >> >> Le 10/01/2022 à 21:15, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. a écrit : >> > GRUB now puts a "Preferred Boot" at the top of GRUB's choices so that >> it goes >> > directly to the last successfully used operating system. >> >> I think you are confusing the GRUB menu with the menu of the firmware. >> >> > But here's the PROBLEM. >> > >> > As soon as my computer boots into one of the operating systems, either >> Slint, >> > Debian, or Windows 10, GRUB adds an entry to the very top of my >> computer's >> BIOS >> > SETUP changing the boot device boot order, which previously was USB HD, >> then my >> > hard drive, and inserts whatever operating system it last booted into, >> modifying >> > the previous BIOS boot settings. >> >> As I wrote in the Slint mailing list this is the expected behavior >> unless when >> installing grub you used the --no nvram option, which prevents GRUB to >> write a >> boot entry in the firmware's menu. >> >> > Now on the next boot, my computer which previously booted from USB >> stick, now >> > will boot directly into the last operating system that I used and it's >> > impossible to enter BIOS Setup at all by pressing the setup key >> (usually F2). >> >> If you can't enter the firmware setup in this context your firmware is >> buggy, >> this has nothing to do with GRUB. >> >> > What I have to do is to use the GRUB entry in Debian or Slint to go to >> the >> last >> > entry which is "UEFI Firmware Settings" and this will cause my >> computer to >> > reboot into the UEFI Firmware Settings - the same settings that I >> mentioned >> > earier, that is accessed by a key press immediately when the BIOS name >> flashes >> > on the screen - which now is inaccessible for even the sighted because >> the >> > computer just directly goes to the last operating system that was used. >> > Without this entry in GRUB the only ways to go back to a BIOS SETUP >> that >> allows >> > me to boot to USB stick is to either boot into Windows and search for >> Advanced >> > Boot Settings, then UEFI Firmware settings, and reboot - which will do >> the >> exact >> > same thing as the bottom GRUB menu entry in Debian or Slint> Or I can >> take >> my computer apart and find the RESET button and press it and it >> > will reset my firmware to the original where I again have access to >> Boot >> device >> > choice - in my case by pressing F2. >> > >> > But whenever I boot into any operating system, I again lose the >> ability to >> boot >> > into a USB stick because GRUB places an entry at the top of my BIOS >> UEFI >> settings! >> >> Again, rather because your firmware is buggy: >> 1. That GRUB places an entry at the top of my BIOS UEFI (aka firmware) >> settings >> is perfectly normal. But you can prevent it if you want, see at the end >> of this >> message. >> 2. That this prevent you to access your firmware settings is not normal >> at all, >> but you should blame his faulty behavior to your firmware, not to GRUB. >> >> > Certainly this action by GRUB should be disabled in an accessible >> version of >> > Linux, or disabled altogether! >> >> Not at all. If you install an OS, you most of the time expect it to >> start at >> next boot. >> >> But if you do not want wall, you can avoid it several ways: include a >> custom >> boot entry in GRUB's menu or edit directly the firmware boot menu from a >> running >> OS. The second solution is easier, so I will describe it. >> >> As I wrote in the Slint list you can use the efibootmgr application >> shipped in >> Slint and alos available in Debian for several purposes, among which >> a) Change the order of the boot entries permanently. >> b) Tell the firmware to boot a specific boot entry at next boot. >> >> However in the Slint mailing list you wrote (my comments after the >> quotes) >> >> > Jim has to run efibootmgr as root then find the USB HD on the list, >> which on >> > your list is Boot000C* USB HDD, so he substitutes the last four number >> after >> > Boot in the list for the USB HD and then he can boot directly into the >> USB >> stick. >> > >> > Mine was Boot0013* USB HDD: >> > >> > So I ran as root: >> > >> > efibootmgr -n 0013 >> > >> > And then when I run as root: reboot, I should boot directly to the >> USB stick. >> > >> > I tried, and it didn't go well at all. >> > >> > Booting brought me to EFI shell and it said: >> > >> > Failed to open \EFI\BOOT\grub.cfg >> > >> > Not found. >> >> We do not know what is in your repair USB stick, thus cannot draw a >> conclusion. >> >> It is possible that you typed a wrong number, or that you has several USB >> devices plugged in and you landed in another one, or that there be an >> issue with >> the content of the USB stick's EFI partition, or that this be the >> consequence of >> a bug in the firmware. >> >> > If I type exit at the EFI shell, I eventually get to a firmware boot >> menu >> and I >> > use that menu to boot from a USB device which was listed containing my >> boot >> > repair USB stick. >> > >> > The boot repair USB sticks, which allowed me to update, repair and >> reinstall >> > GRUB on /dev/sda but now not with as good a result as before, because >> now if I >> > boot from the hard drive (I have /sda and /sdb) I get the same errors. >> >> Again this can be an issue with your firmware >> >> > So I have to insert my boot repair USB stick which has a menu utility >> and >> I can >> > boot to Slint, Debian or Windows from there. >> > >> > But now I have to always use the boot repair stick. I cannot boot from >> my hard >> > drive directly. >> >> Again, probably a firmware bug. >> >> 2) You can >> >> Now to investigate we need several information, so please do what >> follows. Yiu >> will need to be root or use sudo. >> >> >From Slint, type as root: efibootmgr > efivars and send me the file >> efivars >> >From Slint, send me the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg renamed grubslint >> >From Debian, send me the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg renamed grubdebian >> >From Slint, type: file /boot/efi > efislint and send me the file >> efislint >> >From Debian type: file /boot/efi > efidebain ans send me the file >> efidebian >> >From Slint, identify the EFI partition of the repair bot stick; mount >> it on >> /mnt >> and type: find /mnt > stick and send me the file stick. >> >> Cheers, >> Didier >> >
