I think I have diagnosed the problem, but I don't know how to fix it yet. The configuration files under /boot/grub show that root is found as hd3,gpt2. I read Grub hd numbers start at 0, so hd3 would be the fourth hard drive. But when Grub boots successfully this one time, the USB drive is at /dev/sdc, the third hard drive.
I could edit the files in /boot, but the comments say don't do that. And I haven't found a reference to hd3 in the files under /etc. Alan On 3/14/20, Alan Tu <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi, I don't know how to fix this. I used an ISO image burned to one > USB to install Debian to a second USB. I did this twice, with just one > difference: > > 1) At the end of the install, both USB are connected to the computer. > When the text installer prompts me, I remove the installation USB, > then press Enter. The new Debian system boots. > 2) At the end of the install, both USB are connected to the computer. > When the text installer prompts me, I remove the installation USB, > then press Enter. But this time while the BIOS is posting, I remove > the second USB and let my computer boot into Windows. I then > completely power off the machine. I then re-attach the second USB with > the installation. Computer boots to Windows. The second USB doesn't > boot. > > I should add I am blind and cannot see the messages that a potential > bootloader might output. > > I ran this contrived test because the bootable USB drives I installed > on only booted once. (While trying these scenarios, I'm getting quite > familiar with all the numeric menu choices in the text installer.) > > When the installer boots, it is attached to /dev/sdc. (I have two > built-in hard drives.) During the install, the target USB drive is at > /dev/sdd. But when I'm booting the system with only the installation > target USB attached, that probably is not /dev/sdd at that point. It > would probably be /dev/sdc, if the kernel knows about such things at > this point. I'm not sure if this is my problem. > > I have read about Grub refering to hard disks by number, like hd0. But > I just don't know what to do. > > I don't want to modify my original Windows boot drive with a > bootloader. All I want is to boot into Debian when I insert the USB. > But I'm really stumped. > > Alan >
