It is important to know that the "ISO" image files for *ALL* current (and
generally recent vintage) Linux install images (all distros) not only work on
optical disks (either CDs or DVDs) but also on flash drives. BUT it is
important to image it onto the flash drive, not just copy onto a stock drive's
file system. This can be done with dd on a Linux machine, but requires a
"special" program under MS-Windows. Modern computers ("PC" types AND Macs)
under stand how to boot these images from flash drives (might require some
fiddling with UFI secure boot settings. etc.).At Sun, 4 Oct 2026 16:44:35 -0600 Charles Curley <[email protected]> wrote: > > On Sun, 4 Oct 2026 17:06:03 -0400 > MartinGary Padgett <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Cannot install Debian 12 'Bookworm' in my desktop computer. (Not yet > > ready to learn 13 'Trixie'.) > > I haven't seen much difference, so I suggest you start with trixie. > Also, it is possible that whatever is causing your problem has been > fixed or avoided in the newer Debian Installer (d-i). > > > To do so I need to find somebody with a > > computer to download file 'debian-12.15.0-amd64-netinst.iso' and then > > 'burn' it on either a DVD or CD optical disk. The nearest other > > computer is owned by one of my grandson, a 'MAK laptop'. He > > downloaded the file and 'burned' it to a DVD using a portable optical > > disk drive. Then I opened the desktop, put the disk in the desktop > > optical drive, and restarted it. All that happened: the BIOS > > appeared. That is all. > > Having downloaded the iso, did your grandson then verify the image with > shasums, and verify the checksums with the Debian GPG key? > > Having burned the image, did he then mount the CD and checksum the > contents? > > root@testing:~# mount /media/cdrom > mount: /media/cdrom0: WARNING: source write-protected, mounted read-only. > root@testing:~# cd /media/cdrom > root@testing:/media/cdrom# md5sum --q -c md5sum.txt > root@testing:/media/cdrom# > > In Unix fashion, if the CD is good, you should see no output from this. > > > > > I still have an older optical disk for Debian 12 dated 2015-06-19. > > This one is faulty and so cannot complete the installation. It is > > however useful for testing subsequent installations. This one did not > > open the BIOS; instead right after the desktop opened a full blue > > screen appeared with the word ERROR at the top. The next line said > > 'Verification failed: (Ox1A) Security Violation. Then on hitting the > > OK in the middle of the screen the BIOS returned. > > > > So why would the desktop reject the current installer but accepted the > > obsolete one even if it was incomplete? > > Methinks you'll have to ask your BIOS vendor that. Are you sure it a > BIOS machine, and not a UEFI machine? Which machine is it, and have you > looked it up on https://linux-hardware.org? > > > > > What has to be done to activate the current one? > > > > One final comment, I live in Toronto, Canada. When these problems > > emerged, I tried unsuccessfully to find people in Toronto who could > > help me with or without payment. If such a person or persons exist, I > > would like find out how to connect with them. > > There may be a Linux Users Group in or near Toronto. A bit of creative > searching should turn one up. Or see the recent discussion on this list > for other ideas. > > -- Robert Heller -- Cell: 413-658-7953 GV: 978-633-5364 Deepwoods Software -- Custom Software Services http://www.deepsoft.com/ -- Linux Administration Services [email protected] -- Webhosting Services
