Re: making an accessible boot disk
Computer education in America is seriously deficient. As things stand my friend had never opened a computer up before and nobody had showed him what the parts were inside of one. This would be easier if he had that background. On Fri, 31 May 2019, Cindy Sue Causey wrote: > Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 16:46:44 > From: Cindy Sue Causey > To: Debian-Accessibility > Subject: Re: making an accessible boot disk > Resent-Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 20:46:58 + (UTC) > Resent-From: debian-accessibility@lists.debian.org > > On 5/31/19, Frank Carmickle wrote: > > Hi all, > > > > This is why, where ever I can I buy systems that support out of band > > management, in most cases, ipmi. This way you can choose to change the boot > > order , boot from the network or disk, without going into the bios or if you > > must get into the bios you can have someone do it remotely for you.. Here?s > > to hoping that coreboot might help us someday too. > > > > HTH some time in the future > > > Hi, Frank.. It helped me. It sounds like it might be less intimidating > for newer Users of all kinds, too. I remember the first couple times I > played around in BIOS. I was scared to death I was going to > permanently kill it by accidentally clicking something just wrong. > > This is the first time I can remember ever hearing of it, and I've > been using computers for a VERY long time. I'll be checking it out so > I can speak of it on its own terms if and when the chance to share > that information ever comes up again. > > This is all about INDEPENDENCE.. and fuller "I CAN DO IT!" INCLUSION > when it comes to knowing about options like that. Thank you for > sharing it. :) > > For a split second a few minutes ago, I had the "brilliant" thought to > wonder if maybe a rescue disk could somehow come into play > > And then I basically smacked my head because... the whole point is > about trying to access a feature that you need to change first BEFORE > you can... do something like boot first from a CD, DVD, or USB dealie > before internal hard drives.. > > Cindy :) > --
Re: making an accessible boot disk
On 5/31/19, Frank Carmickle wrote: > Hi all, > > This is why, where ever I can I buy systems that support out of band > management, in most cases, ipmi. This way you can choose to change the boot > order , boot from the network or disk, without going into the bios or if you > must get into the bios you can have someone do it remotely for you.. Here’s > to hoping that coreboot might help us someday too. > > HTH some time in the future Hi, Frank.. It helped me. It sounds like it might be less intimidating for newer Users of all kinds, too. I remember the first couple times I played around in BIOS. I was scared to death I was going to permanently kill it by accidentally clicking something just wrong. This is the first time I can remember ever hearing of it, and I've been using computers for a VERY long time. I'll be checking it out so I can speak of it on its own terms if and when the chance to share that information ever comes up again. This is all about INDEPENDENCE.. and fuller "I CAN DO IT!" INCLUSION when it comes to knowing about options like that. Thank you for sharing it. :) For a split second a few minutes ago, I had the "brilliant" thought to wonder if maybe a rescue disk could somehow come into play And then I basically smacked my head because... the whole point is about trying to access a feature that you need to change first BEFORE you can... do something like boot first from a CD, DVD, or USB dealie before internal hard drives.. Cindy :) -- Cindy-Sue Causey Talking Rock, Pickens County, Georgia, USA * runs with birdseed *
Re: making an accessible boot disk
Hi all, This is why, where ever I can I buy systems that support out of band management, in most cases, ipmi. This way you can choose to change the boot order , boot from the network or disk, without going into the bios or if you must get into the bios you can have someone do it remotely for you.. Here’s to hoping that coreboot might help us someday too. HTH some time in the future --FC On May 31, 2019, at 4:02 PM, Jude DaShiell wrote: > > Bios never did talk and what sighted help my friend was able to get > failed to do bios modifications correctly. Windows users with low > levels of technical experience and this one had seen a bios for the > first time she tried to help us. My friend lives in rural Georgia which > is lacking local neighborhood linux user's groups. For that matter > upper bucks county in Pennsylvania is in no better shape. > > On Fri, 31 May 2019, Cindy Sue Causey wrote: > >> Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 15:57:43 >> From: Cindy Sue Causey >> To: Debian-Accessibility >> Subject: Re: making an accessible boot disk >> Resent-Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 19:57:58 + (UTC) >> Resent-From: debian-accessibility@lists.debian.org >> >> On 5/31/19, Jude DaShiell wrote: >>> I just realized this problem is going to be more complex and I know a >>> way to solve it without necessity for an accessible flash drive. >>> My friend will need to open up his computer and move the hard drive >>> outside the computer case once unscrewed. Then he'll need to pull the >>> power cord out from the hard drive and start an accessible linux DVD up >>> on his computer and once that DVD is booting up put the power back into >>> his hard drive. >> >> >> Hi, Jude.. If you all haven't tried it already, there's.. frequently a >> BIOS setting that allows the User to change the boot order as needed. >> I said it that way in case this is one case it's not there, grin. >> >> The boot options offered via BIOS vary based on each computer's >> capabilities. As an example, I have an old HP that doesn't offer a USB >> based boot option. USB ports are available, but that laptop apparently >> is not able to boot from that option for whatever reason. >> >> The caveat to changing the BIOS boot order is remembering to remove an >> external boot material if one decides to switch to boot using an >> option further down the list BIOS offers. Been there, done that in the >> "whoops, forgot to remove AGAIN" category a number of times. *grin* >> >> Cindy :) >> > > -- >
Re: making an accessible boot disk
On 5/31/19, Jude DaShiell wrote: > Bios never did talk and what sighted help my friend was able to get > failed to do bios modifications correctly. Windows users with low > levels of technical experience and this one had seen a bios for the > first time she tried to help us. My friend lives in rural Georgia which > is lacking local neighborhood linux user's groups. For that matter > upper bucks county in Pennsylvania is in no better shape. I hear what you're saying about BIOS not speaking and also about how there are still pockets of non-tech savvy folks in parts of the United States. I wondered about BIOS not speaking so I was actually hoping for the sighted help angle, if nothing else. I wonder if maybe there's a "newbie friendly" webpage that walks through each BIOS step for your friend's specific computer model. If your friend ever finds one and is able to actually change it, they might want to make a few copies to lay around in case they ever change their mind, grin. There are little quirks to sometimes hitting Enter to do yada-yada. Other times, it's maneuvering via arrow keys. It would be nice if there was an online how-to that presented a step-by-step that showed what was needed at each point for each "tab" or "page" that many or most BIOS have these days. It's... sad that the very long existing BIOS remains inaccessible to the point that a User has to resort to taking a computer apart to accomplish the same thing in the end... :) Cindy :) -- Cindy-Sue Causey Talking Rock, Pickens County, Georgia, USA * runs with birdseed *
Re: making an accessible boot disk
Bios never did talk and what sighted help my friend was able to get failed to do bios modifications correctly. Windows users with low levels of technical experience and this one had seen a bios for the first time she tried to help us. My friend lives in rural Georgia which is lacking local neighborhood linux user's groups. For that matter upper bucks county in Pennsylvania is in no better shape. On Fri, 31 May 2019, Cindy Sue Causey wrote: > Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 15:57:43 > From: Cindy Sue Causey > To: Debian-Accessibility > Subject: Re: making an accessible boot disk > Resent-Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 19:57:58 + (UTC) > Resent-From: debian-accessibility@lists.debian.org > > On 5/31/19, Jude DaShiell wrote: > > I just realized this problem is going to be more complex and I know a > > way to solve it without necessity for an accessible flash drive. > > My friend will need to open up his computer and move the hard drive > > outside the computer case once unscrewed. Then he'll need to pull the > > power cord out from the hard drive and start an accessible linux DVD up > > on his computer and once that DVD is booting up put the power back into > > his hard drive. > > > Hi, Jude.. If you all haven't tried it already, there's.. frequently a > BIOS setting that allows the User to change the boot order as needed. > I said it that way in case this is one case it's not there, grin. > > The boot options offered via BIOS vary based on each computer's > capabilities. As an example, I have an old HP that doesn't offer a USB > based boot option. USB ports are available, but that laptop apparently > is not able to boot from that option for whatever reason. > > The caveat to changing the BIOS boot order is remembering to remove an > external boot material if one decides to switch to boot using an > option further down the list BIOS offers. Been there, done that in the > "whoops, forgot to remove AGAIN" category a number of times. *grin* > > Cindy :) > --
Re: making an accessible boot disk
On 5/31/19, Jude DaShiell wrote: > I just realized this problem is going to be more complex and I know a > way to solve it without necessity for an accessible flash drive. > My friend will need to open up his computer and move the hard drive > outside the computer case once unscrewed. Then he'll need to pull the > power cord out from the hard drive and start an accessible linux DVD up > on his computer and once that DVD is booting up put the power back into > his hard drive. Hi, Jude.. If you all haven't tried it already, there's.. frequently a BIOS setting that allows the User to change the boot order as needed. I said it that way in case this is one case it's not there, grin. The boot options offered via BIOS vary based on each computer's capabilities. As an example, I have an old HP that doesn't offer a USB based boot option. USB ports are available, but that laptop apparently is not able to boot from that option for whatever reason. The caveat to changing the BIOS boot order is remembering to remove an external boot material if one decides to switch to boot using an option further down the list BIOS offers. Been there, done that in the "whoops, forgot to remove AGAIN" category a number of times. *grin* Cindy :) -- Cindy-Sue Causey Talking Rock, Pickens County, Georgia, USA * runs with birdseed *
Re: making an accessible boot disk
I just realized this problem is going to be more complex and I know a way to solve it without necessity for an accessible flash drive. My friend will need to open up his computer and move the hard drive outside the computer case once unscrewed. Then he'll need to pull the power cord out from the hard drive and start an accessible linux DVD up on his computer and once that DVD is booting up put the power back into his hard drive. On Fri, 31 May 2019, Jude DaShiell wrote: > Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 15:18:29 > From: Jude DaShiell > To: debian-accessibility@lists.debian.org > Subject: making an accessible boot disk > Resent-Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 19:18:43 + (UTC) > Resent-From: debian-accessibility@lists.debian.org > > I'm curious. If I put a debian iso on a flash drive can I put a second > file on that flash drive with a boot parameter or two in it which the iso > will find when booted and use? I'm asking this since I'm trying to help a > friend remotely to rescue his hard drive and both of us at best have > infrequent sighted assistance available. Alternatively if his system > boots a flash drive (we haven't established that yet) would there be some > way for him to know when to key in boot parameters without looking at the > screen? > > > > -- > > --
making an accessible boot disk
I'm curious. If I put a debian iso on a flash drive can I put a second file on that flash drive with a boot parameter or two in it which the iso will find when booted and use? I'm asking this since I'm trying to help a friend remotely to rescue his hard drive and both of us at best have infrequent sighted assistance available. Alternatively if his system boots a flash drive (we haven't established that yet) would there be some way for him to know when to key in boot parameters without looking at the screen? --
