Flash drive boot / install

SUSE Product Topics SLED Install-Boot
1

New to SUSE and non-debian distros, so pardon my ignorance if apparent!

I created a flash drive:
sudo umount /dev/sdc1
sudo dd if=/home/matt/Downloads/SLE-12-Desktop-DVD-x86_64-GM-DVD1.iso of=/dev/sdc oflag=direct bs=1048576

After turning off Secure Boot and turning on Launch CSM in the bios, I can select the flash drive to boot. Everything appears to come up fine: logo, menu and all – just like in my VM install (which succeeded). If I select to either 1) test the installation media or 2) rescue system, the kernel loads, then the green bar runs across the bottom of the screen. Hitting escape it goes through 1-5 of 5 on Loading Installation System, then immediately after the screen goes black except for a few pixels in the bottom left (white) and the caps lock LED starts flashing. There is no option but to hold the power button.

I can’t find any comment on this but some old ubuntu posts about caps lock key flashing, which are totally irrelevant.

The same thing happens with openSUSE 13.2 (flashing caps lock and black screen).

I can boot into SUSE rescue mode on an older laptop with the same flash drive. The bios is configured the same on both machines. (Works on an ASUS UX31, failing on an ASUS UX301.)

If I do the same process with a debian distro, it all works fine… I can boot/live image/rescue/install. I must be missing something for SUSE. Where am I going wrong?

Thanks! Matt

2

Hi
Not sure, maybe related to being an isohybrid image, normally it’s best
to install and use imagewriter for your UEB device, this will then boot
mbr or uefi systems…

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° LFCS, SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 GNOME 3.10.1 Kernel 3.12.28-4-default
If you find this post helpful and are logged into the web interface,
please show your appreciation and click on the star below… Thanks!

3

Thanks Malcolm! I rebuilt the flash media with mkusb (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb). I get the same result. Enabling secure boot yields the invalid signature detected message.

I tried 2 more debian based distro and they were successful. I am not sure what the difference could be!

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Matt

4

I am trying susestudio.com to see if that builds a better image.

5

Hi
Run fdisk against the iso image, but like I said SUSE/openSUSE use the
package imagewriter, works without issues…

For example;

[CODE]
/sbin/fdisk -l SLE-12-Server-DVD-x86_64-GM-DVD1.iso

Disk SLE-12-Server-DVD-x86_64-GM-DVD1.iso: 2.8 GiB, 2937061376 bytes,
5736448 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x24f4bd80

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size
Id Type
SLE-12-Server-DVD-x86_64-GM-DVD1.iso1 2420 10611 8192 4M ef
EFI (FAT-12/16/32)
SLE-12-Server-DVD-x86_64-GM-DVD1.iso2 * 10612 5736447 5725836 2.7G
17 Hidden HPFS/NTFS [/CODE]

I have built imagewriter for SLE 12 in my home repo, really need to ask
the folks to add the SLE 12 build target…
http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/malcolmlewis:/SLE_12_General/SUSE_SLE-12_GA_standard/x86_64/imagewriter-1.10.1396965491.a4dcffa-1.1.x86_64.rpm

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° LFCS, SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 GNOME 3.10.1 Kernel 3.12.28-4-default
If you find this post helpful and are logged into the web interface,
please show your appreciation and click on the star below… Thanks!

6

Here is the output:

[CODE]% fdisk -l SLE-12-Desktop-DVD-x86_64-GM-DVD1.iso

Disk SLE-12-Desktop-DVD-x86_64-GM-DVD1.iso: 4.1 GiB, 4384096256 bytes, 8562688 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x4cd19e21

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
SLE-12-Desktop-DVD-x86_64-GM-DVD1.iso1 2468 10659 8192 4M ef EFI (FAT-12/16/32)
SLE-12-Desktop-DVD-x86_64-GM-DVD1.iso2 * 10660 8562687 8552028 4.1G 17 Hidden HPFS/NTFS[/CODE]

I think there is a missing driver as this boots fine on another (older) machine.