Q4OS Forum

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Greetings,
I have been using the previous version of q4os for about a year, very happily on my Dell XPS 15 2-in-1. I started having issues and found the the Samsung 970EVO was failing, so backed up everything, and with a hardware cloning device copied to a fresh matching SSD. The Windows side booted right up, but I couldn't get q4os to boot. This was last week. I have since completely wiped all the q4os partitions, etc. in frustration, and have been trying to get just a basic dual-boot install working. The install runs fine, but on boot I get the grub> prompt.
Try as I might, I cannot get the grub setup to work on this system. I am really hoping folks can help me get this straightened out, this has been days of frustration.
I have tried both the LIVE USB installer and the Windows-based installer, with the same issue, the installer doesn't create a usable boot menu.
The system has a fair number of partitions, which I wonder may be an issue. This is UEFI type newer system.
Here is system information:
Intel i7-8705G, 16 GB RAM, 2 TB Samsung 970 EVO (brand new replacement of the same previous one).
Boot= UEFI
Weirdly I have to enable "RAID" in the BIOS > SATA Operation to boot windows, and previously working q4os, I would need to switch that to "AHCI" for the linux side to boot. It would be nice not to have to change this bios back and forth if possible, but if still necessary to get this working, I'll do whatever it takes.
Booting the Live USB, my partition information looks like this (after having wiped all the LVM, crypto, etc. I had before, and wiping the gpt and efi partitions I created trying to get this to work to no avail):
/dev/nvme0n1p1 - EFI system partition - fat32 - Label: ESP - 650MB - flags: boot, esp
/dev/nvme0n1p2 - MS reserved - unknown - .. - 128MB - flags: msftres
/dev/nvme0n1p3 - basic data - ntfs - OS - 242GB - flags: msftdata
/dev/nvme0n1p4 - basic data - ntfs - APPS - 220GB - flags: msftdata
/dev/nvme0n1p5 - .. - ntfs - WINRETOOLS - 990MB - hidden, diag
/dev/nvme0n1p6 - .. - ntfs - IMAGE - 11GB - hidden, diag
/dev/nvme0n1p7 - .. - ntfs - DELLSUPPORT - 1GB - hidden,diag

following partitions are ones I have been creating in various ways trying to get things working, but failing, so any of the following can be blown away and changed to whatever it takes to get this to work:
/dev/nvme0n1p8 - EFI - fat32 - 650MB - boot, esp
/dev/nvme0n1p9 - ROOT - ext4 - 100GB - ..
/dev/nvme0n1p10 - BOOT - ext2 - 1GB - boot, esp
/dev/nvme0n1p11 - SWAP - linux-swap - 3GB - ..
/dev/nvme0n1p12 - HOME - ext4 - 1.25TB - ..
/dev/nvme0n1p13 - GPTboot - grub2 core.img - 1MB - bios, grub

No matter which installation approach I take (short of blowing away the existing working Windows and Dell partitions), Live USB or installed from windows, it will not boot to Q4os after.
When install from Live USB, on reboot after install, I just get the
grub>
prompt.

When using the install from Windows, after install is complete, upon reboot I get:
Boot chainload, phase 1 ...
umount: can't unmount /host1: Invalid argument
Host filesystem not found, make Windows partition accessible.
Press [Enter] to reboot ..._

Appreciate any suggestions to resolve. Thanks!

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Dell XPS 15 9575 2 in 1.
So, starting this process over, and posting what happens until either something works, or someone has some suggestions.
Removed all but the Windows Boot Manager option from the bio boot sequence options.
Blew away all partitions from 8+.
Boot List Option in Bios is set to UEFI (rather than "Legacy External Devices").
BIOS System Configuration > SATA Operation set to AHCI. When set to RAID On, that is only way Windows will boot, but q4OS live usb doesn't detect the hard drive at all.
RAID on = "SATA is configured to suppoirt RAID mode (Intel(r) Rapid Restore Technology) (only 1 HD in this system though).
AHCI = "SATA is configured for AHCI mode".
Created a 100MB partition unformatted (p8).
rebooted.
Booted from Q4OS live usb.
Ran installer.
Selected the p8 partition to install into.
installer completed process without error.
Rebooted (pulled out USB live stick when it powered off).
Boot up did not find any usable partition but the windows one.
Went into the BIOS to create boot entries > Settings > Boot Sequence:
No options listed except "Windows Boot Manager".
Just shotgunning here (I tried the "most logical" approach before, now just trying every combination trying to get this to work), added many boot options for gpt1 and gpt7,  as well as:
fs0/efi/debian/shimx64.efi
fs0/efi/debian/grubx64.efi
fs0/efi/debian/mmx64.efi
fs0/efi/debian/fbx64.efi
fs0/efi/debian/boot64-csv
fs0/efi/debian/wubildr/grubx64.efi
fs0/efi/debian/wubildr/MokManager.efi
fs0/efi/debian/wubildr/shimx64.efi
Rebooted.
System failed to find anything to boot from, and so rebooted itself again and then loaded the Windows Recovery automatically (Even though I have the Windows Boot Manager disabled in the BIOS Boot Sequence).
Hitting f12 for boot options reveals the list, plus one added to the top I did not manually add myself, I am assuming the q4OS installer added, even though it didn't show up in the menu options or the BIOS previously:
Q4OS Centaurus. -> Selected this.
Something flashes by in the upper left hand corner too quickly to read, then it shows error message:
"Boot chainload, phase 1 ...
umount: can't unmount /host1: Invalid argument
Host filesystem not found, make Windows partition accessible.
Press [Enter] to reboot ...
So I reboot into back into the BIOS Setup, and change the SATA Operation from AHCI to RAID On, and reboot...
Hit F12 for device boot menu
Select Q4OS Centaurus in this mode, same thing, something about loading os files, then the same exact error that Windows partition not accessible (even though I verify that I can boot into windows in this RAID on mode still).
Reboot set bios sata back to ahci, boot up and select next item on the boot device menu:
gpt1 (which is label for the following: PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1D,0x4)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/?/HD(1,GPT,E93C3E8D-F14F-4F81-8AD4-2BC9971B453C), File Name: \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI.
Which attempts to load Windows (as expected), but will fail with BSD "INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE due to being AHCI sata mode.

Next option selected, label gpt7 (represents:  (which is label for the following: PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1D,0x4)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/?/HD(7,GPT,37317CA-C493-4862-BEB9-73868126599F), File Name: \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI.
Which generates the following error:
Press F1 Key to retry boot.
Press F2 key to reboot into setup.
Press F5 to run onboard diagnostics.
F1 reboot just comes back to the same issue, the other 2 are as described of course.

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

fs0/efi/debian/shimx64.efi
Result:
grub>

fs0/efi/debian/grubx64.efi
Result:
grub>

fs0/efi/debian/mmx64.efi
Result:

Blue screen comes up with
Top of screen stating: "Shim UEFI key management"
in center of screen "Press any key to preform MOK management"
and in lower left corner a countdown "Booting in ..x.. seconds". If I do nothing, it boots, and I am presented with:
Press F1 key to try boot. Press F2 key to reboot into setup, etc. (although in much larger font size than the previous one).
If I hit any key before the countdown expires, presented with small menu:
"Continue Boot"
"Enroll key from disk"
"Enroll hash from disk".

I am not touching the keys at this point, so continue boot selected. and back to the Press F1 ... etc.

fs0/efi/debian/fbx64.efi
Result:
Something not found (goes by too quickly on screen to read what), then immediately fails and reboots system.

fs0/efi/debian/boot64-csv
Result:
Press F1 key to retry boot. etc.

fs0/efi/debian/wubildr/grubx64.efi
Result:
Loading Q40S.. some more text flashes by, then
Boot chainload , phase 1... error, etc.

fs0/efi/debian/wubildr/MokManager.efi
Result:
The blue menu with MOK Management (as the name indicates.

fs0/efi/debian/wubildr/shimx64.efi
Result:
Loading Q4OS....
Boot chainload, phase 1...
umount error etc.

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

All of the above was with the Q4OS Live USB installer option selecting the disk's MBR for the installation location (nvme0n1):
"Master Boot Record of Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB /dev/nvme0n1".

The following are with the boot code installed to:
"System Partition (/)"

Finish install, reboot (pulling out LIVE USB),

Debian menu selection

Result:

grub>

prompt.

Menu Selection: Q4OS Centaurus:

Result: boot chainload, phase 1...

umount: can't unmount, etc....

gpt1 result: tries to load windows.

gpt7 result: Press F1 key to retry boot., etc....

fs0-debian-shimx64 result: grub>

" " grubx64 result: grub> prompt

" " " wubildr-grubx64.efi result: loading Q4os... Boot chainload.. fail.

" " " " shimx64.efi result: bootchainload fail.

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

I don't know why this is so difficult this time around. A year ago it installed smoothly and easily as per here: www2.techtalkhawke.com/news/qt4os-linux-on-dell-2-in-1-xps

Last edited by kmleon (2021-04-22 04:55)

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Trying again with the q4os-winsetup-3.0 approach.

Two options, install to drive C or drive D.

Starting with C, the result:  reboots, initializing q4os system.... Boot chainload, phase 1... umount: can't unmount. Fail.

Try again installing to D: the result: Identical results.

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

From grub> prompt:

grub> ls

(proc) (hd0) (hd0,gpt9) (hd0,gpt8) (hd0,gpt7) (hd0,gpt6) (hd0,gpt5) (hd0,gpt4) (hd0,gpt3) (hd0,gpt2) (hd0,gpt1) (hd1)

grub> ls (hd0,gpt8)/    <shows the root filesystem/os installed from try1  and hd0,gpt9)/ shows the root fs/os from try 2)

lost+found/ proc/ sys/ dev/ run/ bin initrd.img initrd.img.old lib lib32 lib64 libx32 program_files sbin vmlinuz vmlinuz.old boot/ etc/ home/ media/ mnt/ opt/ root/ srv/ tmp/ usr/ var/

grub> set pager=1

grub> set root=(hd0,9)

grub> set boot=(hd0,9)

grub> set prefix=(hd0,9)/boot/grub

grub> insmod normal

grub> normal

Now I finally get something:

Boot menu in blue shown:

GNU GRUB version 2.02+dfsg1-20

* Q4OS Desktop 3.14 'Centaurus'

* Advanced options for Q4OS Desktop 3.14 'Centaurus'

* Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) (on /dev/nvme0n1p8)

* Advanced options for Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) (on /dev/nvme0n1p8)

Selecting first option, a blank scvreen with cursor, then after 90 seconds,  I get once again this error:

Gave up waiting for foot file system device. Common problems: - Boot args (cat /proc/cmdline)

- check rootdelay= (did the system wait long enough

- missing modules (cat /proc/modules; ls /dev)

ALERT! UUID=1ede63b3-5fc2-4ba5-9b65-d964ae16136e does not exist. Dropping to a shell!

BusyBox v1.30.1 (Debian 1:1.30.1-4) built-in shell (ash)

Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

(initramfs).

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Switch back in BIOS to ACHI SATA mode.

Reboot...

Select Q4OS Centaurus...

Initializing system...   then boot chainload error once again.

Reboot

select debian menu item.

Get grub> prompt.

grub> set pager=1

grub> set root=(hd0,9)

grub> set boot=(hd0,9)

grub> set prefix=(hd0,9)/boot/grub

grub> insmod normal

grub> normal

Have user login (have been here before many times) (but I have to keep manually entering the above grub entries to get here, have tried several times with grub-install previously and it wouldn't "take". But will try again documenting here to see if can figure out where it is going wrong (or maybe get it to actually work this time around.

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

efibootmgr -v         
BootCurrent: 0018
Timeout: 10 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0018,0001,0002,0003,0004,000C,0016,0012,0013,0014,0015,0009
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager  HD(1,GPT,e93c3e8d-f14f-4f81-8ad4-2bc9971b453c,0x800,0x145000)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}...#................
Boot0001* gpt1  PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1d,0x4)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,00-25-38-52-11-91-03-9D)/HD(1,GPT,e93c3e8d-f14f-4f81-8ad4-2bc9971b453c,0x800,0x145000)
Boot0002* gpt7  PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1d,0x4)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,00-25-38-52-11-91-03-9D)/HD(7,GPT,e37317ca-c493-4862-beb9-73868126599f,0x3b7b5800,0x22b800)
Boot0003* fs0-efi-debian-shimx64-efi    PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1d,0x4)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,00-25-38-52-11-91-03-9D)/HD(1,GPT,e93c3e8d-f14f-4f81-8ad4-2bc9971b453c,0x800,0x145000)/File(\EFI\debian\shimx64.efi)
Boot0004* fs0-efi-debian-grubx64-efi    PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1d,0x4)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,00-25-38-52-11-91-03-9D)/HD(1,GPT,e93c3e8d-f14f-4f81-8ad4-2bc9971b453c,0x800,0x145000)/File(\EFI\debian\grubx64.efi)
Boot0005  Diskette Drive        BBS(Floppy,Diskette Drive,0x0)..BO
Boot0006* USB Storage Device    BBS(USB,USB Storage Device,0x0)..BO
Boot0007  CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive    BBS(CDROM,CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive,0x0)..BO
Boot0008  Onboard NIC   BBS(Network,Onboard NIC,0x0)..BO
Boot0009* Q4OS Centaurus        HD(1,GPT,e93c3e8d-f14f-4f81-8ad4-2bc9971b453c,0x800,0x145000)/File(\EFI\debian\wubildr\shimx64.efi)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.b.1.b.2.c.f.3.d.-.a.3.6.3.-.1.1.e.b.-.9.6.a.4.-.9.e.b.6.d.0.9.c.c.2.2.f.}...#................
Boot000C* fs0-efi-debian-wubildr-grubx64ef      PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1d,0x4)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,00-25-38-52-11-91-03-9D)/HD(1,GPT,e93c3e8d-f14f-4f81-8ad4-2bc9971b453c,0x800,0x145000)/File(\EFI\debian\wubildr\grubx64.efi)
Boot000D* Diskette Drive        BBS(Floppy,Diskette Drive,0x0)..BO
Boot000E* USB Storage Device    BBS(USB,USB Storage Device,0x0)..BO
Boot000F* CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive    BBS(CDROM,CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive,0x0)..BO
Boot0010* Onboard NIC   BBS(Network,Onboard NIC,0x0)..BO
Boot0012* Diskette Drive        BBS(Floppy,Diskette Drive,0x0)..BO
Boot0013* USB Storage Device    BBS(USB,USB Storage Device,0x0)..BO
Boot0014* CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive    BBS(CDROM,CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive,0x0)..BO
Boot0015* Onboard NIC   BBS(Network,Onboard NIC,0x0)..BO
Boot0016* fs0-efi-deb-wub-shimx64-efi   PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1d,0x4)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,00-25-38-52-11-91-03-9D)/HD(1,GPT,e93c3e8d-f14f-4f81-8ad4-2bc9971b453c,0x800,0x145000)/File(\EFI\debian\wubildr\shimx64.efi)
Boot0018* debian        HD(1,GPT,e93c3e8d-f14f-4f81-8ad4-2bc9971b453c,0x800,0x145000)/File(\EFI\debian\shimx64.efi)

grub-install /dev/nvme0n1
Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: warning: this GPT partition label contains no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding won't be possible.
grub-install: warning: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
grub-install: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

Last edited by kmleon (2021-04-22 06:46)

aluma

Member

From: Ukraine

Registered: 2018-03-12

Posts: 136

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Can you try to serve the q4os-xxx-instcd.iso image in "no questions asked" mode?
Leave Win partitions on disks, free up space for Linux and go ahead. Let the installer try to figure it out.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 4,501

Website

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

@kmleon
Thanks for reporting. As Q4OS is Debian actually, please try to install the vanilla Debian Buster system and post the result. You could also give a try installing Q4OS from the "install-cd" media not from the live cd.

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Downloaded q4os-3.14-x64-instcd.r4.iso
cp to usb
boot from usb install.
Select no questions asked. Use largest free space (over 1TB free for now).
Installs.
Reboots.
grub>
Doesn't boot properly. Have to do the grub> set root=, set prefix, etc.

# grub-install /dev/nvme0n1
Installing for i386-pc platform.
Installation finished. No error reported.
rebooted.
Still just grub > (have to manually set root, boot, prefix, etc.).

Any further suggestions?
Thanks.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 4,501

Website

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Did you try Debian installation ? Does Debian boot properly ?

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Will try that next with Debian vanilla and report back on it in a few hours (tied up with meetings right now).

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Okay, tried with Debian (with firmwares) network install. Looks like same problem (so upstream issue?).
Have to manually set root, set boot, set prefix, etc. at grub> prompt to load installed OS. And then when try to install grub once booted in:
# grub-install /dev/nvme0n1
Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: warning: this GPT partition label contains no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding won't be possible.
grub-install: warning: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
grub-install: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

So, I get that the automated installs are working for either Q4OS or Debian 10.9 now (worked back on 10.4 I think I was on before?).   But can we figure out how I can manually fix my boot to work with latest Q4OS with this setup? Previous iterations I tried adding the gpt and efi partitions, and then through BIOS boot menu (F12) selecting the correct partition (which is good enough for me for now), but I wasn't able to make that work this time around.

Suggestions/recommendations/comments?

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 4,501

Website

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Yes, looks like an upstream issue, so it would be appropriate to report it for the Debian developers. We will try to investigate and post back if some new information becomes available.

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

Understood. I'll find out where to post the info to them and start up a parallel thread while keeping an eye on here. If I figure out on my end a (kludge) workaround, or they offer a working solution, I'll be sure to update here. Please let me know if you have any other suggestions for me to try.
Thank you kindly!

kmleon

Member

Registered: 2021-04-21

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot get q4os boot after fresh install after trying many ways

I see a number of recent Debian postings from people having similar problems the past couple of months with nvme drive and uefi bios installs. The threads aren't looking very productive yet. I am seeing a number of requests, and attempts, but not yet clear solutions, a lot of kludges with mixed results (similar to what I tried previously with gpt and efi partitioning). So looks possible with a lot of hoop jumping, but no longer easy install the way it was a year or so ago. Still looking.