Installed Aramo on librebooted T400 and can't boot the system
Hey,
Need advice, I installed Trisquel 11 in my T400 librebooted. When it boots it states:
error: disk 'lvm/grubcrypt-trisquel' not found.
error: you need to load the kernel first
Press any key to continue
I had in the past dealt with this using this documentation: https://github.com/hankbao/libreboot/blob/master/docs/gnulinux/encrypted_trisquel.md
specifically the "Booting your system". But I can't get this character to print "\"
And not sure if even that's the problem, given the documentation being old.
I have tried both installing grub on disk and not doing so (because Libreboot already has it included). Both cases are the same.
It could be that lvm/grubcrypt-trisquel is not correct?
Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.
I also tried following this advice here: https://wiki.parabola.nu/Installing_Parabola_on_Libreboot_with_full_disk_encryption_(including_/boot)
The booting from grub part. Didn't work.
I am now able to enter the "e" option and edit directly the options at the grub menu so I no longer need to enter the \ character.
But it still can't find lvm/grubcrypt-trisquel
Any help? Thanks.
I am a translator!
Which version of Libreboot do you have? Do you have an entry to use seabios instead of grub from libreboot?
On my T400, I have osboot (like libreboot but with non-free microcode, it was preinstalled like this, I plan to reflash to remove the non-free microcode at some point) with the choice between grub and seabios at boot. I installed aramo using the default graphic trisquel installer choosing LVM with encryption (/boot is not encryted) and said to install grub on the disk, it boots fine with grub or seabios in osboot menu.
If you want full disk encryption, including /boot, either you need to use an older encryption algorithm (because grub is not able to handle the new default one on /boot) or to have 2 levels of encryption, one for /boot and one for the rest (but that also means two passphrases). The second method is described at https://thonkpeasant.xyz/guides/other/trisquel-encrypted.html but I have not tried it. For the first method, you can search for guides on debian, it should work the same if you use the network installer.
Thanks for the reply.
If memory serves me right I have libreboot 2017, it was without any proprietary microcode.
I did the installation twice, using the net installer. I did the "standard" full disk encryption (which I believe does not encrypt /boot) and choose to install grub into disk. It gave that error and I assumed I should NOT install grub on disk. So I installed everything again and this time I choose not to install GRUB. The same error happens.
I have noticed that between Trisquel oriented guides and Parábola oriented guides, the name of the "volume" changes. But I have not an idea how to know which "volumes" are available in my installation.
I am a translator!
I did the installation twice, using the net installer. I did the "standard" full disk encryption
If you followed https://github.com/hankbao/libreboot/blob/master/docs/gnulinux/encrypted_trisquel.md, there is no unencrypted partition for /boot, so /boot is encrypted.
I initially tried this with the net installer on my T400 with nabia and it did not boot after installation (it was working with etiona on libreboot). I am not sure but the reason could be that the net installer uses LUKSv2 with argon2 as key derivation function and this is not supported by grub to read the contents of /boot (I have read there are modified versions of grub that support it but this is not what is in libreboot anyway).
I'd suggest that you don't use the net installer as it is easier. If you really want to use the net installer and manual partitioning, you need to create one more partition for boot (before creating the physical volume for encryption) and indicate that it is used for /boot.
I tried a new installation using the Full USB installer, but the result was the same.
I will try again now in text mode. I have thought of flashing libreboot just to make sure I have not any modified paramters there. But will try not to do so for now.
I have to admit my memory was faulty, I had not followed those instructions to the letter! Namely, I had used the automatic disk partitioning, instead of the manual configuration described there.
I now followed it, and let's hope for the best.
I understand what you mean about the encryption, but if so, then Trisquel 11 uses a different encryption than Trisquel 9 used, since I was able to do it perfectly back then. (can anyone confirm this?)
My hope is that it was a mere "naming" mistake, and the volume were not properly addressed, using this guide to the letter might take care of that.
If not, I probably changed something in the Libreboot configuration that I don't remember well and will have to flash a vanilla one on top. We shall see.
Thanks for the help!
I am a translator!
I understand what you mean about the encryption, but if so, then Trisquel 11 uses a different encryption than Trisquel 9 used, since I was able to do it perfectly back then. (can anyone confirm this?)
I have not found the source information but I have read comments that the debian installer was using LUKSv1 in Debian 9 and switched to LUKSv2 in Debian 10. As Trisquel 9 is derived from a version of Ubuntu derived from Debian 9, and Trisquel 10 is derived from a version of Ubuntu derived from Debian 10, I see a big chance that the Trisquel installers had the same change at the same time.
For Trisquel 9, I used the instructions at https://notabug.org/libreboot/lbwww/src/8844c201ef0d1ab856fed2aa5148b89100fffe0d/site/docs/gnulinux/encrypted_trisquel.md
In general, I am surprised that you are having issues because it worked fine for me with the Trisquel 11 installer and automatic partitioning using LVM and encryption.
EDIT: My memory might be weak, I am not sure whether I actually installed Trisquel 10 and upgraded or reinstalled Trisquel 11. I am considering doing a reinstall of Trisquel 11 due to having mixed up a few things when trying different desktop environments.
That makes sense. I guess I will try installing Trisquel 9 and upgrading from there. Have had no luck so far...
In the "Download" section I only see the latest version, aramo, doesn't Trisquel website hold previous versions?
https://cdimage.trisquel.info/
Found it... sorry, I must be stressed out lol.
It could be easier to find though. lol
Well, after installing Etiona, we have some good news. Grub now asks for the full disk encryption passphrase. This is good! Seems you were completely right about the encryption thing not being the same. Thanks!
It still can't load the system. But I think that's because I didn't do the manual partitioning. I will now do it and hopefully the names will match and it will be OK. I will let you know when it ends. Thanks!
Some success so far!
I was able to install Etiona which solved the issue with the encryption for grub. Also the system now boots and it's fine. During installation an error ocurred and I couldn't install a graphical desktop, but booting the system into console I was able to sudo apt install mate-desktop-environment which gave no errors. But now it won't enter into graphical mode! :((
startx does nothing. I tried the tips here: https://linuxconfig.org/start-gui-from-command-line-on-ubuntu-20-04-focal-fossa
But also nothing....
How should I enter graphical mode?? Thanks in advance (and sorry for hijacking my own thread lol)!
Well apparently the issue is that I was able to install mate-dekstop-environment but now ubuntu-mate-desktop fails.
Maybe some files are missing that were necessary for installing Mate in etiona??
I am a translator!
If you have no graphical environment, I am not sure installing the mate packages is sufficient. I'd suggest uninstalling the mate packages you have installed and running "sudo tasksel".
If you want to start Mate with the startx command, you have to put "exec mate-session" in an .xinirtc file. I wrote about it recently here:
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/running-xorg-regular-user-trisquel-11#comment-172701
Be sure and look through my prior steps to see if your system is set up right to log in via startx from the text console, I had some more instructions in the first post in the thread.
Thank you so much! I will look into it. Right now I am upgrading to Trisquel 10 (thought that could help solve th issues, since 10 is still supported).
I will look into that thread afterwards. Thanks! :D
Well, it seems to be ok now. Upgrading was enough, booting into Trisquel 10 I have now GUI and works ok. Some minor details are wrong (the applets for battery and wifi don't update status, I am connected to wifi but it appears as not connected) but for the most part everything is ok now.
So.... Anyone who desires to do a full fresh installation of Trisquel 10 or 11 on a Librebooted machine (at least older versions) needs to start with Trisquel 9 and upgrade. This in case you need to use full disk encryption (didn't try otherwise because I do need it).
Following the guide above is highly recommended.
Thanks everyone for the help!
Excellent news!