USB boot on Libreboot X60
When I use the "Startup Disk Creator" utility (in System Settings), I create live USB distros (mainly Trisquel or Ubuntu) which work ok on other computers, but they do not boot in my beloved Libreboot Gluglug X60.
When I start my Gluglug X60 and choose "Parse ISOLINUX menu (USB)" so that it boots from the plugged-in USB drive, it does nothing or it says:
"error: unknown filesystem.
Press any key to continue..."
Pressing a key just takes me back to the boot menu again.
But Live USB drives work ok if I create them through:
$ sudo dd if=/path/to/image.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=8M;sync
However, that does not solve all my problems. I would like to know if it is possible to make my Gluglug X60 boot from a USB drive created with the "Startup Disk Creator" tool. That way I could easily create a persistent directory too.
And the same goes for Tails, it would be nice to be able to run Tails on the Gluglug X60. Tails gives me the same "unknown filesystem" error as described above.
Any advice?
Thank GNU!
So USB images written with Startup Disk Creator are messed up and don't work,
while images written with dd work wonderfully.
The answer to your question is simple- just use dd from now on!
On Librebooted computers, only dd works.
What I am trying to know is
1. A way to easily create a persistent directory when creating Live USB drives.
2. If there is way to run Tails on the Gluglug X60.
I know Tails is not completely free software, so I will understand if I get no answer. I ask because in some situations I have felt I had to use Tails, despite knowing the risks of non-free software. I would have loved to be able to properly configure Trisquel for anonymity in those situations, but unfortunately I do not have that expertise.
> 1. A way to easily create a persistent directory when creating Live USB drives.
I believe you need a file/partition named casper-rw.
I am a translator!
Lola - just download the ISO and dd a USB stick and restart your lappy. Tails should work just fine. As far as the non-free firmware in the linux kernel, as far as I know, if your lappy doesn't need it you won't be using it. Example - if your wifi card works with free firmware and doesn't require the non-free one, then you won't be using the non-free, but the free firmware. That goes with all the components of your PC. If your pc works well with Trisquel, then when you boot Tails the firmware the linux kernel will be loading are the free ones. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
cheers
"if your wifi card works with free firmware and doesn't require the non-free one, then you won't be using the non-free, but the free firmware."
I'm not sure this is right. Tails is based on Debian and, for the ath9k_htc, that distro's wiki page recommends a non-free firmware. It then mentions that an "Open [sic] firmware for this driver is also available." For the non-free, recommended firmware, a ready-built package is made available by Debian after the user enables the non-free repository; for the latter you need to build from source, a process which can take several hours on a weaker computer in my experience.
As already mentioned, Tails installs the non-free drivers and firmware by default, so if you have a computer with an FSF certified wifi USB dongle and you are running Tails, then you're almost certainly going to end up using non-free firmware despite the fact that there is a perfectly working free replacement out there that should have been the first and only option anyway.
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suitsmeveryfine: I'm not sure about that - I think I might send them a mail on this regard. I am interested in the topic.
ciao
I do think it's like this because maintaining the project is easier for them if they simply include all the non-free linux drivers and firmware as debian packages. I'm nor certain of this however so please email them and ask. I'd also be interested in reading their reply.
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just sent the mailzz
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Received the short reply. Paste here:
> If, say, both the free and the proprietary
> firmware are available in the kernel for the wifi adapter, which one
> will load?
in such cases, Tails is doing exactly what debian would do. If even such case could possibly exist.
As I assumed then. In Debian, the free Atheros firmware is not available as a package; there are only instructions for building from source. Tails simply installs the debian-provided non-free alternative. :(
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> In Debian, the free Atheros firmware is not available as a package
yes it is. I have an Atheros wifi adapter and the free firmware is there and the adapter is working just fine. Or are you referring to some particular "Atheros firmware"?
I see that we have a misunderstanding here, and it's my fault! I am talking about USB dongles, like for example this one. They require firmware running inside the operating system. You are probably using a WIFI card in which case the firmware resides inside the device itself and should be considered part of the hardware.
Of course, in the case of the X60, the good way to make WIFI working is to use libreboot + an Atheros wifi card and not a dongle (which is also what minifree does). If you do, you don't need to think about free firmware at all; you only need a free driver which you have in all GNU distros that ship linux 2.6.27 or later.* So my point concerning Debian isn't relevant for the case discussed in this thread, but for those where you need a USB WIFI adapter, such as a libre chromebook.
I'm not on Libeboot.....but does Libreboot use seaBIOS (which AFAIK can boot from USB)?
Libreboot dose not use seaBIOS but can be used with seaBIOS
i found this tutorial but its apparently outdated
https://github.com/bibanon/Coreboot-ThinkPads/wiki/Compiling-Libreboot-with-SeaBIOS
but i know for a fact as Libreboot is based on Coreboot you would be able to use seaBIOS with it so you could try asking
on the #libreboot IRC channel
also libreboot's grub payload can boot from usb