Kubuntu 17.04 on a thumbdrive hangs on boot attempt

[rwbehne1]

I used unetbootin to download and install kubuntu-17.04-desktop-amd64.iso on a 2G usb drive.

When trying to boot it just hangs with an underbar symbol in the upper left corner on a black screen.

I have previously used this same 2G usb drive to successfully install OpenSUSE and Fedora on the same computer, therefore I do not believe the problem is with the usb stick or the boxen. Whatever is wrong is apparently with the iso file itself, or with the way it's installed on the usb drive. I had previously tried to install the iso using dd if=/home/kubuntu-17.04-desktop-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdc bs=4M (my usual method,) but when that didn't result in a bootable stick (it hung the same exact way) I formatted it, installed a new fat file system, and set the boot flag before using unetbootin.

What does that underbar mean (it reminds me of a lilo boot problem,) and how can I troubleshoot and repair this?

[If you really need particulars about my hardware, please tell me how to find it and I'll post it here.]

[rwbehne1]

I looked at the installed files on the USB drive, and found that instead of a vmlinuz file, it has a vmlinuz.efi on the /casper directory. I am not at all familiar with efi, and I'm thinking this has something to do with why it hangs instead of booting. The currently installed OS is Fedora, and I believe it's booting with GRUB. What do I need to know? How can I get this USB drive to boot? What do I need to do?

[GreyGeek]

My first two thoughts:
1) Did you verify the checksum for the ISO *AND* for the burned USB stick.
2) Perhaps it is a video problem, i.e., wrong or incorrectly configured video driver.

[oshunluvr]

The usually flashing underbar isn't helpful unfortunately. If you're not even getting a grub menu something is wrong. I agree with GG - check the sha250 checksums. I use dd in the same manner you did without issue so I doubt that's the problem. The efi file is to allow compatibility with both EFI and older BIOS systems or EFI systems using legacy BIOS boot. It has grub on it as well - my belief, but I could be wrong, it should boot to either system, legacy or efi

[Qqmike]

Thoughts ...

(1) You SHOULD be able to use dd to build your bootable Kubuntu installer. I do not trust Unetbootin.
Btw, my how-to on this would be:
Building a Kubuntu live USB flash drive installer using dd
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...712#post378712

(2) That efi deal ... maybe you have to boot your USB drive in UEFI mode (since, so it seems, it was built to boot by UEFI):

Boot the Kubuntu installer in UEFI mode: With the DVD/USB installer, reboot the PC, enter the computer's UEFI setup by pressing the correct key for your computer. Find the boot menu (or boot override menu) where the bootable devices are listed. Choose the one that corresponds to the Kubuntu UEFI DVD or USB (it may also show up as a "normal" DVD/USB choice). Look for UEFI /(FAT) or a reference to UEFI. (Example: a DVD may appear as "UEFI (FAT) TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-224DB (1028 MB)") Select the UEFI DVD or USB option from the firmware boot menu and boot up with it. Now proceed as you usually do to install Kubuntu. If asked where to install GRUB boot-loader, simply choose sda (it won't really matter as the installer will automatically identify and use the proper ESP (EFI System Partition)).

From this how-to:
UEFI Simplified, a quicker version
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post379977

[oshunluvr]

(2) That efi deal ... maybe you have to boot your USB drive in UEFI mode (since, so it seems, it was built to boot by UEFI):

JMO, but Really? that seems stupid. IS the plan to run off everyone not using EFI? EFI is for Windows users. I know for a fact KDEneon boots in legacy mode.

[Qqmike]

EFI is for Windows users

Yeah, and many people using newer machines with the UEFI firmware and no Windows. GRUB is nice. But so is UEFI -- it is easy to manage the booting if it gets set up nice and clean (e.g., use of efibootmgr, rEFInd, etc.)--no messy GRUB editing.

I know for a fact KDEneon boots in legacy mode.

Yes. It looked to me that when he built that USB, he did so with efi files. Heck, I don't know. Got two variables here: That Unetbootin business. And the booting mode of that USB (where he shows us a kernel -efi).

[vinnywright]

the newer *buntu .iso's will boot in either mode BIOS or UEFI , so contain all the files necessary for each .

vinny@vinny-Bonobo-Extreme:/media/vinny/neon user 20161114-10:13$ ls
boot  casper  dists  EFI  isolinux  pool  SHA256SUMS  ubuntu

vinny@vinny-Bonobo-Extreme:/media/vinny/neon user 20161114-10:13/EFI/BOOT$ ls
BOOTx64.EFI  grubx64.efi

vinny@vinny-Bonobo-Extreme:/media/vinny/neon user 20161114-10:13/boot/grub$ ls
efi.img  font.pf2  grub.cfg  loopback.cfg  themes  x86_64-efi

vinny@vinny-Bonobo-Extreme:/media/vinny/neon user 20161114-10:13/casper$ ls
filesystem.manifest  filesystem.manifest-remove  filesystem.size  filesystem.squashfs  initrd.lz  memtest  vmlinuz  vmlinuz.efi

so just because he found the vmlinuz.efi ,,,and obviously overlooked the vmlinuz right next to it dose not mean it was built just for EFI ,,,,,,,,,,,,this one was built with mkusb ,,,but opening the Kubuntu-17.04 .iso in ARK will show the same files and directories ,,,,,,and so a DD'ed one will have the same and one made with Unetbootin will as well .

VINNY

[Qqmike]

Vinny, I'd say that is a precise, definitive answer to this little puzzle! That settles that! Thanks.

[oshunluvr]

Hate to argue, but I have the latest D/L (yesterday) of kubuntu-17.04-desktop-amd64.iso and there's no "vmlinuz" only "vmlinuz.efi". To whit:

[vinnywright]

humm ,,,,,now I must get the newest one and see what I see ,,,,,,,I just checked mine ,,,,,,but it's a few weeks-monthes old ...and look again.

VINNY

[vinnywright]

well you are correct ,,,the newest one dose not have just a vmlinuz ,,,,,,,,,,,lets dd it and see what happens .

but befor I do that I have extracted the filesystem.squashfs from the casper DIR and mounted it ,,,,in the root of that it has the system link "vmlinuz" that points to boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-19-generic ,,,,,,but it is not in /boot all though the system-maps and all are

vinny@vinny-Bonobo-Extreme:/mnt/test/boot$ ls
abi-4.10.0-19-generic  config-4.10.0-19-generic  grub  memtest86+.bin  memtest86+.elf  memtest86+_multiboot.bin  System.map-4.10.0-19-generic

perhaps the "vmlinuz.efi" is duel purpose ?

the grub.cfg in /boot/grub in the .iso ,,,reads

if loadfont /boot/grub/font.pf2 ; then
   set gfxmode=auto
   insmod efi_gop
   insmod efi_uga
   insmod gfxterm
   terminal_output gfxterm
fi

set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray

menuentry "Start Kubuntu" {
   set gfxpayload=keep
   linux    /casper/vmlinuz.efi  file=/cdrom/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper maybe-ubiquity quiet splash ---
   initrd    /casper/initrd.lz
}
menuentry "OEM install (for manufacturers)" {
   set gfxpayload=keep
   linux    /casper/vmlinuz.efi  file=/cdrom/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash oem-config/enable=true ---
   initrd    /casper/initrd.lz
}
menuentry "Check disc for defects" {
   set gfxpayload=keep
   linux    /casper/vmlinuz.efi  boot=casper integrity-check quiet splash ---
   initrd    /casper/initrd.lz
}

VINNY

[GreyGeek]

I concur. I just dl'd the 17.04 iso from Kubuntu's main download page and looked at it with Ark:

It shows what oshunluver found.

Dual purpose? Why isn't it working for the OP?

And, the oem install produces a blank screen with a white bar in the upper right corner after boot up.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...g/+bug/1638473

[vinnywright]

OOPS ,,,egg on face ,,,,,none of the Kubuntu ISO's I have going back to 15.10 have a "vmlinuz" in casper ,,,just the "vmlinuz.efi" ,,,,,,,but all my neon ones do ,,,,,,I must have opened one of them thinking it was the Kubuntu-17.04

well it's late @hear ,,,,off to bed ,,,back tomorrow

VINNY

[vinnywright]

he sead he ,,,has made that stick a few times with dd ,,,,,,,it may need zeroing ,,,,I suggested that in one of his other threads

VINNY