UEFI Drove Me Home

[greengeek]

I'd love to talk to you about how you did that, but it would take up too much forum time... email?.

Any sugggestions / discussions/howto's that you could eventually feedback to the forum will be very much welcomed by others who are finding their way through this issue too.

[Ted Dog]

_yes not enough people playing with UEFI.. keep your trials and failures out in the open.. No one will judge you for trying bleeding edge stuff. I have been playing around on MacTels version of EFI prior to Windows take on it APPLES is really buggy and sloppy. The windows version is at least stable, well more stable then windows itself I have learned a few trick that may make the whole booting process way easier then even able with BIOS. The standard EFI part is almost exectly like a fat16 it appears that windows based machines EFI A fat32 is also seen as a bootable part. Inorder to save my Windows restore partition and free up a flashdrive. ( I tend to lose flashdrives with great regularity ) I dd disk copied that flasbdrive to a 300M usb harddrive, freed the extra space and added a partition with MBR. NO PROBLEMS windows can see and treat it as a EFI boot.
Therefore it maybe with somemore testing able to just copy a group of files in a EFI boot directory on a unchanged flashdrive. IE unlike a bootloader in the hidden front of a disk MBR style. The first fat16 like part IS the bootloader.

[shagguar]

I'd love to talk to you about how you did that, but it would take up too much forum time... email?

I'm still torn whether to ship the computer back to ASUS for Windoze restoration or just keep Puppying.

I just didn't do much really. In fact, i wasn't thinking running puppy on this new laptop until a few days ago.

My steps were:
-Win8 preinstalled by default (factory made)
-With any partition software (minitool in my case), made EXT3/4 partitions for Ubuntu and /Home.
-USB live Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS (Kubuntu really, but it's the same). I heard that since +12.04, Ubuntu supports UEFI. Made the bootable USB with "Universal USB Installer" under Windows 8.
-Boot from USB, and install Ubuntu like always.

That way i had a GRUB and dual boot with Win8 & Ubuntu

-Inside Ubuntu environment, install any GRUB manager (to avoid editing GRUB manually). In my case, i always use "Grub Customizer".

-Make a folder for Fatdog64 in any partition you want. In my case made in NTFS Windows Partition (/dev/sda4) a folder named "Fatdog". Inside copied files: vmlinuz, initrd, .sfs file depend on distro and...don't remember...anyway...ALL THE FILES IN THE .ISO of Fatdog or Lighthouse.

-Open "Grub Customizer"
-Add an entry, Type of SO: Linux, Partition (my case sda4). Then, go to "Edit" on that entry and the add /'name of folder you put'/ to initrd and vmlinuz lines. Remember add the extension of "initrd" that varies between distros (some "nothing", .xz, .gz...and go on)
-Save changes, and thats it.

64-bits Puppys worked fine (fatdog & lghthouse) but all 32bis traditional puppys didn't made the trick (in other laptops non-UEFI, worked just fine this way).

[Ted Dog]

@shuggar

Did you setup Grub as 64bit or 32bit IE WAS THE INSTALLER from a 64bit distro. There is a issue on MACTEL EFI that bit-ness mattered. But If I recall 64bit did allow 32bit if BIOS compatibility was not run. Straight EFI most kernel boot messages do not appear you get a few or more seconds of totally blank white or black screen. In BIOS layer mode you can get kernel messages if BIOS layer guessed correctly your hardware.
Also if you are running in dual boot mode without changing from secure EFI then most 32bit puppys will fail. No signed kernels just yet. I recall someone got Slacko 32 bit puppy to boot with FATDOG64 keys under secure mode but may not be released... Would be good to check, sounds like your setup works good. I Never tried something that complex but would be willing to try and duplicate your setup. I all backed up win8.1 and plan to downgrade back to win 8.0.
would you post direct links to the tools and exact linux versions you used so I can try to get a setup like yours

[Ted Dog]

I'd love to talk to you about how you did that, but it would take up too much forum time... email?

I'm still torn whether to ship the computer back to ASUS for Windoze restoration or just keep Puppying.

I say play hard learn what you can about secure boot since you got a few days grace on a RMA heck with Christmas package travel and season related weather hickups they will most likely accept Very old RMAs

Secondly returns are never the one you shipped even if you have someone promise to just swap harddrives for important data locked on it.

You will get back a new or repaired one.


third reality is if you buy other consumer goods like my Android phone. It only is allowed to share files via USB cable with drivers provided to Apple or Windows. Linux is shut out! For now

[nooby]

shagguar you forgot to mention that one have to set
Win 8 to not be in sleep mode when you do the Partition
created. That is warned about on internet in many places

One would easily destroy Win 8 if one don't do that properly

That is from my faulty memory and it could have been changed
in later version if Win8.1 or so but the first was always in sleep
mode by default so one need to start it up in Win 8
and tell it to not be in sleep mode or else it could
have important system file over written

Correct me if I am wrog. Maybe you just had an incredible luck?

[greengeek]

[quote="nooby"][/quote]Hey nooby, I just spotted your post count is up to 9883 - if you can pick up the pace a bit you might hit the big 10,000 by Christmas or new year!

(I think the rule is you qualify for a bag of dog biscuits once you hit that milestone...)

[Ted Dog]

shagguar you forgot to mention that one have to set
Win 8 to not be in sleep mode when you do the Partition
created. That is warned about on internet in many places

One would easily destroy Win 8 if one don't do that properly

That is from my faulty memory and it could have been changed
in later version if Win8.1 or so but the first was always in sleep
mode by default so one need to start it up in Win 8
and tell it to not be in sleep mode or else it could
have important system file over written

Correct me if I am wrog. Maybe you just had an incredible luck?

Still exists in Win8.1 and yes even if yoh had it TOTALLY SHUTOFF in your 8.0 version it will automatically reset to ON during the first couple of reboots. Upgrade is not really really finished until the second set of hotfixes are applied. Then maybe it will let that setting stick.
I learned the hard way and did get corruption on Win8.1 that it fixed and left the crud behind during one of the many hours long hotfix applications fixes.

[shagguar]

@shuggar

Did you setup Grub as 64bit or 32bit IE WAS THE INSTALLER from a 64bit distro. There is a issue on MACTEL EFI that bit-ness mattered. But If I recall 64bit did allow 32bit if BIOS compatibility was not run. Straight EFI most kernel boot messages do not appear you get a few or more seconds of totally blank white or black screen. In BIOS layer mode you can get kernel messages if BIOS layer guessed correctly your hardware.
Also if you are running in dual boot mode without changing from secure EFI then most 32bit puppys will fail. No signed kernels just yet. I recall someone got Slacko 32 bit puppy to boot with FATDOG64 keys under secure mode but may not be released... Would be good to check, sounds like your setup works good. I Never tried something that complex but would be willing to try and duplicate your setup. I all backed up win8.1 and plan to downgrade back to win 8.0.
would you post direct links to the tools and exact linux versions you used so I can try to get a setup like yours

Thanks
I quite busy right now. Tomorrow i'll read the post and answer you. Thanks again for your reply.

[zaivala]

Waitaminnit! You can't back up Android to Linux? That sounds particularly weird, as Android IS Linux...

[Ted Dog]

Waitaminnit! You can't back up Android to Linux? That sounds particularly weird, as Android IS Linux...

Well Samsung is getting some heat on barn door errors in its spin on Android. May be a reaction to slow those experts from using linux tools to sniff Samsung devices. Made no sense to me but between AT&T locking and Samsung stupidity in the software side, The device ( released in October ) is still 300X better than the dieing hand me down iPhone it replaced. With true 4G lte I can finally download linux iso files with in minutes verses hours. Could not download files with iPhone, Android I have been able to grab pets sfs and iso files without problem ( zero corruptions so far) but have to pass them via win8 to USB then to linux.
Saw that a wifi android apps can pass files to networked devices, haven't been able to determine the best way. Ideal would be a drag drop app from phone. I have to turn off mobile data completely to pass control to a not connected to internet backbone connected WiFi. I think it stops the phone from calls, so need something fast.

[Flash858]

DIE UEFI DIE!!!

[Ted Dog]

DIE UEFI DIE!!!

Flash is that you??? Have you been demoted from being a moderator?

You know it works better if you change more of your sock normal user account to something completely different from your account as a Moderator. Same name and home state....

of course if your not Flash the MOD and do something bad its bye bye...

I knew that UK Out house spambot would hunt FLASH down after years of attempts.

[nooby]

Thanks to greengeek for the cheer up.
I feel shame for being this active with low quality posts.

I think it is obvious that I am not only internet dependent
but especially Murga Puppy Forum obsessed

Okay back on topic?

Ted Dog much appreciated you explained that one
UEFI is much more complex than I thought.
Okay it is not UEFI setting up the sleep mode
it is Ms win 8 that did that but combined with UEFI
it means the user have to be careful and have the
know how before one do drastic changes.

I even fail to get such things when I have detailed instructions
IIRC took me some two years of frequent posting here
to get how to do the placing the .cache and the .mozilla
on the HardDisk. Such a relief when it did work.
No more save file growing out of proportion.

Guys I love Puppy Linux. and it would be sad
if I buy a computer that fail to accept frugal install
on the same partition as the main default OS it have.

I am that fanatic indeed. Why fix something if it aint broken?

Okay I don't need a new computer but sometimes
the gut feeling overpower the logic in the brain.
What do they name it. Shopaholic whatever. Consumerism?

[greengeek]

Guys I love Puppy Linux. and it would be sad
if I buy a computer that fail to accept frugal install
on the same partition as the main default OS it have.
I am that fanatic indeed. Why fix something if it aint broken?

You're so right. Why do we have to be led by the nose away from the computing experience we enjoy? Why can't we keep on having the hardware and software just the way we want it? Why do the manufacturers have to ignore our desires and make changes that are not for the better. Change for the sake of change. Or is it change for the sake of draining our wallets?

And yet if they are trying to drain our wallets why would the chromebooks be so cheap?? They can't be making much profit from those. Do these people somehow make their money from the data stream we create AFTER we purchase the hardware? Does their "locked-in" software somehow generate profit for them every day we read our emails?

And in any case, I still don't see how UEFI and Win8 makes the computer safer overall - it seems like a guaranteed SECURE way to boot an INSECURE operating system.

Or did Microsoft suddenly figure out a way to make Win 8 a system that will not need security updates like all the previous attempts? I'm not convinced.

[zaivala]

Yeah, I'm still debating sending the computer back to ASUS to get Windoze put back on it... but it really SHOULD have the original stuff on it. I have the box out but haven't printed the RMA label yet. Even so, I will once again find the setting to allow it to boot from the DVD drive and be running Puppy most of the time.

Why get Windoze reinstalled? Mostly because CUPS is not much liking my printer, even though there is a Linux driver for it. Works in Windoze like it was the default printer.

[rcrsn51]

Mostly because CUPS is not much liking my printer, even though there is a Linux driver for it.

Have you asked for help with your printer?

[shagguar]

shagguar you forgot to mention that one have to set
Win 8 to not be in sleep mode when you do the Partition
created. That is warned about on internet in many places

One would easily destroy Win 8 if one don't do that properly

That is from my faulty memory and it could have been changed
in later version if Win8.1 or so but the first was always in sleep
mode by default so one need to start it up in Win 8
and tell it to not be in sleep mode or else it could
have important system file over written

Correct me if I am wrog. Maybe you just had an incredible luck?

Maybe i was lucky, but i`m not sure about the warnings you read are true.

[nooby]

shagguar you forgot to mention that one have to set
Win 8 to not be in sleep mode when you do the Partition
created. That is warned about on internet in many places

One would easily destroy Win 8 if one don't do that properly

That is from my faulty memory and it could have been changed
in later version if Win8.1 or so but the first was always in sleep
mode by default so one need to start it up in Win 8
and tell it to not be in sleep mode or else it could
have important system file over written

Correct me if I am wrog. Maybe you just had an incredible luck?

Maybe i was lucky, but i`m not sure about the warnings you read are true.

Wish I would know more so either you where lucky indeed
or the person writing about how disaster strike Win 8
if one don't deactivate the sleep and then do changes to the partition
may have talked about a specific Branmd and model?

So we have to wait and see if reports comes in on such to happen

[zaivala]

Mostly because CUPS is not much liking my printer, even though there is a Linux driver for it.

Have you asked for help with your printer?

Nope. Mostly my autism-induced timidity -- I think I've fixed the problem but have to be in a good space before I can test it.