Unable to install EndevourOS - on a USB stick

General system EndeavourOS installation
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$ inxi -Fxxxca --no-host
System:
Kernel: 5.4.6-arch1-1 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.2.0
parameters: initrd=\EFI\archiso\intel_ucode.img
initrd=\EFI\archiso\amd_ucode.img initrd=\EFI\archiso\archiso.img
archisobasedir=arch cow_spacesize=10G archisolabel=ENDEAVOUROS
Desktop: Xfce 4.14.1 tk: Gtk 3.24.10 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm4
dm: LightDM 1.30.0 Distro: EndeavourOS
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: Acer product: TravelMate P236-M v: V1.22
serial:
Mobo: Acer model: TravelMate P236-M v: V1.22 serial:
UEFI: Insyde v: 1.22 date: 06/28/2016

Graphics:
Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 5500 vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI
driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:1616
Display: server: X.Org 1.20.6 driver: i915 compositor: xcompmgr
resolution: 1366x768~60Hz

I know nothing from Laptop and intel GPU driver, sorry :slight_smile:

1 Like
22

Hello @essegi
You said you did the automatic installation? It looks like you are using the online installer to install Mate desktop. How did you select the partitioning setup? Erase disc with swap? or other? Looks like your laptop is Intel Graphics HD 5500. Shouldn’t be any issue to install from what i see. If your laptop has UEFI you need to disable secure boot and fast boot in UEFI before attempting to install.

2 Likes
23

He’s trying to make a persistent USB “system on a stick”.

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24

Oh I see … I thought he was installing it on the laptop? :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

25

Maybe some of this will work then @essegi? http://valleycat.org/linux/arch-usb.html

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Hi again Guys, I couldn’t answer yesterday since I reached the maximum of posts for a new member (?!). Anyway, I have much appreciated help and support.
Update: After more than 12 hours the installation process failed
here the pastebin
http://ix.io/2d98

Let me recapitulate:
I would like to try a proper install (not live usb with persistence) on usb target drive
Installation method: online with mate (but I tried also the offline method.
live usb created with rufus and etcher portable on win10 and etcher on Manjaro
target usb: kingston or sandisk, new or semi-new, 16Gb and 32Gb
I tried, say, 10 times the installation with no success. By the way, thank you @Halcek for the guide, it is useful, however a little bit aged. Also, I did not check the option to encrypt the disk in Calamares.
One main issue was until now that I downloaded the iso via Win10 and Alpix mirror. Then I tried via Manjaro (installed on usb in half an our with the same method) and Github mirror. I could verify the isos and discover that the ones downloaded from Alpix were corrupted. From Github it was ok and apparently, the installation was going on, but it failed when it reached probably the 70% of the process. I wonder if it is normal so much time. I don’t have many options left. I will try what @SGS suggested, i.e. downloading a beta functioning iso
Any further suggestion would be much appreciated
Thanks a lot

27

try with suse studio imagewriter for your usb stick

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Some guides that may be of use: https://www.tecmint.com/install-linux-os-on-usb-drive/comment-page-5

The process described should be pretty similar with Endeavour. From what I gather, you essentially need two USB drives plugged in at the same time: one with the live ISO on it, and the other you need to format with GPARTED to install on.

I suppose the first step will be changing the booting from BIOS/UEFI onto that USB stick, which has the live ISO on it. Then wipe the second USB drive and use the installer to manually divide the blank USB between a Home (data) partition (ext4) and swap. Just select the ext4 home partition of your USB for installation then, and don’t use encryption.

29

Manjaro has a tutorial / guide. One would have to figure out what they have changed command wise from arch (they have some of their own commands) and convert it to arch proper for EndeavourOS. You seem very proficient and there are plenty of helpers here so maybe try that?

https://forum.manjaro.org/t/howto-run-encrypted-manjaro-on-a-stick/120562

You shouldn’t need a log in to read it.

1 Like
30

Hi again,
This link did not work for me

In the meanwhile I made various attempt to install arch with archifi and manjaro architect. The installation failed, but I noticed something interesting which reminded me of the failed installation of endeavour os. Archfi and manjaro architect failed around the 60-70% of the process, i.d. with installation of the bootloader, which refers to the partioning of the drive. More or less it was similar to the failure with endeavour. Now, I was curious to check the partion method of the two working manjaro pendrive that I have made.
Both are gpt, sdc1 fat32 boot/efi (flag, boot, esp) and sdc2 ext4 “/”. I don’t remember well, but I think I made them with Calamares automatic partitioning, which in Endeavour os failed.
Now, I was wondering if I could try again to install endeavour os with a manual mode.
I have a notebook in legacy boot. I don’t need a dual boot, since I will install endeavour on a usb as a portable system. So I was wondering if a msdos partition table with one only sdc1 partition ext4 “/” flag boot could make sense. Any suggestion are welcome.
Thanks a lot

31

grafik
grafik819×521 45.1 KB

work here, server was down maybe ??

Not easy :wink:
But @BONK give you the link :slight_smile:

32

Today I downloaded from Alpix: https://mirror.alpix.eu/endeavouros/iso/endeavouros-2019.12.22-x86_64.iso and the md5sum was OK.

It is always essential to verify the checksum of the downloaded ISO before using the ISO.

There are also other checkpoints:

  • how do you create the USB stick? dd is the reliable way, but see the EndeavourOS wiki
  • is Secure Boot disabled on your machine?
  • is it UEFI (+gpt) or BIOS legacy (+MBR) install?
  • does your machine have Optane memory?
33

No problem bei Download, failure bei der installation

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Hi manuel, thanks for your reply.

  • usb created with etcher, according to eos wiki (but I tried also with rufus)
  • Secure boot disable since I work in legacy mode
  • I let Calamares do the job with automatic partitioning, but perhaps - I don’t remember yet - I tried also the manual partitioning. Calamares automatic uses Uefi (gpt, sdc1 fat32, sdc2 ext4) and I wonder if I could try now a manual Bios legacy install (mbr, ext4 boot; correct?)
  • I don’t think that my notebook travelmate has Optane memory. I posted the specs
    About Alpix: I could not verify from Win10 with utilities such as md5 and winmd5, since I could not file a valid md5 value. I had to download the iso again via manjaro and I could verify that it was corrupted according to the this message
    md5sum -c endeavouros-2019.12.22-x86_64.iso.md5sum
    endeavouros-2019.12.22-x86_64.iso: FAILED
    md5sum: ATTENTION: 1 calculated control code does NOT match
    Maybe you could tell me more about a mbr install in legacy mode, since the Uefi failed
    Thank you very much
35

UEFI vs. BIOS install: it is best (and by far the easiest) to install according to your machine specs, and what you already have installed on your machine. So if you already have all gpt disks and other operating systems are installed in UEFI mode, then use UEFI.

And if your machine allows to select either UEFI or BIOS/MBR install, I’d recommend UEFI because it is newer technology.

BIOS/MBR install can be done if your machine (firmware/BIOS) supports it. Then if you have other operating systems, you may have to re-install them as well. And all disks preferably should be MBR disks to avoid some issues.

So I don’t recommend BIOS legacy install.

That’s why some (failure) logs and other info from your machine is needed, e.g.

lsblk -fm
sudo fdisk -l
inxi -Fxc0    # if you have inxi installed
36

Hi Manuel,
thank you for your reply, quite clear
Here my failure log
http://ix.io/2d98
As for the machine: it supports well legacy boot, which I use with different debian based distros on usb, and also manjaro. I have seen some video of arch installation in legacy mode, and it should be ok also for eos. I would like to try thisopportunity since every attempt to install with calamares (gpt table, fat32 boot/efi and ext4 root /) has failed. Is it correct msdos partition table, one ext4 partition (boot), maybe swap for legacy boot?

37

Skimming the log through didn’t show the reason for me, other than it is taking very much time. Is that the case also when you install other distros to the stick?

Maybe @fernandomaroto could see better what the problem with the install is?

Basically you should be able to install EOS into a USB stick (I guess either one of UEFI or BIOS/MBR mode), but some people have said it to be very challenging. I haven’t done that, so unfortunately I cannot help much with that.

38

Hi!
One thing that comes to mind checking the log is time out value for running cleaner_script (this aply if the install is slow for some reason, writing to usb may be the case)

07:46:27 [0]: QProcess: Destroyed while process ("env") is still running.

You can try before lauching calamares to manually change timeout from cleaner script, open a terminal and type
sudo sed -i s'/480/4800/' /usr/share/calamares/modules/shellprocess.conf
This will change the “wait” time from 8 minutes to 80, it’s crazy but worth checking.

The error log is not clear enough if failed at cleaner_script step or something right after it…

OBS:

  • Use gparted to create partitions as you want - specially partition table, avoid using autopartitioning for the december iso.
  • have at least 8GB free space on your usb.
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39

No, it does not take so much time. I installed on usb mx linux, ubuntu mate, peppermint os. With a couple of hours I was done. Manjaro took a little bit longer, say three-four hours, but nothing to compare with eos, which requested 12 hours and reached around 70% of installation, and eventually failed.
Actually, it is quite challenging, but I don’t give up easily. I will try what @fernandomaroto kindly suggested. Thank you very much. I appreciate that

1 Like
40

MX linux has a great tool to create a live usb with persistence.

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