Qubes 3.0 won't install... "No bootable device"

[neilh...@gmail.com]

I wrote the QUBES 3.0 ISO to an external HDD.

Then I ran the installation, to install QUBES to the local internal HDD.

Works fine. Tells me all done and restart.

Yet, it then says "no bootable device", and press ENTER to go back to BIOS boot selection.

Previously, I tried installing QUBES 3.1, and I think I may have messed up the steps here

https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/uefi-troubleshooting/

I messed up steps 6 to 10, so that may be the problem.

In any event... it's at the point where it just will not boot.

I don't know what to do.

I have a Windows recovery disc, so I am able to re-install Windows 8.1 whenever I want.

But I'm really trying to get rid of Windows 8.1 and install QUBES

I had no problems installing to an external HDD to test it out.. but now I want it on my main system... and it just won't boot.

What do I do...?? How do I get QUBES to boot....??

[donoban]

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It sounds like a problem with Grub installation, could you try with
Qubes 3.1 disabling UEFI? Also you could have more chances with Qubes
3.2rc-1
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[neilh...@gmail.com]

My EUFI is disabled and i still get the message "bootable device was not found"

What do i do?

[donoban]

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But was UEFI enabled when you did the installation? If yes try
reinstalling, if no I don't know...

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[neilh...@gmail.com]

It was all disabled from the start.

It simply will not work.

As I say, it can install to an external HDD just fine. Just not the local drive.

[donoban]

I think it has some problem with Grub (the bootloader), are you sure you
are installing it on the right device? The external HDD is an USB HD?
How is it mapped on the installer? /dev/sdb?

[neilh...@gmail.com]

In the installer, it shows the USB external HDD, and the local HDD.

I am currently in a Ubuntu live disc, and in the partition manager, it shows

partition -- file system -- size -- used -- flags

/dev/sda1 -- ext4 -- 500MB -- 155.12MB -- boot

/dev/sda2 -- crypt-luks -- 698.15GB -- N/A -- N/A

[neilh...@gmail.com]

One thing I notice is that I used to be able to press F12, and get the HDD as a boot option.

Now it's just missing altogether.

[donoban]

You could try doing "grub2-install /dev/sda" but I think you need to
mount and chroot your Qubes root and boot partitions.

look here:
http://howtoubuntu.org/how-to-repair-restore-reinstall-grub-2-with-a-ubuntu-live-cd

[neilh...@gmail.com]

OK... This is what I get

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda2 /mnt
mount: block device /dev/sda2 is write-protected, mounting read-only
NTFS signature is missing.
Failed to mount '/dev/sda2': Invalid argument
The device '/dev/sda2' doesn't seem to have a valid NTFS.
Maybe the wrong device is used? Or the whole disk instead of a
partition (e.g. /dev/sda, not /dev/sda1)? Or the other way around?

[neilh...@gmail.com]

It may be possible that I'm following the EUFI guidelines incorrectly.

Replace existing Qubes entry with modified one. Replace XXXX with entry number from previous step, /dev/sda with your disk name and -p 1 with /boot/efi partition number):

With this.... for example.. how am I supposed to know the /boot/efi partition number...? What would the number usually be?

I have no clue.. errgh. Just my guess... I think I'll leave this one to the experts.... I am very confused.

[raah...@gmail.com]

Do you have option in bios to use legacy boot mode? Might be easier, thats what I do. Apparently there is no security benefit to using uefi.

[donoban]

first do:
mkdir /mnt/root
mkdir /mnt/root/boot

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/root/boot

/dev/sda2 is an encrypted luks, you have to do:

cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sda2 luksRoot
[enter your passphrase]
mount /dev/mapper/luksRoot /mnt/root

then you have to bind some special folders

mount --bind /proc /mnt/root/proc
mount --bind /dev /mnt/root/dev

and finally do:

chroot /mnt/root

then try to reinstall grub.

[donoban]

On 10/07/16 21:01, Frank wrote:
>
>
>> On 10.07.2016, at 19:36, donoban donoban-at-riseup.net

|qubes-mailing-list/Example Allow| <wo56j...@sneakemail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> On 10/07/16 18:11, neilh...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> OK... This is what I get
>>>
>>> ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
>>> ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda2 /mnt
>>> mount: block device /dev/sda2 is write-protected, mounting read-only
>>> NTFS signature is missing.
>>> Failed to mount '/dev/sda2': Invalid argument
>>> The device '/dev/sda2' doesn't seem to have a valid NTFS.
>>> Maybe the wrong device is used? Or the whole disk instead of a
>>> partition (e.g. /dev/sda, not /dev/sda1)? Or the other way around?
>>
>> first do:
>> mkdir /mnt/root
>> mkdir /mnt/root/boot
>>
>> mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/root/boot
>

> You have to do the second mkdir and this mount AFTER the other second
mount command listed below! Otherwise you will have grub installed in
completely the wrong places...


ouch yes. In fact the second mkdir is not needed, just mount your
crypted device on /mnt/root and you will have a /mnt/root/boot dir where
you can mount /dev/sda1

[neilh...@gmail.com]

OK... I have found a solution.

Just use QUBES 3.2

I followed the instructions on the "EUFI Troubleshooting" page for QUBES 3.2.

I simply couldn't understand the instructions for 3.1.

So instead, the instructions are much easier for 3.2.

https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/uefi-troubleshooting/

In GRUB menu1 press e.

At the end of chainloader line add /mapbs /noexitboot.

Perform installation normally, but not reboot system at the end yet.

Go to tty2 (Ctrl-Alt-F2).

Edit /mnt/sysimage/boot/efi/EFI/qubes/xen.cfg (you can use vi editor) and add to every kernel section:

mapbs=1
noexitboot=1

Note: You must add these parameters on two separate new lines (one paramater on each line) at the end of each section that includes a kernel line (i.e., all sections except the first one, since it doesn’t have a kernel line).
Now you can reboot the system by issuing reboot command.

---------------

That's it. Problem solved.

It was nothing to do with EUFI or legacy boot or anything like that.

As I said, I had already done all the BIOS stuff.

Thanks for the help anyway.

[donoban]

On 10/07/16 21:59, neilh...@gmail.com wrote:
> OK... I have found a solution.
>
> Just use QUBES 3.2
>

> ---------------
>
> That's it. Problem solved.
>
> It was nothing to do with EUFI or legacy boot or anything like that.
>
> As I said, I had already done all the BIOS stuff.
>
> Thanks for the help anyway.
>

Nice :)

[raah...@gmail.com]

Well that is related to eufi. But glad you got it sorted, and tks for the tip on which guide to use if I need to use a uefi bios mode in the future. awesome!

[neilh...@gmail.com]

I have to say.... from a user experience... figuring that all out was hell.

When you look at what I did.. I essentially added 2 main bits to the code

mapbs=1
noexitboot=1

I really just wonder.. if there's any reason QUBES developers couldn't just add these 2 lines themselves, so that the user doesn't have to do it.

I'm not an expert at all, so I could be totally wrong.... but I really wonder

Do any devs know the answer to this..?