Installation Issues on Asus Zenbook UX303 - both 3.2 and 4.0 halting during first-run VM creation
callu...@gmail.com
I've been trying to get a version of Qubes running on an Asus Zenbook UX303 (albeit by installing to a large USB 3 stick).
Having DD'd the latest image (after verification) to an installation stick using the latest Rufus the installer boots, recognises the target stick and appears to install successfully using default settings and automatic partition scheme.
The target stick then boots successfully and proceeds to 1st-time setup and VM creation, but hangs at a seemingly random point during this process (the panning progress bar freezes indefinitely).
I've tested with both 3.2 and 4.0, with the network card enabled and disabled, and with and without default VM creation.
The UX303 seems to be in a solid position in the HCL, so I'm wondering whether I'm making a rookie error somewhere or whether it's that I'm targeting a stick rather than the internal SSD that's causing the freezes (such as the USB going to sleep midway).
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Callum
awokd
> The target stick then boots successfully and proceeds to 1st-time setup
> and VM creation, but hangs at a seemingly random point during this
> process (the panning progress bar freezes indefinitely).
Yuraeitha
Well I successfully installed Qubes 4 RC-1 on a USB pen once, some months back when the first candidate was released. I only messed around for a few minutes, but despite the bugs and errors a first release has, it seemed to work somewhat.
I'd rather try look elsewhere for a possible explanation first, for one, did you make sure to check all your BIOS settings?
- Intel VT-d or AMD-Vi, enabled? (Default is typically disabled out of box).
- Made sure there is no extra setting for Virtualisation? Some BIOS's have one.
- Did you try remove hardware, or settings, which can be temporarily removed, and see if it fixes anything? I.e. use onboard graphics instead of graphic card. Try install, see if it works. Remove PCI cards, turn off unessential BIOS settings that might trigger driver issues (but don't change without knowing what you're doing, of course, as it can be dangerous and break the machine, but you probably know that already?).
- It can also be something that needs to be turned on, sometimes it can be something unexpected, i.e. an otherwise unrelated BIOS setting that does not play nice with virtualization during a system install, unless its turned on, or off.
- It can also make a difference if you install via EFI (granted without secureboot since Qubes currently has no key), or via LegacyBIOS boot and grub. Essentially, in my anecdotal experience it tends to work more times than not, by using legacy, in terms of driver issues and freezes.
- As you suggested yourself, you might also have to try install on an actual harddrive, in case it really is the install location on an USB pen that is causing the issues. But in my optics this issue is somewhat lower on the list of suspects, however, I'm not an expert either.
The fact that both 3.2. and 4 freezes, makes it seem like that there is something wrong with the hardware features, or BIOS settings. Did you at any previous time successfully install any other Linux on the machine? The kernel worked fine?
Yuraeitha
oh btw, a warning, fedora 23, which Qubes 3.2. is based on, apparently has a bug that can mess up other partitions, even if you did not flag them for change during install. If you install Qubes 3.2. (which has fedora 23 as dom0 and is base for the installer itself), then you might mess up other partitions. Be sure to disconnect those drives if you install Qubes 3.2., just in case the bug will hit you.
I never experienced the bug my self, but I've heard about it.
I'm unsure if it's gone in Qubes 4, which is based on Fedora 25, however presumably it should be gone. You can search after it in the Fedora community, since Qubes does not fix issues that belongs to upstream developers like Fedora, as it would needlessly complicate everything and waste resources. But just keep this in mind. I assume you install on an USB pen to avoid loosing your current drive data, so this now older issue is presumably important to be aware of.
Yuraeitha
The overall topic from this quote is different, but there is however a small part that is relate-able.
Quote: "So, I installed Qubes 3.2 RC1 on a USB stick instead of the nvme hd, and it does not work if I try and boot from the USB stick option. If I boot from the Qubes UEFI option, it boots from the USB stick card.
The only change I made since then was turning on Intel TXT in the firmware option." /quote
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Qubes/comments/4onsfe/qubes_os_32_rc1_has_been_released/
Seemingly settings like wannabe Intel security features like TXT, and the EFI boot method, might possibly be other factors worth looking further into, in regard to your BIOS settings and search-engine topics to search on for further information (albeit it can be a jungle).
My point is, there is a lot of things that can affect your Qubes install, in your BIOS. Try go through them all systematically, and eventually you might have good chances finding the culprit.