Can't install in UEFI mode, but...

malcolmmaya · n00b Joined: 30 Oct 2017 Posts: 43

Hej all

,

I'm trying to (re)install gentoo and I have a problem with UEFI. I can't seem to be able to boot anything in UEFI mode (tried, rescueCD, fedora, antergos...) but, I can boot in Legacy mode

. So I have that going on for me.

During the install, when I set the flags on the boot partition (at this step) I have both `boot` and `esp` automatically added as flags. As far as I understand, esp is for EFI. Is it a problem if my instal isn't EFI but I have the flag ? If yes, how do I go about removing it ?

Thanks a lot

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:44 pm Post subject:

malcolmmaya,

If you use EFI to boot you must use a GRP disk label.

If you use legacy mode you may use a GRP disk label. However, it can get a bit messy,
In legacy mode, only your BIOS cares about flags on partitions and it can't read a GRP disk label anyway.
When you make a GRP disk label, you get a 'protective' DOS disk label for free. It contains one partition.
Set the bootable flag here.

The esp flag does not exist in legacy mode so having it set does not matter.

I am aware of a few broken BIOSes that won't let you mix legacy mode and a GPT disk label.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

malcolmmaya · n00b Joined: 30 Oct 2017 Posts: 43

OK so the esp flag itself doesn't matter so much if I am in legacy mode. I'll try this then !

I would love to get everything to work with UEFI but I'm not able to boot anything in EFI mode

. Looks like the people on Arch also had that problem

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:22 am Post subject:

The problem you describe is normally explained by having secure boot enabled in the UEFI.
Your user manual says your UEFI has a Lock UEFI mode.
Your machine is trusted platform module equipped, may have a boot password set, may have an encrypted hard drive with a required password.
It looks like secure boot can be disabled with a significant amount of user manual study, persistence, and some good luck. Could be fun.
_________________
Defund the FCC.

malcolmmaya · n00b Joined: 30 Oct 2017 Posts: 43

I have a secure boot option that I already deactivated :/. I don't if that's enough. I went with installing without EFI and for now it works good

joanandk · Apprentice Joined: 12 Feb 2017 Posts: 169

eccerr0r · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 9:48 am Post subject:

Was GRP disk label a typo for GPT? Confused...

In any case, it depends on the firmware. I've got one EFI implementation that does not support CSM boot but will boot an EFI image from a MBR media. The partition type needs to be set properly IIRC. Getting the file in the right location/filename was the other tricky part though that should be the same issue regardless for MBR or GPT disks.

I'd also blame secureboot if nothing seems to work... Anyone know of any free secureboot-clean install media that could be used to test secureboot, or at least prove if it's the problem or not (is Fedora/CentOS secureboot clean like RHEL?)
_________________
Intel Core i7 2700K/Radeon R7 250/24GB DDR3/256GB SSD
What am I supposed watching?

malcolmmaya · n00b Joined: 30 Oct 2017 Posts: 43

For now I can't even see any advantages in using UEFI since I still use GPT and not MBR (and I have no problem for now... for now

)

eccerr0r · Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 5:47 am Post subject:

Honestly the only advantage to UEFI is that the partition *shouldn't* require a magic sector (MBR boot sector) to allow booting. The BIOS knows how to decode the FAT to get all the right blocks whereas MBR boot you have to hard code the sectors.

But also the extensibility... however what I'm mostly dismayed with is indeed secure boot because secureboot is supposed to prevent boot of code *the owner* of the hardware doesn't want. Instead it's preventing boot of what the firmware writer doesn't want. Minor difference but to me it's huge...
_________________
Intel Core i7 2700K/Radeon R7 250/24GB DDR3/256GB SSD
What am I supposed watching?

charles17 · Advocate Joined: 02 Mar 2008 Posts: 3664

Hu · Moderator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 21629

Yes, if your firmware allows you to change out the acceptable keys. Given the history of firmware authors in general, parts of the community are rather distrustful that any arbitrary motherboard will have firmware that permits the owner to install custom keys. This is aggravated by some of Microsoft's decisions that certain types of system (as far as I know, only ARM is affected, but that is a growing area) must not permit the owner to install custom keys. Further, Microsoft has already walked back some of its x86 secureboot rules. They haven't yet required that Microsoft-approved x86 boards be incapable of running non-Windows, but their history leaves little trust that they won't try it.

eccerr0r · Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 6:07 pm Post subject:

With EFI I theoretically should be able to ban M$ from installing.

Try to get this to occur...

Unless you reprogram your firmware, it's impossible to prevent M$ from installing and hence EFI is NOT doing what the hardware owner wants it to do. This is the true evil of EFI.
_________________
Intel Core i7 2700K/Radeon R7 250/24GB DDR3/256GB SSD
What am I supposed watching?

Jaglover · Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 6:12 pm Post subject:

I hear more and more about Coreboot, has anyone tried it?

Coreboot

Libreboot
_________________
My Gentoo installation notes.
Please learn how to denote units correctly!

eccerr0r · Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 6:34 pm Post subject:

That's the other thing. Hardware nowadays also have keys that will prevent people to change firmware too.
I fear today's computers, makes me very upset that big business is taking away our rights to run what *we* the owner wants, and only allow what the manufacturer wants.
It's mostly due to the people who fear boot sector viruses and firmware viruses, and people are so afraid of them they want manufacturers to build machines to protect them from these issues.

Ben Franklin's famous quote applies IMHO.
_________________
Intel Core i7 2700K/Radeon R7 250/24GB DDR3/256GB SSD
What am I supposed watching?