MX-18 beta 1 feedback

[fehlix]

I installed on a VirtualBox using UEFI... the install and build went well; as did my customization. On reboot I have a complete and total crash. I will download and try again; as time permits.

One easy way to have MX18b1_x64 to get installed in Oracle VM VirtualBox UEFI mode together with
straight booting into the Grub-menu without any issues in UEFI mode:

Booting MX18-Linux in UEFI-mode in VirtualBox
This in UEFI install from the LiveISO on Oracle VM VirtualBox.
After installation, rebooting with VirtualBox internal boot menu by selecting manual /EFI/MX18/gubx64.efi.

Within booted MX18-Linux those additonal stepps need to be performed or verified:
1- check/create missing fstab-entry for ESP/efi partition

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echo "UUID=$(lsblk -no 'UUID,LABEL,FSTYPE,PARTLABEL' | grep -m1 -iE 'vfat|esp|efi' | cut -d' ' -f1)  /boot/efi    vfat  defaults   0   0" | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
UUID=A555-0A81  /boot/efi    vfat  defaults   0   0

2. mount ESP-partition under /boot/efi:

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sudo mount -a 

3. install MX18-efi bootloader as default/fallback

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sudo "mkdir -p /boot/efi/EFI/BOOT && cp /boot/efi/EFI/MX18/grubx64.efi /boot/efi/EFI/BOOT/bootx64.efi"

That's it. Reboot and the Grub menu will show up.

Note: The above steps could also made within booted LiveISO or potentially as a nice adjustment to the existing installer.

[dolphin_oracle]

That entire screen is different if it correctly picks up uefi or it was just a few day ago. If the installer hasn't changed then that is the legacy boot installer screen. I dont need legacy boot installer screen. I am booted in uefi so legacy installer shouldnt even be there. The installer changes a little betweeen the two modes if I am not mistaken . The 4th box on the choose the partitions screen will not be there if installing in uefi mode. Or like I said it wasnt the two or three times I have ever manged to get it installed. The only installer I have ever gotten to work in the stock mx 17 iso without the updates. The mx 17 iso with updates will not work so something changed and now I cant install apparently in uefi and I don't go for that give up and install how it forces me to stuff.

the screens you post are not the legacy installer screens, they are the partition selection screens. this is the grub install screen, which you did not show a picture of in your post.

grub-install.png

actually the installer has changed a lot, adding encryption and such, and the parititon selection screen is the screen everyone will get. if /boot option should be present in all modes, as well as the new encryption options. If they are not, that's the bug.

the installer only changes in one place depending on UEFI vs. Legacy boot...at grub install screen.

and you don't have to use a separate /boot...just leave it set to root, which is where we've always had it in the past.

[freefreeno]

Maybe this will help it is only offering sda2 for boot and that is my root. I tried just leaving it with an blue no boot device screen. Boot is already set on the root option when you get to that page. Nothing I can do about that.

[dolphin_oracle]

Maybe this will help it is only offering sda2 for boot and that is my root. I tried just leaving it with an blue no boot device screen.

it should be offering "root" as the default option, which sounds like what you want.

[dolphin_oracle]

@freefreeno

I'm not saying there might not be some problem in the installer...but if so its not the problem you think it is, and maybe with some more screenshots or info we can work it out.

[Adrian]

Maybe we need to explains things a bit better, I was not excited about adding /boot extra partition exactly for this reason...

[fehlix]

The screenshots show it all. Right where you see the screen offering boot option. That option shouldnt even be there at all if it has picked up that I am installing in uefi mode. (It is trying to install in mbr legacy mode and I am not in legacy boot. I am in uefi. It is trying to get me to add boot to root. ONLY OPTION FOR BOOT IS ROOT AND THAT IS LEGACY

This is propably an misinterpretation. Where you mount or not mount the folder /boot (e.g. either keep it as a normal directory or have it mounted from extra "boot"-partition) has nothing todo with MBR/BIOS(legacy) or UEFI booting.
The finaly mounted directory structure ( "/, "/boot" and or "/boot/efi" ) is realy only for grub and kernel-booting, nothing todo with the underlying bootload-mechanism.
Please explain explicitly what issues you have, perhaps we can provide more clarity here.

[fehlix]

Maybe this will help it is only offering sda2 for boot and that is my root. I tried just leaving it with an blue no boot device screen. Boot is already set on the root option when you get to that page. Nothing I can do about that.

The default is not to have an extra "boot" partition (this is only defaulted/used for disk-encryted installation).
But you can manual create an extra "boot" partition if you like. The default installer just does not offer to create one.
As its is not needed, you can create one - or just simply leave the /boot directory unter the /root-partition
Thats it - simple and straight.

[Gordon Cooper]

Did you try the torrent from archive.org?

Yes, I did tried with both Transmission and QbitTorrent. Downloaded the torrent file from the archive, no difficulty, but trying to progress , QbitTorrent's log said this
in red print:

"4/12/18 2:47 PM - URL seed lookup failed for URL: '/5/items/', message: MX18b1X64 url seed (/5/items/) failed: unsupported URL protocol"

URL looks OK to me.

[entropyfoe]

First report:
Downloaded this morning from the forum announcement link.
I checked md5, was good, so I burned it to a USB with the Live USB creator tool on MX 17.1 .

Boots fast on this signature machine. Internet and sound worked, youtube worked, so I clicked install. As usual I divide my system disks into 4 partitions, three for a traditional Warren style install (/, swap, and separate home) and the fourth partition is an experimental partition for testing. So as usual (like I did with MX17 betas) installed to that P4 on the nvme drive. The progress bar stalls a bit at 95%, but then zooms to 99% and completion, about 4-5 minutes.

But I had problems with installing GRUB to root. The P4 never showed up in the installer window. I don't want to MBR, as that is my main MX 17.1 system. The installer asks "OK to install GRUB bootloader at ?", so maybe it is not seeing that 4th nvme partition for some reason. It offered the option to not install grub, complete installation, and then reboot and use the grub repair tool.

I set the timezones, clicked next, and the installer vanished ! (not sure what happened, did I press a wrong button??!!?!?)

So, I rebooted, and repeated everything the same, still the same GRUB error. But this time the installation went fine. I rebooted and tried the GRUB repair. Again it does not see P4 with the MX 18 install. I used disk manager to mount the 4th partition from live, and sure enough, the MX 18install was there.

So, I rebooted back to MX-17, and did update-grub as root. It found MX18 continuum(18). But this option would not be available to many users withoout another MX install on the same machine.

Then I rebooted again and selected MX 18 beta 1 from a normal MX 17 GRUB, and I am posting from it now.

I will play around some more and report back.