Cannot get past grub to reach the customizable boot options (live-USB); terminates into a blank, black screen [Solved]

[MXer321]

Thank you. Please forgive my delaying as I was unsure about my own understanding of the terminology, "interactive text-menus," "text-splash screen," "splasht=fa," and "splasht= ," etc., etc. I went down a rabbit hole of my own making in looking at this, and now I think I have accurate understandings.

Hmmm... so you don't get the interactive text-menus displayed, but it would boot without trying to go through the text menus.

>>> Correct: I do not get the "interactive text-menus" for customization: https://youtu.be/DJmukS-bSxw&t=53s << UEFI not legacy boot >>

Do you actually see the text-splash screen, when booting from the first menu entry (the one without text menu)?

>>> When booting from the first menu entry, I see six dots ("udev done"): https://youtu.be/kGi9jd1qW8g&t=16m55s

>>> I never see three dots ("run live script"): https://youtu.be/kGi9jd1qW8g&t=16m47s

>>> I never see four dots ("start init"): https://youtu.be/kGi9jd1qW8g&t=16m50s

Could you also try to just disable text-splash screen, with adjusting boot parameter
to either
splasht=
or
just remove splasht.
And would it display something during boot-up?

>>> If I remove 'splasht' parameter (while retaining quiet and nosplash), then the listing of boot processes appear, and furthermore the six dot-udev done screen part of text-splash (that I was getting) no longer appears.

>>> If I remove 'splasht' and 'nosplash' parameters (while retaining quiet), then the same thing happens ((the boot processes appear, and the six dot-udev done screen part of text-splash no longer appears)).


*** *** *** *** ***

Try a different USB stick. Some of the SanDisks contain firmware that doesn't work with the MX/antiX Live USB system.

>>> In addition to my SanDisk thumb drives, I have tried a Samsung 32gb (3.1) USB and a Kingston Kyson 64gb (3.2). No change in result, sadly and unfortunately for me. I have been trialing my Samsung and Kyson sticks (see my rabbit hole reference), and they behave the same way as my SanDisk USBs.


I appreciate your feedback and advice and thank you for your time. I am enjoying my non-persistent MX on a stick, and am looking forward to getting it to persist. With kindest regards.

Sincerely,

MX321

P.S. I also have learned that there is some degree of community preference in naming the Grub menu something else like 'Syslinux boot options.' Forgive me if I bastardized it before. Please correct me of my poor word choices.

[fehlix]

>>> If I remove 'splasht' parameter (while retaining quiet and nosplash), then the listing of boot processes appear, and furthermore the six dot-udev done screen part of text-splash (that I was getting) no longer appears.

Ok, looks promising .. with removed "splasht" you see the boot text scrolling an vt1 (virutal terminal 1).
So I guess , the text menu's would also been shown to select a persistence option.
Do try this:
Edit the menu-entry "Customized.. (text menus)" and do remove "splasht" ( Press "e" to edit and remove splasht, pres F10 to boot.)

P.S. I also have learned that there is some degree of community preference in naming the Grub menu something else like 'Syslinux boot options.' Forgive me if I bastardized it before. Please correct me of my poor word choices.

In UEFI-boot mode on modern system, the GRUB boot loader is used and provides a GRUB-menu (without Fn-keys).
When turning on / selecting within UEFI-system setup to boot in (legacy) BIOS mode (aka CSM boot option), you would see the "classic" syslinux boot menu (GFX-syslinux menu). Both GRUB-menu and GFX-syslinux menu do look similar on MX/antiX live systems. In BIOS-boot mode you have on the GFX-syslinux menu Fn-keys at the bottom of the screen to select boot options from.
GRUB menu does not have such Fn-popup menus, hence the GRUB live system provides a text-menu facility to select boot options, alternative you can always press "e" to edit and adjust boot parameter.

[MXer321]

I am thankful for this community.

Do try this:
Edit the menu-entry "Customized.. (text menus)" and do remove "splasht" ( Press "e" to edit and remove splasht, pres F10 to boot.)

Thank you for the consideration and recommending this. I followed it, and sadly for me, it only terminates in a blank, black screen. Long wait, but no cigar.


Prophylactically fyi, this was my own post #8 in this thread:

Other attempted mitigations that have failed [emphasis added] for my circumstances when ... booting customizable:

1. No edits to kernel screen. Keep: quiet splasht nosplash menu

2. Only 'menu'. Delete: quiet splasht nosplash

3. Keep nosplash and menu. Delete: quiet and splasht

4. Add 'nomodeset' and keep 'menu'. Delete: quiet splasht nosplash

*** *** *** *** ***

In UEFI-boot mode on modern system, the GRUB boot loader is used and provides a GRUB-menu (without Fn-keys).
When turning on / selecting within UEFI-system setup to boot in (legacy) BIOS mode (aka CSM boot option), you would see the "classic" syslinux boot menu (GFX-syslinux menu). Both GRUB-menu and GFX-syslinux menu do look similar on MX/antiX live systems. In BIOS-boot mode you have on the GFX-syslinux menu Fn-keys at the bottom of the screen to select boot options from.
GRUB menu does not have such Fn-popup menus, hence the GRUB live system provides a text-menu facility to select boot options, alternative you can always press "e" to edit and adjust boot parameter.

Very kind, thank you.

MXer321

[MXer321]

. . . sadly for me, . . . no cigar.

Bump for the forum's consideration.

With appreciation and kindest regards.

[fehlix]

. . . sadly for me, . . . no cigar.

Bump for the forum's consideration.

With appreciation and kindest regards.

Ohh, thanks for the bump..
Ok, simplest "solution" for not going through the text-menus.

* boot into the system without persistence
* create persistence files manually from MX Tools Persistence
( either only rootfs or in addition homefs )

If that works.
Reboot, add manually the needed parameter to
the linux command line with the first grub-menu
e.g. static variants with »/home« together with root »/« within rootfs would be:

p_static_root

or separate »/home« in homfs and root »/« in rootfs

persist_static

Now: (important) because you would not get a prompt on the boot screen
( at least this was what I understand from your posts!)
do now disable setting a new password during bootup
by adding this boot parameter

pw=none

So the parameter to be added either
persist_static pw=none
or
p_static_root pw=none

Now it should boot int the system with enabled persistence.

Next do change "demo" and "root" password ( other wise it would always
prompt you to change the password during bootup)

If this would work, change the need boot parameter directly on the live-usb.
E.g. when booted up at
/live/boot-dev/boot/grub/grub.cfg
HTH

[MXer321]

^fehlix, great thanks for this recommendation. As I have to skip right now, kindly allow me to attempt it later today. I shall do so.

A follow-on question though, and please kindly indulge my bluntness . . . :

Ok, simplest "solution" for not going through the text-menus.

What does this mean with respect to the status of the lack of play between my rig and the text-menus -- (A) that such a lack of play has not been inspected as of yet since it is easier(†) to implement an expedient solution at hand, or (B) that upon inspection of my QSI and other info by the community, there are understood indicia (albeit solution-less) as to why the text-menus are not showing up in my hardware? Hit me with the bad news friend, I can take it.

(†) Am not trying to fool anyone. Time is precious for everyone.

May I cordially suggest that the issue at the heart of this thread (something like, LG gram 17Z90N laptop cannot access live-USB's interactive text menus for persistence) go onto one of the de-bug lists for future consideration so that the persistence text-menus eventually will play on a rig like mine? Would you kindly let me know whether I might pop over to another MX blog somewhere to have this matter submitted for such consideration?

I appreciate this community and MX.

Sincerely,

MXer321

[fehlix]

Ok, simplest "solution" for not going through the text-menus.

What does this mean with respect to the status of the lack of play between my rig and the text-menus -- (A) that such a lack of play has not been inspected as of yet since it is easier(†) to implement an expedient solution at hand, or (B) that upon inspection of my QSI and other info by the community, there are understood indicia (albeit solution-less) as to why the text-menus are not showing up in my hardware? Hit me with the bad news friend, I can take it.

I have no idea why the text menus are not showing on this system. So this would require some investigations, probably best by someone who owns such a device.
OTOH, you might have a look into the MX-21_beta1 thread and blog-post announcement, where text-menus with MX-21 LiveUSB might not be needed to select boot options when booted in UEFI systems.

[MXer321]

. . . simplest "solution" . . .

Not surprisingly, the workaround was simple to implement as well as effective.

Thank you, fehlix and JayM. You guys are great.

Thanks also to this community and anyone who read and thought about my thread here. I thank you for welcoming my problems; the water's nice.