Puzzling bug booting EasyOS from USB stick

[CF-DKS]

I have been encountering this with more than one version of Easy. On two desktop computers when I boot a previously configured version of Easy from USB it sometimes acts as if it is a first time boot, asks for keyboard preference, then drops into an error message saying it can't find the OS. If I turn off the power (by pulling the plug, the computer will not shut down from the power switch) and reboot (sometimes several times) it will eventually boot normally. This does not occur on my two laptop computers, only on the desktops. I have been running Easy Dunfell reliably for a couple of years on my primary desktop, and recently Easy Kirkstone reliably on another. I encountered this bug while trying to set up another USB stick with Easy for a friend. I tried more than one version on different USB sticks with the same results. Thoughts?

[Caramel]

I have been encountering this with more than one version of Easy. On two desktop computers when I boot a previously configured version of Easy from USB it sometimes acts as if it is a first time boot, asks for keyboard preference, then drops into an error message saying it can't find the OS. If I turn off the power (by pulling the plug, the computer will not shut down from the power switch) and reboot (sometimes several times) it will eventually boot normally. This does not occur on my two laptop computers, only on the desktops. I have been running Easy Dunfell reliably for a couple of years on my primary desktop, and recently Easy Kirkstone reliably on another. I encountered this bug while trying to set up another USB stick with Easy for a friend. I tried more than one version on different USB sticks with the same results. Thoughts?

Have you 2 USB sticks with EasyOS plugged in the same time on desktop computers when it happens ?

[CF-DKS]

"Have you 2 USB sticks with EasyOS plugged in the same time on desktop computers when it happens ?"

No. Just the one with the O/S.

[CF-DKS]

Additional information. I don't know that this could be in any way relevant, but the two desktop computers both have USB3 ports and the two laptops are USB2, so slower. That's the only common denominator I can see in the difference in results. I'm not much of a tech, I have only a nodding acquaintance with Linux, having used Puppy on occasion to rescue data from dead Windows computers, but am a huge fan of Easy since I discovered it. My primary computer has Windows on the hard drive but I use Easy on USB almost exclusively.

[Caramel]

Is beyond me.

I guess you use EasyOS 5.7 ?

EDIT : old edit deleted

[CF-DKS]

Is beyond me.

I guess you use EasyOS 5.7 ?

I am using 5.7. on my secondary desktop computer, using Dunfell 3.4.3 on my primary desktop for the last 2 years. Most of the time I have no issues, but occasionally I get a surprise, as happened with this puzzle.

[Caramel]

I am using 5.7. on my secondary desktop computer, using Dunfell 3.4.3 on my primary desktop for the last 2 years.

To understand well: Easy is installed on the internal drives ? Is Easy 5.7 on the usb sticks ?

[CF-DKS]

I am using 5.7. on my secondary desktop computer, using Dunfell 3.4.3 on my primary desktop for the last 2 years.

To understand well: Easy is installed on the internal drives ? Is Easy 5.7 on the usb sticks ?

Windows is installed on the internal drive on the Dunfell desktop, nothing is installed on the internal drive on the 5:7 (there is no internal drive!), actually I checked and the USB stick I generally use on that one is Kirkstone 5.6.1. The stick I have been testing is 5.7, but I have seen this with other versions as well. And to be clear, I unplug the USB I currently use and plug in the one I am testing, initially with the purpose of setting it up for a friend. When the bug occurred I got curious and therefor tested it on all my available computers with the results I posted. The puzzle to me is the different results with the exact same stick, when I get the error message, power down, and reboot. (and why I never get an error on the laptops).

[Caramel]

Since Easy 5.6.1, a modification that could be important is https://bkhome.org/news/202311/new-keyb ... iling.html (applied first in Easy 5.6.4)

I hope BarryK will read this topic

[CF-DKS]

Since Easy 5.6.1, a modification that could be important is https://bkhome.org/news/202311/new-keyb ... iling.html (applied first in Easy 5.6.4)

I hope BarryK will read this topic

Now that sounds promising. The common factor, both desktops have external keyboards which are different. Maybe that is where the confusion is occurring. Possibly a part of the puzzle. Thanks!

[Doggy]

Have you checked BIOS settings or tried different USB ports?

[CF-DKS]

Have you checked BIOS settings or tried different USB ports?

I am using the same USB port that works with my usual USB stick, although yes, I have booted from a different one to check. These are USB3 ports. No, haven't checked BIOS settings, don't know how that would be relevant when I normally have no issues with my usual versions of Easy. What would be suspect?

[CF-DKS]

Since Easy 5.6.1, a modification that could be important is https://bkhome.org/news/202311/new-keyb ... iling.html (applied first in Easy 5.6.4)

I hope BarryK will read this topic

Now that sounds promising. The common factor, both desktops have external keyboards which are different. Maybe that is where the confusion is occurring. Possibly a part of the puzzle. Thanks!

I think this solves it. I overwrote 5.7 with 5.6.1 and it now boots reliably on both desktop computers. Thanks again. My friend will hopefully love EasyOS as much as I do!

[Caramel]

Since Easy 5.6.1, a modification that could be important is https://bkhome.org/news/202311/new-keyb ... iling.html (applied first in Easy 5.6.4)

I hope BarryK will read this topic

Now that sounds promising. The common factor, both desktops have external keyboards which are different. Maybe that is where the confusion is occurring. Possibly a part of the puzzle. Thanks!

I think this solves it. I overwrote 5.7 with 5.6.1 and it now boots reliably on both desktop computers. Thanks again. My friend will hopefully love EasyOS as much as I do!

It is a good news but the problem is not solved; You will be stuck at Easy 5.6.1.

The keyboard profiling explains the question about keyboard layout but not the error message with easy.sfs not found.

PS : I have forgotten a question : use you encryption ?

[CF-DKS]

Now that sounds promising. The common factor, both desktops have external keyboards which are different. Maybe that is where the confusion is occurring. Possibly a part of the puzzle. Thanks!

I think this solves it. I overwrote 5.7 with 5.6.1 and it now boots reliably on both desktop computers. Thanks again. My friend will hopefully love EasyOS as much as I do!

Its a good news but the problem is not solved; You will be stuck at Easy 5.6.1.

The keyboard profiling explains the question about keyboard layout but not the error message with easy.sfs not found.

PS : I have forgotten a question : use you encryption ?

No, I don't use encryption. And this solves things for now. I will try future updates to see if the same bug persists, but I am happy with Easy for the moment as it does all I need it to do. It's my primary OS, and I only revert to Windows for apps that won't run on Easy, and most of the time I am using a two year old version.

[CF-DKS]

Apparently I spoke too soon, bug has recurred with Kirkstone 5.6.1 ,so maybe not that 5.6.4 change after all. I have been otherwise occupied for a bit, but this morning I booted the same USB stick that had behaved well previously through several tests and it hung in the same place as it had with 5.7, so now I am scratching my head again...

[williwaw]

I have seen the behavior in the past where the setup menus continue to appear on subsquent boots. Intermittent sometimes and sometimes it happens with every boot.

at first glance, one might assume the save did not get loaded, but not so as other configs persist. one oddity is that I do not have to rest my configs in the setup menus each time it happens, just click thru as the correct setting has persisted.
example. on first boot I changed time zone from perth to my local zone. on subsuquent boots, my local time zone appears to be already set in the menu and I only have to close the window to proceed with the session.

trying to duplicate just now with Easy 5.4.3:
switiching keyboards brings up the hardware/software time dialog.
I cannot duplicate the timezone setup reappearance

[CF-DKS]

In my case it hangs and will not continue after bringing up the keyboard dialog and my choosing U.S. by hitting ENTER. This results in "ERROR: cannot find easy.sfs", and suggests ctrl-alt-del to reboot or hold down power button to shutdown, neither of which work. I resort to turning off the power bar. Have experienced this multiple times in a row, and then miraculously the thing decides to boot and comes up normally with all settings as I had left them. Go figure!

[Caramel]

It remains very mysterious.

"cannot find easy.sfs" is the error 174 in the init script (in initrd) (In Easy 5.7 it's the line 1594)

if I'm not mistaken, the error message can only be displayed when the directory /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/${WKG_DIR}releases/easy-${INIT_DISTRO_VERSION} do not exist (line 1521 for 5.7)

Always if I understand correctly, /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/${WKG_DIR}releases/easy-${INIT_DISTRO_VERSION}=/mnt/wkg/releases/easy-5.7 (for Easy 5.7)

@CF-DKS, more varied questions hoping to move forward

Do you save sessions?
How do you make the usb stick?
Does the directory /mnt/wkg/releases/easy-${INIT_DISTRO_VERSION} exist?
What is the result of df -h /mnt/wkg?

(Maybe all this is useless)

[CF-DKS]

It remains very mysterious.

"cannot find easy.sfs" is the error 174 in the init script (in initrd) (In Easy 5.7 it's the line 1594)

if I'm not mistaken, the error message can only be displayed when the directory /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/${WKG_DIR}releases/easy-${INIT_DISTRO_VERSION} do not exist (line 1521 for 5.7)

Always if I understand correctly, /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/${WKG_DIR}releases/easy-${INIT_DISTRO_VERSION}=/mnt/wkg/releases/easy-5.7 (for Easy 5.7)

@CF-DKS, more varied questions hoping to move forward

Do you save sessions?
How do you make the usb stick?
Does the directory /mnt/wkg/releases/easy-${INIT_DISTRO_VERSION} exist?
What is the result of df -h /mnt/wkg?

(Maybe all this is useless)

I should mention, this USB stick was left plugged in with the computer it had been working on powered off, I turned it on this morning and on boot got the error instead of it booting reliably as it had several times yesterday. Yes, I usually save sessions, certainly when initially setting up the USB stick. I generally change the wallpaper, put some audio tracks on for use with my mail program, and install Thunderbird mail. I make the USB stick by using Easydd. Yes, the directory exists. I am unfamiliar with linux command line, but if I copied the command correctly I get "FULL -: No such file or directory" FULL: h: No such file or directory"

Another anomaly, I created a new USB stick this morning with Kirkstone 5.7 I used my Dunfell computer to create it, but when I booted it on that desktop, it wasn't recognized and Windows started from the hard drive. However, on my other desktop it comes up and runs fine, as it also does on my laptop.

[Caramel]

Another anomaly, I created a new USB stick this morning with Kirkstone 5.7 I used my Dunfell computer to create it, but when I booted it on that desktop, it wasn't recognized and Windows started from the hard drive. However, on my other desktop it comes up and runs fine, as it also does on my laptop.

it looks like a hardware problem, could you test with another usb port on the desktop with windows.

What is the result of df -h /mnt/wkg?

I am unfamiliar with linux command line, but if I copied the command correctly I get "FULL -: No such file or directory" FULL: h: No such file or directory"

Maybe an error of copy, i rewrite the command. (After copy, right-click on sakura to have the paste command)

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df -h /mnt/wkg

[williwaw]

FULL

is the drive full?
look at pmount or partview

[CF-DKS]

FULL

is the drive full?
look at pmount or partview

No, brand new 32 GB drive, nothing on it but the O/S, a couple of images, and Thunderbird. And when it is "in the mood" it boots and runs just fine with all my settings intact.

[CF-DKS]

Another anomaly, I created a new USB stick this morning with Kirkstone 5.7 I used my Dunfell computer to create it, but when I booted it on that desktop, it wasn't recognized and Windows started from the hard drive. However, on my other desktop it comes up and runs fine, as it also does on my laptop.

it looks like a hardware problem, could you test with another usb port on the desktop with windows.

I tried that, using the same usb port I normally use with Dunfell. Same result. Plugged Dunfell back in, booted fine. This was the first instance I have encountered this problem, but the original one I have tried several Kirkstone variations with different USB sticks and I still end up with the on again off again performance. I think I have Schrödinger's USB syndrome! You never know what you've got till it boots (or fails to boot).

[CF-DKS]

easy5.2error1.JPG (69.75 KiB) Viewed 1172 times

easy5.2error.JPG (99.99 KiB) Viewed 1172 times

Hopefully these images will be helpful. I notice something I had missed before, at the top of the first image: mount: can't read '/etc/ fstab' : no such file or directory

[Caramel]

easy5.2error1.JPG
easy5.2error.JPG

Hopefully these images will be helpful. I notice something I had missed before, at the top of the first image: mount: can't read '/etc/ fstab' : no such file or directory

For the command, I was thinking about running it in a working EasyOS. It does not matter now.

The impotance sentence in the second screenshot is "Populating : /mnt/zram0/easyos/releases/easy-5.2"

zram0 indicates reboot with lockdown in ram. (EDIT : It's written on the first screenshot!)

[CF-DKS]

For the command, I was thinking about running it in a working EasyOS. It does not matter now.

The impotance sentence in the second screenshot is "Populating : /mnt/zram0/easyos/releases/easy-5.2"

zram0 indicates reboot with lockdown in ram.

I did try the command in a working EasyOs, with the results I posted before. Decided it wouldn't hurt to try it when it hung, in case that was your intent.

So how come I get such different results with two successive boots from power off? I have been using normal shutdown, not reboot with lockdown, and in any case when I booted up this morning I had touched nothing since last night except to turn the power off after Easy had shut down, and turned it back on this morning. Gremlins?

[Caramel]

For the command, I was thinking about running it in a working EasyOS. It does not matter now.

The impotance sentence in the second screenshot is "Populating : /mnt/zram0/easyos/releases/easy-5.2"

zram0 indicates reboot with lockdown in ram.

I did try the command in a working EasyOs, with the results I posted before. Decided it wouldn't hurt to try it when it hung, in case that was your intent.

So how come I get such different results with two successive boots from power off? I have been using normal shutdown, not reboot with lockdown, and in any case when I booted up this morning I had touched nothing since last night except to turn the power off after Easy had shut down, and turned it back on this morning. Gremlins?

To be sure execute (when EasyOS works)

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cat /mnt/wkg/.zramtl.flg 

It must be 0.

We will have to look into the init script to understand.

Edit : lines 741 to 754 of init (EasyOS 5.7)

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CNT=0; Pb=0; Pw=0
[ "$WKG_LABEL" == "EASYOSZRAM" ] && WKG_DEV="zram0" #190706 200822
[ -e /dev/scd0 ] && rm -f /dev/scd* #190706 static dev nodes, these duplicate sr* nodes.
while [ $CNT -lt 20 ];do #drives may take couple seconds to become available. 180415 increase 8 to 20.
 sleep 1
 echo -n '.'
 CNT=$(($CNT+1))
 #190718 iso written to usb-stick has (ex:) /dev/sdd and dev/sdd1 both LABEL="EASYOSOPTICAL", filter-out former...
 BLKIDS="$(blkid | grep -v '[a-z]: ')"
 #ex line: /dev/sda2: LABEL="intern1p2" UUID="cd5ef69b-883d-4744-bc1d-551154131db2" TYPE="ext4"
 [ ! "$WKG_DEV" ] && WKG_DEV="$(echo "${BLKIDS}" | grep -E "\"${WKG_UUID}\"|\"${WKG_LABEL}\"" | cut -f 1 -d ':' | cut -f 3 -d '/')"
 [ "$WKG_DEV" ] && break
done
[ ! "$WKG_DEV" ] && WKG_DEV="zram0" #190714

Line 744

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while [ $CNT -lt 20 ];do #drives may take couple seconds to become available. 180415 increase 8 to 20.

Maybe 20 is too small for your old desktop

[williwaw]

except to turn the power off after Easy had shut down

shutdown does not always or ever poweroff?

[CF-DKS]

except to turn the power off after Easy had shut down

shutdown does not always or ever poweroff?

Yes, powers off when it has successfully booted. I tend to turn the power bar off at night.