lubuntu-qa team mailing list archive

[Nio Wiklund <nio.wiklund@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 2013-05-25 19:11, Yorvyk wrote:
> On 25/05/13 16:59, Nio Wiklund wrote:
>> Hi everybody,
>>
>> I suggest that we try to make a Lubuntu iso file, that can boot in
>> 'all' computers with intel/amd CPUs.
>>
> Why? I fail to see any benefit from this.

I think it is good to have a portable live or persistent live system on
a USB pendrive. You need not carry a computer, only the pendrive, and
you can borrow almost any computer to run it.

> 
>> It used to be possible with 32-bit systems, but now there are more
>> and more UEFI systems, which need a 64-bit version to boot. Many of
>> them can be switched between UEFI and CSM, but some are locked to
>> UEFI. This limits the portability of live CD/USB drives and
>> persistent live USB drives, they work
>>
>> - either 32-bits iso files for 'all' non-uefi systems - or 64-bits
>> iso files for 'all' 64-bit systems.
>>
> Which seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Reasonable if you intend to use it to install, but it is better for a
portable system, if there are no such limits.

> 
>> What would be needed to make a 32-bit system 'licensed' to run in
>> UEFI?
>>
> What makes you think you need anything licensed to boot with UEFI?

Reading the discussions about UEFI, and how people are trying to make it
dual boot with Windows 8 in UEFI. Maybe licensed is the wrong term,
maybe the term is 'a key'.

Try to boot a USB drive, any 32-bit Ubuntu family version! It will not
work. All these USB pendrives work when I switch UEFI off. But this is
not possible in some computers.

Clonezilla i686-pae boots from CD, Lubuntu 12.04 i386 non-pae boots
neither from CD nor USB. Lubuntu 12.04 64-bits boots from CD. Ubuntu
12.04.2 boots from USB, but I think it is 'licensed'. A brand new
download of debian-live-7.0.0-amd64-lxde-desktop.iso does not boot from
USB, but it boot fine when no UEFI.
> 
>> I tried recently with a grub2 and iso system in a USB pendrive. I
>> could boot it in my Toshiba with UEFI (with a complaint, but it
>> booted), but after booting into Windows, the 'grub2 and iso pendrive'
>> was no longer bootable. Maybe it was blacklisted by some UEFI
>> janitor, maybe something was overwritten. So I think such a generally
>> portable live system needs to be created in a professional way with
>> the licensing tools, that are used in the 64-bit iso files.
>>
> With out any error messages etc. this could be totally unrelated to UEFI.

I can try again, but what I know is that for example Ubuntu 12.04.2
boots from USB repeatedly without any problems. A 32-bit system with the
same 'license' or 'key' should work too, and would be a good candidate
for a truly portable system.

> 
>> I think an iso for 'all' intel/amd computers would be interesting
>> also for Xubuntu.
>>
>> I'm willing to test it in low-end and high-end computers, but I
>> don't know how to create it.
>>
>> Best regards Nio