an iso for 'all' intel/amd computers

[Yorvyk]

On 25/05/13 20:07, Nio Wiklund wrote:
> 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
>
I suggest you read this:-
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/1025555
which explains some of the problems with combined BIOS/UEFI install/boot 
media on 32 bit hardware.
Also, please, acquaint yourself with differences EFI/UEFI, which has 
been around for quite some time, and Secure Boot which Microsoft 
introduced. Quite a lot of people seem to think Secure Boot and UEFI are 
one and the same thing, they are not.
After all that it looks like your idea is virtually impossible.

-- 


Steve