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## Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

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### Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by raymerjacque » Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:16 pm

Ok, so here is a Fix for UEFI to work on Refractasnapshot. It is not a pretty fix, but it does work.
First Build your ISO with refractasnapshot, after ISO has been built, you need to open it with a ISO manager and replace the folders in the archive from the link below and re save ISO, careful not to delete your squashfs.filesystem in the live folder.
So replace these with the ones from the archive in link beow :

Code: Select all
  `.disk
  EFI
  boot
  isolinux
  live
  offline`

So just copy these straight into ISO root folder, Obviously adapt the boot/grub entries to your own, the .disk, same with the isolinux linux folder, also replace the splash in ISO linux folder. then save ISO.
I got these from the Solydxk ISO, which is based on debian testing/jessie. I have tested it on Debian 8 and it works well. I successfully booted into desktop via UEFI on virtualbox with UEFI enabled.
( and by the way, this worked on that hybrid iso file i used as a base ... )
I know its not the ideal or pretty solution, but it works and could be a temp solution till you guys can work your magic and figure out how to incoperate these files into refracta or make UEFI work. I do see that their cfg files in isolinux folder have completely different names and layouts, so maybe adapt refracta to those ...
It boots in UEFI and in Standard Mode. both tested.
Here is link to EFI files : https://mega.co.nz/#!nJxzmR7Q!ot4bsqoKT7plDFSB6iRd3103vpB03ZWD9uJFLvt3P_A
Yay i am so excited, for a change i actually contributed something, its a nice feeling ...

raymerjacque
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### Re: Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by fsmithred » Tue Feb 24, 2015 12:14 am

Which solydxk iso are you using? I got solydx64_201501.iso, and there doesn't seem to be a .disk on it. What's in that file? I had trouble trying to download the zip file you linked.
Edit: Never mind. It worked! I used the /live and /isolinux folders from my own jessie snapshot and the other folders from the solydxk64 iso. It boots in uefi mode in vbox. And... oops! I accidentally used a snapshot from a 32-bit jessie. Meant to use the amd64.

fsmithred
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### Re: Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by raymerjacque » Tue Feb 24, 2015 8:53 am

its from solydk64_201501.iso.
I uploaded file to google drive, its 35mb.
Link : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_l8hM ... sp=sharing
You should be able to make installer work now right ? since you just need those files copied to hard drive and obviously the boot/grub entries to be changed according to Os detected...

raymerjacque
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### Re: Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by fsmithred » Tue Feb 24, 2015 9:30 pm

The installer needs to recognize and use an existing efi partition or create one. Some files go in that and some go in the main partition.
Google drive is not working for me. There must still be some shields up that I've forgotten about.

fsmithred
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### Re: Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by raymerjacque » Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:43 pm

well, you should be able to download from dropbox.
and these EFI files work, i have tested them multiple times on refractasnapshot...
Link : https://www.dropbox.com/s/167pki4l9o1z8 ... t.zip?dl=0

raymerjacque
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### Re: Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by dzz » Thu Oct 22, 2015 1:25 am

raymerjacque : Thanks enormously for this info, I can confirm the solidxk files work, when added to a fat32 (with "boot" flag) usb drive, to which contents of a live-image have been copied. It booted in uefi mode and was later successfully installed. I don't know if this would work for cd/dvd boot or a usb done with dd, maybe not
Only the boot, efi and offline directories were needed, the rest as original iso.. Debs in offline should be correct versions for your system ( 2 were actually missing). Boot options in boot/grub/grub.cfg probably need editing to suit.
To install with a working grub to a uefi machine, if your image is built with grub-pc, you need these debs in "offline" (dpkg -r grub-pc then dpkg -i in this order):
libefivar0 efibootmgr grub-efi-amd64-bin grub-efi-amd64 grub-efi
Unfortunately current refractainstaller-gui depends grub-pc | grub-legacy. To use it with grub-efi requires repackaging with grub deps removed, till that gets fixed.
More info here on my particular case: post5004.html#p5004 but that thread really concerns overlayfs.
If this was done to a refracta2usb-prepared drive (or manually with syslinux), it should boot on both uefi and bios machines.

dzz
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  Location: Devon, England

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### Re: Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by fsmithred » Thu Oct 22, 2015 2:58 am

New installer is up - 9.1.6
http://sourceforge.net/projects/refracta/files/tools/
* Detect swap partitions, choose from list.
* Moved grub from Depends to Recommends.

fsmithred
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### Re: Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by dzz » Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:09 pm

Thanks fsr!
Posted here is what I used to boot uefi-mode my snapshot (or other debian-live type image) from usb:
http://www.exegnulinux.net/refracta/exp ... oot.tar.gz
And here *experimental* and *untested* pre- and post-install grub-efi bootloader scripts which might work for refractainstaller (/usr/lib/refractainstaller) . Please can someone inspect or even risk testing? (they may have errors):
http://paste.debian.net/317469
http://paste.debian.net/317471
The installer must be configured "Do not install bootloader" in advanced menu.

dzz
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### Re: Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by dzz » Mon Oct 26, 2015 1:58 am

I just installed grub-efi to my bios machine, made a "test" menu in grub.d/40_custom, did update-grub. It works.

Code: Select all
  `$ dpkg -l|grep grub
  ii grub-common 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader (common files)
  ii grub-efi 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (dummy package)
  ii grub-efi-amd64 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (EFI-AMD64 version)
  ii grub-efi-amd64-bin 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (EFI-AMD64 binaries)
  rc grub-pc 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (PC/BIOS version)
  ii grub-pc-bin 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (PC/BIOS binaries)
  ii grub2-common 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader (common files for version 2)`

Code: Select all
  `$ dpkg -l|grep grub
  ii grub-common 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader (common files)
  ii grub-efi 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (dummy package)
  ii grub-efi-amd64 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (EFI-AMD64 version)
  ii grub-efi-amd64-bin 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (EFI-AMD64 binaries)
  rc grub-pc 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (PC/BIOS version)
  ii grub-pc-bin 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (PC/BIOS binaries)
  ii grub2-common 2.02~beta2-22 amd64 GRand Unified Bootloader (common files for version 2)`

If you have a 64 system on 64-bit capable hardware, what is the point of installing grub-pc? Hours of searching so far failed to answer that question.
Note grub-pc-bin has /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc* files, (also used for 64-bit bios systems) which end up in boot/grub and does not appear to conflict with grub-efi*
Not surprisingly, a live iso then made with a similar configuration booted (from usb on a bios machine with gpt HD) and installed flawlessly using refractainstaller-gui (yad) 9.1.6, with a working grub.
Therefore the pre-inst script I posted earlier is useless (unless used with a grub-pc iso). The post-inst script elements could be simplified and built in to the installer, with automatic efi detection.
This probably applies only to 64-bit systems.

dzz
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### Re: Fix for Working UEFI on Refractasnapshot.

by dzz » Mon May 09, 2016 3:45 pm

There are "generic" ways to get uefi boot working (rather than just copy another distro's files)
I scripted it and posted here: http://paste.debian.net/683068/
I can't test it because at the moment I don't have access to a uefi machine. If anyone else can, please post the result. This is potentially useful for refractasnapshot.

dzz
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