Re: A thread on grub-bug could need attention

[Daniel Kiper]

On Wed, Jan 31, 2018 at 10:38:03AM +0100, Michel Bouissou wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Le 30/01/2018 ?? 20:15, Thomas Schmitt a ??crit??:
> > It also does not work when booting the ISO images which shall install
> > the systems.
> > E.g. debian-9.3.0-amd64-netinst.iso :
> Yes. AFAIR I had tested all the latest (in december) standard
> installation media for at least :
> - Manjaro Cinnamon x64 (created either with dd or unetbootin)
> - Mint Cinnamon x64 (created either with dd or unetbootin)
> - Ubuntu 17.10
> - Debian live
> - Parted Magic (created with dd)
> (and maybe a few more, see my first mails...)
>
> - Manjaro Cinnamon after it being "normally" installed on a USB key
> instead of an HD on another machine - and tested working.
>
> None of them booted, all showed the same behaviour :
> - The machine's UEFI BIOS displays the USB Key as ?? Windows bootloader ??
> (and the true on-HD Windows bootloader bears the same label)
> - Selecting is causes the screen to go black with a cursor on the top
> left and nothing else ever happens.
>
> Now what works :
> - rEFInd USB key (made with dd)
> - Knoppix USB key (made with dd from DVD image)
> - Tails USB key (both made with dd or from the Tails installer)
> - Manjaro install key created with unetbootin THEN manually doctored to
> remove grub and install syslinux instead.
>
> - Plus the grub test keys you asked me to create and test in your
> previous mails.
>
> Interestingly, for "working" keys, the machines UEFI?? displays the USB
> key brand / model instead of ?? Windows bootloader ??

Could you check partitioning type used on each of above mentioned devices?
Is it MBR or GPT? Please remember that GPT have to be always protected by
something called "protective MBR". So, you will see MBR everywhere but in
case of GPT it should contain one entry with 0xee (GPT) type.

> Even more interesting, keys that do NOT work do not work either when
> chained to from rEFInd (inserting both keys, booting on rEFInd then
> chaining to the other key), with the same symptoms - where keys that
> work, also work when performing the same test.
>
> As I side note I'm currently packing for a trip to India and will be
> unable to perform any further tests from next week to the end of
> february (and will have very little time left for doing so before leaving)
>
> Have a nice day :)

Have a nice vacation! Drop us a line when you are back.

Daniel