beelink X55 - Install won't start!

[mdurkin]

OK, here goes, the great reveal!!!
I have tested this on a USB flash disk, but I think it will work on the SSD.

You'll need a way to attach the X55 SSD to a PC that will boot the proxmox install, do the install (from a normal USB install media), then boot into proxmox on a working PC. The following will then fix the uefi boot and the media (SSD or flash) will then boot on the X55...

add:

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/buster.list
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian buster main

add:

/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/default-release
APT::Default-Release "stable";

# then

apt update
apt upgrade
apt install grub-efi -t buster

use 'fdisk -l' to work out the right disk to install grub - in my case /dev/sdb as I'm using a pc with another main drive. This would be /dev/sda if your 'other pc' only has the X55 SSD attached. Be careful if you're doing this on a pc with another os on another drive still attached.

grub-install /dev/sdb
update-grub
cd /boot/efi/EFI/
cp debian/grubx64.efi boot/bootx64.efi

take your ssd and move back to the X55 - it should boot. As I mentioned, I've tested this on a USB flash, but I see no reason it won't work on the SSD. I will do this myself as soon as I have time...

Appreciate feedback if this works...

 

[mdurkin]

OK, here goes, the great reveal!!!
I have tested this on a USB flash disk, but I think it will work on the SSD.

You'll need a way to attach the X55 SSD to a PC that will boot the proxmox install, do the install (from a normal USB install media), then boot into proxmox on a working PC. The following will then fix the uefi boot and the media (SSD or flash) will then boot on the X55...

add:
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/buster.list
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian buster main

add:
/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/default-release
APT:efault-Release "stable";

apt update
apt upgrade
apt install grub-efi -t buster

use 'fdisk -l' to work out the right disk to install grub - in my case /dev/sdb as I'm using a pc with another main drive. This would be /dev/sda if your 'other pc' only has the X55 SSD attached. Be careful if you're doing this on a pc with another os on another drive still attached.

grub-install /dev/sdb
update-grub
cd /boot/efi/EFI/
cp debian/grubx64.efi boot/bootx64.efi

take your ssd and move back to the X55 - it should boot. As I mentioned, I've tested this on a USB flash, but I see no reason it won't work on the SSD. I will do this myself as soon as I have time...

Appreciate feedback if this works...

Random smiley annoying! Should read colon and D so APT followed by :: and then Default

 

[mdurkin]

I can confirm it works on the SSD.
I had to make some changes to the network config after moving from my pc back to the beelink but otherwise it worked fine...

 

[ticapix]

Hi,

I'm wondering if I could tweak the ISO install generation script to use/replace grub by the one from debian testing.

Is it possible to point to the code that generates the ISO installer file ?
(I found https://git.proxmox.com/?p=pve-installer.git;a=tree;h=refs/heads/stable-3;hb=refs/heads/stable-3 but doesn't seem to be there)

 

[t.lamprecht]

Random smiley annoying! Should read colon and D so APT followed by :: and then Default

added [code] ... [/code] tags to make it work

 

[Goenjamin]

Hello all,
i am very happy to see that @mdurkin found a way to fix the issue
This makes me optimistic getting proxmox running on my beelink gemini N50 (having exactly the same problem with the frozen cursor).

Unfortunately I don't really understand what you actually did there (post #41)...

I installed proxmox 5.3-1 on a USB drive (will repeat this on the SSD once it is working).
But there is no

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/buster.list

(since it is debian 9 / stretch)

I guess you did something before (upgrading to buster??). Can you help me how I should proceed? Thank you in advance!

 

[mdurkin]

Hello all,
i am very happy to see that @mdurkin found a way to fix the issue
This makes me optimistic getting proxmox running on my beelink gemini N50 (having exactly the same problem with the frozen cursor).

Unfortunately I don't really understand what you actually did there (post #41)...

I installed proxmox 5.3-1 on a USB drive (will repeat this on the SSD once it is working).
But there is no

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/buster.list

(since it is debian 9 / stretch)

I guess you did something before (upgrading to buster??). Can you help me how I should proceed? Thank you in advance!

Hi goenjamin - I added that file, it won't exist. Debian will parse all files in that folder for release names, so you're effectively telling it that buster exists in the repos, and then setting the default release back to stretch / stable so that it doesn't use those repos by default. Then you'll just install the required grub-efi package from buster. The package manager sorts out dependencies and it just works. The other instructions replace a broken or missing boot file that is used in that very early stages of the boot where it otherwise gets stuck.

note - I haven't applied any updates / patches since I did this, as I don't have time to fix anything, though I did at the time. Hopefully this shoudl survive the usual update process, though since the install I haven't checked.

 

[Goenjamin]

Hi @mdurkin,
you mean I should just create an empty file like

cat > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/buster.list

or should I get the actual file from somewhere?
Sorry for the nooby questions, I am rather new to linux...

 

[mdurkin]

Hi @mdurkin,
you mean I should just create an empty file like

cat > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/buster.list

or should I get the actual file from somewhere?
Sorry for the nooby questions, I am rather new to linux...

Hi - the first line is the name of the file, the second the contents of the file. You'll need to use an text editor like vi or nano to put the contents into the file - the same for other instructions further down. I use vi, only because I have for years. If you're not familiar nano might be a bit easier. Substitute nano where you wrote cat and you will be in thecefitor and can type the contents of the file and then save the file.

 

[Goenjamin]

Hi @mdurkin, now I got it ;-)
I can now confirm that this solves my bootup issue on gemini N50

At least on USB drive, now I'm waiting until I get a M.2 -> USB adapter to make this on the SSD

Thank you for the fast support!

 

[Goenjamin]

Hi @mdurkin,
sorry, need to ask another question since I'm also facing network issues when booting from the target device. You've written that you also had to make changes in the network config. What exactly have you done?
Seems that my target device doesn't get into the network. It is probably a very network /environment specific situation, but maybe similar to the issue you had..

 

[Rob Loan]

Had this issue with a J4105 Gemini Lake part. Perhaps it's the same as the X55's J5005 Gemini Lake part?

http://rob.com/porteus/ProxmoxH2.iso is a 642Meg Proxmox VE 5.3 install image that works on the Gemini Lake and Coffee Lake systems I own in uEFI mode. It boots and runs normally, but installs the standard broken grub2. Details how to slip a good grub2 into the installed disk are https://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=170&t=32943

 

[mdurkin]

Hi @mdurkin,
sorry, need to ask another question since I'm also facing network issues when booting from the target device. You've written that you also had to make changes in the network config. What exactly have you done?
Seems that my target device doesn't get into the network. It is probably a very network /environment specific situation, but maybe similar to the issue you had..

I don't remember exactly, but would have been to change the named interface in the network configuration file.
/etc/network/interfaces
I probably ran ifconfig to find the correct interface name, and just substituted in the network interface file. The problem comes about I think sure to the dummy system used to do the install having a different chipset which affects interface naming.

All that said, it looks like we have someone who has posted a fixed install image, which will be a whole lot easier than what I did!!!

 

[Goenjamin]

Hi @Rob Loan,
thank you for the great tip, this solves all issues
Hope it keeps working even after updates