Hello,
whonix-xfce-installer-cli this script is causing an error when run on USB drive.
Available space 1G, required 5G. USB has 64GB space, but script doesn’t
see. Format is FAT32 default linux filesystem format.
The guide says to use two separate USBs, one with liveUSB and one with persistentUSB.
You are to ‘install to hard drive’ to the persistentUSB.
Does the whonix-xfce-installer-cli script require a persistentUSB?
Most users use this installer in persistent mode.
Running this installer in Live Mode will usually not work unless the system has a huge amount of RAM. Booting into persistent mode is recommended for using this installer.
-
If this is an ISO: Consider installing the operating system to an internal or external hard drive first.
For more information, refer to:
Installation of Kicksecure on a USB -
If this is grub-live mode: Boot into persistent mode.
For more information, refer to:
Persistent Mode for Kicksecure
The .iso provided in the documentation is Kicksecure Live ISO 17.3.9.9
all the boot options are “live mode” options.
Expected. It’s a Live ISO. It’s an installer ISO. These are almost always live for most Linux distributions.
Quote Persistent Mode for Kicksecure
After booting from the ISO, the user can install Kicksecure to a hard drive or install it on another USB drive. After installation, the user can choose between persistent mode and live mode, as shown in the first image on this page.
Tried to install Kick on an external USB using the calamares installer, but it actually
wiped out the MBR on the hard disk of the computer instead of writing the partitions
to the external USB drive even though thats what was selected for write operation.
Write to USB stick also didn’t work and will not boot, OS is not detected by BIOS.
How shoudl proceed?
Please share installer log.
USB was removed from computer. Will installer log persist on the liveUSB?
Finding that Linux distro installers are causing installation problems like
disk partition errors (unwanted partitioning of HDD/SDD) and also bootloader
errors (unwanted installation of a bootloader).
Linux disk tools could maybe use some feedback regarding this, it is often causing
time sink to fix errors.
When the installer tool was running, it showed both the HDD/SDD and the external
USB drive. It showed identical partitions for the HDD/SDD (no changes), but showed
changes for the external USB drive. The installer was run, and for some reason the
computer HDD/SDD was modified, it looks like the MBR for the computer was
overwritten with GRUB and now there’s all these partitions showing. A complete
mess was made by the Calamares installer tool.
Now have to figure out a way to recover the MBR and paritions somehow.
No.
Can the MBR of the original OS be recovered? I mean it wasn’t even selected
for write and it was overwritten somehow.
There is no automatic backup and restore feature for any overwriten bootloader for any Linux distribution that I know.
Restoration is only possible using instructions for the specific operating system.
There is actually a BIOS feature that says “restore MBR” but for some reason it was unchecked.
Can you explain why the Calamares installer would have written to the HDD, and not the USB?
It was as though the installer completely ignored the settings for some reason.
What is the underlying linux tool used to perform this read and write operation?
Choosing wrong bootloader location.
Or bug. Impossible to say without debug log.
Calamares. Specifics depend on BIOS vs EFI. Details can be found in debug output.
Wouldn’t it be easier to have an persistent, whonix distromorphed .iso available for download? Would this be possible?
Easier, yes.
Desirable, yes.
Not implemented because, quote Installation of Kicksecure on a USB
Why not just flash a persistent Kicksecure image to USB? - Such an image has not been developed yet due to complex technical challenges. Note that due to these complex challenges, almost no other Linux distributions offer such functionality either. To circumvent this, a “detour” through flashing a Kicksecure ISO is required to run the Kicksecure installer.
Is it possible to increase the size of the Kicksecure liveUSB by 2GB? Is this
a RAM limitation? or a USB disk size limitation?
RAM limitation only.
What is the recommended amount of RAM?
Is it possible to create a Whonix LiveUSB, which has been distromorphed from
Kicksecure? I mean instead of having a persistent USB.
Unsupported.
My machine well exceeds the minimum RAM requirements. It could
be an error in the Calamares installer that is not detecting the true amount
of RAM available? Possible? Did not notice a separate “Boot loader location”
selection option on my version.