How to modify GRUB to allow boot from USB (Solved)

panhead51 · October 17, 2019, 5:14pm

I’m wanted to try TAILS on a USB and I think that I have an ISO image on a USB. My system won’t boot off of the USB drive. My current Grub configuration looks like this:

The USB looks like this. I’m not sure it’s ISO as the original download came out as a .IMG file. (?)

I don’t know how to configure a new entry for optional USB booting.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Jim
Linux Mint 19.2

Akito · October 17, 2019, 5:21pm

You are approaching the problem from the wrong direction. You can boot off a different medium, while entirely bypassing GRUB2.

All you have to do is select the thumbdrive as the #1 option to boot from in your UEFI. The way to do this depends on your specific UEFI.

panhead51 · October 17, 2019, 5:36pm

Thanks Akito!
Going the wrong direction sounds exactly like me!
I don’t know anything about UEFI but I do not have an “EFI” folder under /sys/firmware/efi. Running sudo efibootmgr yields: EFI variables are not supported on this system.
Jim

panhead51 · October 17, 2019, 6:13pm

Thanks again Akito!
Your post was enough for me to figure out that an F12 on my particular PC brought up a boot order screen and allowed me to select the USB drive.
Jim

wgberninghausen · October 18, 2019, 3:58pm

I have two desktops, one Windows 10 (cheap fill-in for an Xbox) and a homebrewed hot rod bearing two Linux distros, where all my important stuff is done. The homebrew asks for an F8 press at boot up to choose the boot device and the game machine needs an F12. Motherboards are all different and require a different key for choosing the boot device. Just keep trying until one works–I’ve seen Escape, F2, and F5, so don’t give up!

panhead51 · October 18, 2019, 4:44pm

Thanks wgberninghausen! Got it figured out!

01101111 · October 18, 2019, 4:57pm

i’d be interested in hearing what you think of tails if you have the time or inclination to share some thoughts after you have taken it for a spin

Andy2 · January 15, 2020, 5:56pm

I am posting this reply from my old HP G60 laptop with Trisquel installed but booting from Linux Format Tails 3.5 distro 64-bit.
So guess I’m live. This distro fails when attempting to boot using F12 navigation selecting the DVD drive; yet here we are running fine from DVD in the old girl HP!
Great to see whilst using Tor browser on our site that pre installed NoScript has no issues.
Learned something whilst browsing with Tor and DuckDuckGo that a very popular UK store’s website flagged up a warning when I maximised the window: WARNING this website is recording your screen sizeto help identify or recognise you! -
Perhaps start a fresh topic on Tails 4.2.2 when I get it on a USB.
Love everything about Tails so far. Love Tor