easing into FOSS

[gojisan]

On my Laptop (legacy) and my Tower (UEFI) I have to ...on start keep tapping different Keys to bring up the Boot Menu and then select my Flash Drive...yours would be the same.

This might help...https://www.howtogeek.com/56958/htg-explains-how-uefi-will-replace-the-bios/

Your computer might need help from you. As soon as you turn on the computer and notice the screen coming on, press ESC escape key. This key might be different according to your computer's make and model. You will have to consult the user's manual for it.

Then it should display a menu, or at least a screen for "BIOS", where you could select an EFI file to boot from. On my ageing HP laptop, I get a menu which has one "debian" entry and two "Ubuntu" entries coming from internal disk. If I start from pluggable disk then it should have the name of the make of that disk (Kingston, Sandisk etc). That is the one to choose.

Otherwise the "BIOS" should present a screen to conduct you to the other screen I just described. On one of my computers once I had to go even further, ask it to create an entry to boot with in the next time, by looking for the EFI file but it refused to proceed to boot right then and there.

I have no problem accessing BIOS w/ F10 or interrupting start up w/ Esc for start up options like Boot Options. Problem is my SanDisk USB drive that contains Mint 21.2 w/ persistence that was burned with Rufus is never recognized as a boot able device. Win10 recognizes it as such with an active partition.

Per System Information my computer boots in legacy mode. My BIOS settings show both legacy and UEFI checked. Unchecking UEFI and booting is no problem. Unchecking legacy is a problem as that is the active partition. I upgraded Win7 to Win10 while MS was still offering free upgrades. First time I never did a fresh OS install.

Both legacy and UEFI boot order has USB as the first device. When I power on with my USB drive plugged in and select Boot Options at start up w /F9 only my SATA HD shows as an option under legacy or UEFI.

Hold the phone. Something wendy-lebaron wrote just made me think I have another F9 Start Up option under legacy and UEFI - boot from file. I've been looking for my SanDisk or any reference to another boot able device all this time. I will try boot from file.

bob466, I had already read the howtogeek article but thanks. It was a good refresher and updater for me as I haven't dealt with BIOS issues in years.

@gojisan, I think you're throwing in the towel far too early.

I'm not throwing in the towel. I just thought I'd plug away at this and start a new post in a more appropriate forum if I needed help.

I'm doing this on my one and only computer, hence the live USB approach. When I get to explore Linux live from a USB drive, and I will, I'll consider utilizing existing resources or investing in additional resources if I think it's a good fit for me.

I have an HP laptop w/ docking station, external monitor for dual displays and a two drive SATA caddy attached to the dock via USB that I use for redundant data backups. My peripherals are a Brother networked color laser printer and an Epson flat bed scanner connected via USB.

Thanks to all again. I'll see what boot from file does.

 

[Vimmer]

In terms of the main topic is concerned, i don't think there's really an "easing into" FOSS when you use it as your operating system, it's more like "this is gonna hurt at first, but you'll get used to it! You'll finally see that proprietary systems are just as much of a pain once you do".

For example, as example of just an obscure program...it took me like a year of on and off usage of vim before I finally felt comfortable with using it as my main text editor. It was tough! You have to really dig around with it to learn how to make it take less typing than other editors and IDEs because no one is getting payed to make it an easy experience for you...
Linux in general wasn't easy either for a couple of months, but vim was a whole other story for me...

 

[Condobloke]

Problem is my SanDisk USB drive that contains Mint 21.2 w/ persistence that was burned with Rufus is never recognized as a boot able device. Win10 recognizes it as such with an active partition.

Surely, that has to be the problem.

Rufus.

Please try 'burning' it with Balena Etcher.

(what windows recognises etc etc is irrelevant)

 

[Vimmer]

Please try 'burning' it with Balena Etcher.

Yeah I'll second that, Belena Etcher has never failed me in writing flash drives.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Ditto on Etcher, for me. We do get numerous reports here on problems with Rufus burns of Linux isos. Not to say it cannot work, but nowhere near as reliable as Etcher. No persistence on Etcher, but if persistence is a deal-breaker, you could try Ventoy.

Our staff writer has a tutorial on Ventoy here.

https://www.linux.org/threads/usb-linux-boot-ventoy.29944/

Be sure to read the comments on persistence at #3 by @captain-sensible

Cheers

Wizard

 

[wizardfromoz]

Members, please confine any further Posts to that of welcome only, as this is Member Introductions, not a support subforum

and start a new post in a more appropriate forum if I needed help.

The OP has indicated that if he has further issues, he will find an appropriate subforum of our site to post in.

TIA

Wizard

 

[gojisan]

The OP has indicated that if he has further issues, he will find an appropriate subforum of our site to post in.

Wizard - Pardon me for replying to my original forum thread but I'm writing this using a USB pen drive "live" version of Linux Mint after successfully booting into it for the very first time and I feel like I'm walking on the moon. I resolved the USB boot issue after extensive troubleshooting. Bottom line solution was a BIOS update but I also resolved, and will continue to resolve, other firmware and driver issues with my computer. I'm finally on my way to exploring a new world. Am returning to MS OS after posting this to finish addressing outstanding update issues.