[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Refurbed Server : Attempting to use UEFI boot sequence instead of Legacy ROMs : FAIL



Hi

 

Trying to get off ground zero

 

Purchased a refurbished server – nothing on it. 

Hoping to adapt modern methods where ever possible

So aiming to avoid legacy ROMs and go full UEFI

 

 

Server Details

Dell Precision T5810 Tower Workstation

1 x Intel Xeon E5-2650 v3 Ten-Core 2.3GHz CPU

Manufacture Date : 17 April 2015

No other OS’s / brand new disks

Avoiding using Intel RST – planning to use ZFS

 

Debian image

Sourced via Jigdo

https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/i386/jigdo-cd/debian-11.5.0-i386-netinst.jigdo

Written to a KINGSTON USB stick with Power ISO on a Windows 11 machine

 

Attempting to install Debian on server.

1) Via the UEFE UI, I am able to create a new Boot Sequence

Settings -> General -> Boot Sequence ->

Add Boot Option “InitialBootFromDebianInstallJig”

Am able to bind a Boot option to the Debian install image on the USB stick

Leave the File system as default

(PciRoot(0x0)/PCi(0x1D,0x0/USB(0x1,0x0)/USB(0x3,0x0)/HD(1,MBR,0x4E62F048)

EFI Boot selection name found in Debian install image :

FSO:\efi\boot\bootia32.efi

 

(can select grubia32.efi- result is no different)

 

Also available FSO:\efi\debian\grub.cfg – same result – see 4) below

 

2) Settings -> General -> Advanced Boot Options ->

 

 

3)  Legacy Option ROMS Disabled

 

4) USB Configuration ->

Boot Support enabled

All Ports enabled (front / rear)

Internal port enabled

USB3.0 enabled

 

4) save / exit

Wait for reboot  and the black screen of doom

“No Bootable devices found”

with F1 help / F2 Enter settings (enters UEFI interface) /

F5  (Enters Dell ePSA Pre-boot System Assessment [psa])

               All Tests passed

               USB Device Ping located the KINGSTON USB Stick with debian image

               Able to write psa results to boot area of the USB Debian image

 

5) Review UEFI Boot Sequence

So go back into the UEFI and reopen – and open the Boot Sequence “InitialBootFromDebianInstallJig”

File Name has adjusted to EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI

(which is not selectable when searching in the EFI Boot Selection dialogue)

 

 

 

And breathe - ….

I read in the Debian notes that “early versions of UEFI” do “not behave as expected”. 

Questions

Q1 ) Is a 2015 Dell manufactured unit likely to be a UEFI problem child?

Q2 ) If Q1 yes, are there work arounds?

Q3 ) If Q2 no – what have I done wrong and where do I start to find a correct path?

For example – should I edit the EFI files inside the ISO before burning image to USB?

 

When the box first arrived Boot Sequence was set to “Legacy” – and was I able to run an old Suse CD install to test memory etc.

 

 

Thank you for reading … .

Derrin


Reply to: