[Installation] Installation from USB fails looking for nonexistent CD

[seantellis]

I have attempted to install the Beta-1 version of Kubuntu 18.04:

System: Lenovo X220 Laptop, 1TB hard drive, 8GB RAM
Medium: Bootable USB, installed from iso using Unetbootin

Boot to USB, start Kubuntu, select "Install Kubuntu" from the initial live screen.
Options selected to minimum:
- English (UK)
- no wifi
- no 3rd party apps/drivers
- guided partitioning (use entire disk, so it's clean)
- UK time zone
- Set up primary user, password login

This starts copying files and get most of the way through the process (the last displayed progress value is 93%) before the installer gets 9% through "Scanning the CD-ROM" and throws up a dialog saying:

"An attempt to configure apt to install additional packages from the CD failed."

The laptop does not have a CD-ROM drive. The only available action here is "OK" and the crash handler pops up for a moment and the installer is shut down.

The system will then not boot from the hard drive - I suspect that writing the boot system is the last thing to be done.

The installer should not be looking for the CD-ROM anyway, and even if an error occurs for additional packages, there should be a "skip installation of additional packages" option so that the install can continue.

[seantellis]

The same thing happens if I choose to run the live distro and then try to install from the desktop. (It was a long shot, I know.)

lsscsi reports only the hard drive and the USB stick.
lsusb does not report any hidden usb-connected CD drives.

In the installer, clicking "update this installer" does nothing - the link is just quietly removed.

[seantellis]

Selecting OEM install does exactly the same thing.

[seantellis]

Today's daily build (2018-04-04) also does the same thing for a normal install... and a minimal install.

[seantellis]

I found this from many years ago. Looks like this is still a problem: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ty/+bug/768239

Yes, it is not just me; it is still a problem...
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...y/+bug/1193725

[claydoh]

Unetbootin creates a USB stick that emulates a CD, which is part of the reason you are seeing the messages. The other is because this tool is often unreliable so I use just about everything else: Rufus (in Windows) rosa image writer, etcher.io, mkusb, or the dd command. Heck even ChromeOS' recovery disk creator will do the job.

Unetbootin is just unreliable, at least for Ubuntu based isos. I would strongly suggest trying a different usb creator tool and see if those work better. Also verify the iso image's checksum if you continue having install problems.

[dequire]

Unetbootin creates a USB stick that emulates a CD, which is part of the reason you are seeing the messages. The other is because this tool is often unreliable so I use just about everything else: Rufus (in Windows) rosa image writer, etched.io, mkusb, or the dd command...

It should be etcher.io, which is also the web address. Works great, looks great, and is all I use now. It is one Electron app I can get behind.

[GreyGeek]

It should be etcher.io, which is also the web address. Works great, looks great, and is all I use now. It is one Electron app I can get behind.

Yup. I use the AppImage of etcher so I don't even have to add a repository or "install" it. Just double click on the AppImage and it runs in place. When a new version comes out I'll download it, mark it executable and delete the old. Nothing could be easier, and I don't need snapd.

[seantellis]

Thanks, Claydoh. Next time I create a boot image I'll use that instead.

[GreyGeek]

Clydoh reminded me of mkusb. It allows persistent LiveUSB creation. I added the “ppa mkusb/ppa” repository, did “sudo apt update” followed by “sudo apt install mkusb”, to get the latest.

I downloaded the 4/5/2018 build of KDE Neon User Edition and used a 16GB USB stick to create a LiveUSB with 100% of the free space used for persistence. It worked.

[SpecialEd]

I never had much success with mkusb or other tools to make a live drive with persistence, for some reason, so I ended up formatting a thumb drive with two partitions, / and /home, then just installing from another live usb as if the first usb was a regular hard disk.

[GreyGeek]

I never had much success with mkusb or other tools to make a live drive with persistence, for some reason, so I ended up formatting a thumb drive with two partitions, / and /home, then just installing from another live usb as if the first usb was a regular hard disk.

The main disadvantage of that approach is that if the "regular" USB installation is configured for hardware it sees on the machine, even though it doesn't use the HD, it can cause boot problems when booted in another machine because the USB doesn't see the GPU (or perhaps the Printer if it configures automatically) for which it was configured.

[vinnywright]

I never had much success with mkusb or other tools to make a live drive with persistence, for some reason, so I ended up formatting a thumb drive with two partitions, / and /home, then just installing from another live usb as if the first usb was a regular hard disk.

look hear ,,,,it's not that hard

https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post402754

VINNY

[SpecialEd]

My problem with mkusb was I wanted to use .iso files that weren't Debian/Ubuntu based. I've got what I need working for me, but thanks for the info.