• Registered: 2015-08-23
  • Posts: 11

Re: Encrypted root disk

chris4795 wrote:

Hey Freehub!

Yes, I used the out of the box microSD image.

When I did the guided partition, I did not do a separate /home folder, but I see no reason that it would not work. Just make sure you do the guided partitioning instead of doing it manually. That is where I messed up.

The X modifications were in order to get X started. When I did not do it, I got a "no screen detected" error.

The fstab modification was to make it look like my original fstab (from the factory), but sourcerer is saying that is not needed to update the partitions. I made the /boot modification before I did any updating, and it worked for me.

I hope that helps!

Thank you so much for this information. Time has been more than scarce for me these days. Finally I got the chance to work on the Novena setup again. Using your input in the "syncing to repo.novena.io" thread among others', it was possible to validate and use the new repository. 

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

When updating novena-mmc-disk-r1.img with above command on a microSD and rebooting, it gives an error about uEnv.txt missing. Probably I will have to copy some files to /boot manually.

Without update novena-mmc-disk-r1.img on a microSD is still producing the same errors I had encountered before. Maybe a broken kernel module is the cause.

Sourcerer's out of the box microSD image seems perfect for further test runs.

According to my understanding, I can boot directly from the microSD card without pressing the user key. While /boot on the SSD is not in use during the boot process.

I am not entirely sure about the guided partitioning, yet. There are three guided options, one for the entire disk, the second for the entire disk with LVM, the third for the entire disk with encrypted LVM. I have successfully used the third option with LUKS on another notebook once.

  • Registered: 2015-08-23
  • Posts: 11

Re: Encrypted root disk

I had gotten more time for testing. I downloaded Sourcerer's out of the box microSD image.

http://www2.futureware.at/novena/novena … icrosd.img

And used the instructions given here:

https://github.com/thesourcerer8/novena … -installer

Together with information available on the forums.

Sourcer's microSD image is different from the recovery disk image at http://repo.novena.io/novena/images/nov … isk-r1.img

Only one FAT16 partition, partition label 43A9-8FC0, size 311.5 MiB, 81.49 MiB used. It contains the following files:

novena.dtb
uInitrd
zimage
uEnv.txt
initrd.img
u-boot.img
u-boot.spl

A basic u-boot loader setup seemingly. The rest of the image contains unallocated space. The first partition is larger than the first one on the novena-mmc-disk image, maybe this is necessary in order for the keys being created?

Booting was successful, using the third option for installing the entire disk with encrypted LVM went fine. At the end of the installation and upgrade process a message confirming this was displayed. No separate home partition was used in this test by the way.

When I rebooted I could get no further than mouse initialization, user button being pressed or no. When initializing a key-press, an error was displayed, though. It went sort of like describing something about a “random pool”. No tty available whatsoever.

I can not ellaborate further unfortunately. I had saved some images of the mmc/microSD before. Using these for booting with or without user button being held down resulted in a system that can not boot anymore. The backlight of the internal display lights up, then nothing. This symptom has appeared before, only no success trying to overcome it this time so far. Last time I disconnected the battery for prolonged time and restarted if I remember correctly.

Even the recovery disk image with the user button pressed does not help currently. According to my understanding, this should circumvent EEPROM settings and boot in any case on a functional system.

It is time to do a seperate post about the arrival and initial setup of my Novena notebook. I had to overcome quite a few obstacles, also on the hardware level. More about this in the next couple of days.

For now it would be great to get feedback. I could not change /etc/X11/xorg.conf so far, because the boot process did not proceed to the point of where it could be accessed.

So all I am asking is redirection to a thread that can provide information on solving the non responsive system at this stage. EEPROM settings, hardware fault, display problem or anything else?

  • Registered: 2014-06-09
  • Posts: 124

Re: Encrypted root disk

The larger partition is necessary for kernel updates or changes to the bootloader, the original partition was too small in my experiences and easily got too full which broke the system then.
I never tried the user button pressing, so that should not be a requirement for booting.
The random pool message comes about 30 seconds after booting, independently of any hardware issues. Can you perhaps send a screenshot/photo, which might contain an error error message?
What happens if you try to put my novena-installer-microsd.img on a MicroSD card and try to boot from that one?
Please also check the power supply. I had troubles when the power supply supplied more than 18 V. Perhaps try one with around 16 V.
My installation image does not change any EEPROM settings itself during the installation or normal booting procedure.
I also often had the problem that my Novena didn't wanted to boot, and after trying again a few times, it usually worked again.
Have you tried attaching to the Senoko serial port and analysing what it says?

  • Registered: 2015-08-23
  • Posts: 11

Re: Encrypted root disk

Sourcerer wrote:

The larger partition is necessary for kernel updates or changes to the bootloader, the original partition was too small in my experiences and easily got too full which broke the system then.
I never tried the user button pressing, so that should not be a requirement for booting.
The random pool message comes about 30 seconds after booting, independently of any hardware issues. Can you perhaps send a screenshot/photo, which might contain an error error message?
What happens if you try to put my novena-installer-microsd.img on a MicroSD card and try to boot from that one?
Please also check the power supply. I had troubles when the power supply supplied more than 18 V. Perhaps try one with around 16 V.
My installation image does not change any EEPROM settings itself during the installation or normal booting procedure.
I also often had the problem that my Novena didn't wanted to boot, and after trying again a few times, it usually worked again.
Have you tried attaching to the Senoko serial port and analysing what it says?

Thank you so much for this information and for providing the great installer.

Partition size may well be the reason why the installation had not worked initially. When I used your image, it went like a charm. In fact I could start the boot sequence with an mmc holding the microSD image provided by you, post installation. A few changes  in /etc/X11/xorg.conf  might have been sufficient in order to boot. The random pool message was displayed among others. Unfortunately now the only thing visible on screen is the backlight, so no screenshots for the time being. I tried a DVI-D to HDMI cable today, connected the laptop to a monitor, no signal either.

So your image showed boot messages post install. When I tried your very same image on the very same MicroSD card later on, it did not work anymore.  This indicates that the current situation is not related to the encrypted root disk install at all.

Maybe the EEPROM settings were changed when using one of the other images tested? The user button with the recovery image would be a way to negate that effect. The non booting Novena has occurred to me, too. The user button helped in some cases. Usually the boot process was succesful after several tries. Not this time, at least until now.

The random pool message is unrelated, good to know.

The same goes for the information about the power supply, I got one stating 18V, and 18V it is, confirmed by a measurement just before. Since I got the Novena laptop it might also be a battery issue? If I connected the board directly I will use a 16V power supply.

Using the console for serial port, I thought about it when I started trying the setup for Novena some time ago. I simply did not have the time. Seems like I need to make time now. Results will be posted if available.

  • Registered: 2015-08-23
  • Posts: 11

Re: Encrypted root disk

Here is the output of serial console:

U-Boot SPL 2014.10-rc3-00039-gc5efead (Oct 17 2014 - 19:41:27)
Unsupported device width, fatal.
Fatal DDR error 0x03

http://www.kosagi.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=268

and

http://www.kosagi.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=223

seem to be relevant.

There was also another output once:

U-Boot SPL 2014.10-rc3-00039-gc5efead (Oct 17 2014 - 19:41:27)
wait_for_sr_state: Arbitration lost sr=12 cr=80 state=202
Error reading SPD on DDR3.
Fatal DDR error 0x55

http://www.kosagi.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=210

displays a similar error.

RAM or Senoko related? I should probably move on to another thread for the time being. Only question is which one.

  • Registered: 2014-06-09
  • Posts: 124

Re: Encrypted root disk

I would suggest you try this procedure: http://www.kosagi.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=223 to fix it, or you replace the DDR3 RAM with a known good module. When your Novena is running again, do senoko firmware update as soon as possible, to prevent the same problem happening in the future again.

  • Registered: 2015-08-23
  • Posts: 11

Re: Encrypted root disk

Sourcerer wrote:

I would suggest you try this procedure: http://www.kosagi.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=223 to fix it, or you replace the DDR3 RAM with a known good module. When your Novena is running again, do senoko firmware update as soon as possible, to prevent the same problem happening in the future again.

I got reserves. Another DDR3 RAM booted right off the bat. You were right.

I have updated the Senoko firmware recently, but will do so again on the next boot.

Looking forward to re-flashing the SPD values. The great thing about the Novena project from my point of view is, that each setback only results in empowerment and advance of knowledge. This is also due to feedback from a highly skilled community.

For now the encrypted root disk install is back on track again. An update is to follow suite.