TAILS OS not working

[Toieo]

Please delete thread

 

[Alabalcho]

@Toieo,

- Have you checked the integrity of th image you've downloaded?
- Have you tried your ordeal with something "mainstream", like Ubuntu? You can download both CD and DVD images for it, so I would just do it to confirm my hardware (CD, USB - whatever you try) is working

 

[markwp]

Just for grins, I looked up the TAILS stuff (I use linux generally) and tried to format a usb under linux and had the same issues.

However, when I went to W7 and used my ultimate usb installer from pendrivelinux, it worked fine. I would suggest using windows as your install medium and ultimate usb installer. I chose to use an iso that was not listed, browsed to the tails iso and ran the installer and it worked fine.

Instead of selecting a "tails" distro directly, try using the "unlisted iso" option.

Mark

 

[skittle]

Check the file integrity of your download
https://tails.boum.org/download/#authenticity-check

1) install syslinux bootloader to MBR of flashdrive
2) copy contents of iso to usb drive
2) make file "syslinux.cfg" look something like this

default kernel vmlinuz initrd=initrd.img

Thats all you need to make bootable usb flash drive...

On windows I use "LiLi" to do all this automatically.
http://www.linuxliveusb.com/

Just made bootable USB using LiLi with Tails 0.20.1, works fine on my machine.
Q6600
Gigabyte EP45-DS3L

 

[Toieo]

@Toieo,

- Have you checked the integrity of th image you've downloaded?
- Have you tried your ordeal with something "mainstream", like Ubuntu? You can download both CD and DVD images for it, so I would just do it to confirm my hardware (CD, USB - whatever you try) is working

I verified BOTH images I downloaded. 3 times I've downloaded the package now actually. and Yes, I have verified the contents of the .iso with the signing key/hash sum thing they provide.

By "mainstream" does Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit count? That's the OS I'm working with here since I'm unable to get Tails working. (Which is Linux, the Tails package just comes with some other features built in like a PGP Encryption tool etc

 

[Toieo]

Just for grins, I looked up the TAILS stuff (I use linux generally) and tried to format a usb under linux and had the same issues.

However, when I went to W7 and used my ultimate usb installer from pendrivelinux, it worked fine. I would suggest using windows as your install medium and ultimate usb installer. I chose to use an iso that was not listed, browsed to the tails iso and ran the installer and it worked fine.

Instead of selecting a "tails" distro directly, try using the "unlisted iso" option.

Mark

I'm using Vista so pretty simliar to Windows 7, in this regard. You mentioned though that you "chose to use an iso that was not listed", can you clarify that for me please? The 3 downloads I've snagged are either direct downloads or the torrent BOTH directly from the Tails website. I redownloaded the direct link to rule that out as an error. I've also ran the USB installer under the Tails heading and that last option, "not supported" or whatever it was called.

 

[Toieo]

Check the file integrity of your download
https://tails.boum.org/download/#authenticity-check

1) install syslinux bootloader to MBR of flashdrive
2) copy contents of iso to usb drive
2) make file "syslinux.cfg" look something like this

default kernel vmlinuz initrd=initrd.img

Thats all you need to make bootable usb flash drive...

On windows I use "LiLi" to do all this automatically.
http://www.linuxliveusb.com/

Just made bootable USB using LiLi with Tails 0.20.1, works fine on my machine.
Q6600
Gigabyte EP45-DS3L

This sounds useful, gonna give this a go right now. tyvm

 

[Toieo]

]

Ok... After ALL that, Lily worked BUT it's not necessarily that software that "fixed" it. It's a great program though and I prefer it over USB Installer. Ok current settings are BIOS default since I just got home from work. The last thing I did was reset the CMOS by removing the battery, cleaning the entire PC out physically and resecuring all my cables. Replaced CMOS and booted PC and left it till now.

Issue: Cant boot Tails from USB

Boot Order is:
Removable
CD-ROM
Hard Disk

Resolution: USB is listed under HDD when you hit escape and go to the boot menu! After all of that effort the one place I failed to check, since I only checked the removable storage and the cd-rom under the boot menu, was the answer. Which poses another question but not really relevant to this thread.

How do we confirm this resolved?

Edited to remove unnecessary quotes

 

[markwp]

I've been trying to get "TAILS" up and running but am having some major issues. I'm competent with computers, hardware and software but this is beyond me and after literally hundreds of hours of attempts and reading, it turns out I need help.

I cannot get either working, a bootable USB or DVD-RW, with the TAILS package. I HAVE had TAILS up and running off a USB stick before but no longer works.

Gear:
Q6600
680i SLI mobo
GTX 460 SE
8 gigs ram (ddr2)
1TB HDD
2x Samsung light scribe DVD burners
1200w psu (thermaltake)
Vista Ultimate 64bit all updates installed as of (9/22/13)
If you need exact specs I can run CPU-ID when I get home and post the results.

This whole process started cause PRISM and TAILS telling me it wasn't as secure as it could be and an update was available. Trying to load TAILS and upgrade it wasnt working so I formatted the USB stick and just wanted to remount the latest version onto my USB exactly like I did with previous versions. But nope, hasn't been working.

What I've done:
Verified the download signature. Downloaded the torrent as well as the direct link
Created a "bootable" USB using the USB Installer suggested by the TAILS website
Created a "bootable" DVD using "infrarecorder" again as suggested by the website.
Made absolutely sure I dumped the file onto the DVD/USB properly (ie not a data disc/no drag and dropped files)
Repeated steps above at least 5 times each
Used 2 different drives to burn the image
Used 2 different drives to read the image upon booting
Bought new USB 2.0 (2 of em 8gb)
Bought new 10 pack DVD/RW
Verified boot order (removable/cd/HDD)
Burned the images on the slowest possible speed (4X)
Did NOT light scribe the DVD's
Spammed ESC to open boot menu and "booted" from both removable and cd
Unplugged every non essential device
Checked all USB ports as a "boot drive" (ie plugged my USB into all of them and tried to boot the PC) EXCEPT the USB 3.0 ports on my after market pci card
Changed BIOS "quick" boot to off
Boot the PC w/o a HDD attached
Removed CMOS battery (that messed some stuff up lol)

Issues I've come across:
When pressing ESC key on startup it brings me to the boot menu however, under removable device it says "no boot disk" and I am unable to boot. Also checked the cd option to see if the BIOS was reading my USB as a cd, wasn't. I KNOW for a fact my PC can boot from USB as I've booted the TAILS package from USB on this same PC in the last 2 weeks! Also made sure all 3 devices have been formatted to FAT32, cleared ALL partitions using diskpart/clean, and reassigned a new primary.

When trying to boot from the DVD all goes well until the OS tried to load. I get to the "home screen" where it wants me to pick a start method and you can see all of the TAILS/Tor badging and logos but when I click boot, it goes to a loading screen and starts a VERY precise counter/time stamp deal. Like hundredths of a second. After about 20 seconds I start getting this I/0 error, can't remember the exact code buts it's apparently fairly common. Many people seem to agree its a bad burn. So I burned another using a different burner, same result. I DO have DVD-RW discs so I tried rewriting AND a new disc. Neither resolved the issue and I still get the same I/O error. I find it VERY hard to believe BOTH my burners tanked and are writing faulty discs. I find it equally hard to believe that I got a bad batch of discs AND USB drives which leaves only a few options left. User error and incompatibility.

There are some things I've noticed that may or may not have an impact. Pendrivelinux (the USB Installer) doesn't have TAILS listed as it should be. It lists TAILS as "Tails". Sounds trivial but the first time I did this, USB installer listed it as "T(A)ILS" and that setting is no longer available. This is what I meant by choosing unlisted iso. As you scroll thru the distro options, at the bottom you will find the option to load an "unlisted iso". I used this option, browsed to the tails iso and loaded from there - worked fine for me.

I also tried reverting to a previous version of the Installer and mounting the image to my USB that way, didnt work. Another site suggested mounting the image using the "unrecognized/not supported" preset and that didnt work either. In fact NO USB method can even get my PC to recognize the USB stick as a bootable device. So in that regard I'm actually a step behind the cd method!

When burning the image to DVD it keeps calling it a "CD". Again may be trivial but might make all the difference. I'm using DVD's cause a CD has a 700mb limit and it's not enough. Before burning the image I made sure and selected the right function as per the TAILS website. Action ---> Burn image ---> select VERIFIED .iso file ----> select USB ---> formatted with AND without using USB Installer* ----> clicked "ok"

* as mentioned I used Diskpart several times and different ways to establish a working USB drive to no avail. Could be user error here, after reading and researching the issue it turns out the flash drive requires certain "partitions" or some such jazz. The "MBR" iirc, is required to be used as a boot drive but USB Installer should take care of that for me, it says it does, and it worked before.

I'm about at my wits end with this. It's so simple for sooo many people less skilled than I and I'm struggling so hard. I'm just not understanding the issue here. Download, mount image, reboot, BAMF!

Also, since resetting the CMOS, which defaulted everything btw, even my OC and time which was expected but point being I haven't dove back in yet. Since Friday at 2pm I got 8 hours sleep, it's now Monday 7am. I didn't have any more in me last night to try again. Hopefully I'll have some responses when I get home and can try a fresh BIOS. The only thing I see that doing that I haven't tried yet is somehow resetting the "USB loader". It seems to me the issue is the USB ports aren't being loaded, therefore it's unable to see the .iso on the flash drive but that doesn't explain the inability to boot off the disc. However it is possible, though unlikely IMO, both my burners have tanked and it's writing bad images. What's interesting about that though is that I can use my keyboard, mouse, and the BIOS recognizes when I have my ext HDD (1 USB 3.0/1 USB 2.0) and all of them are USB devices so it's definitely able to see the USB ports... I'm at a loss and need to head into work. Anything helps at this point, please and thanks in advance!

 

[LinuxLiveCreatorTails]

]

Ok... After ALL that, Lily worked BUT it's not necessarily that software that "fixed" it. It's a great program though and I prefer it over USB Installer.

uhhh, i hate to break it to you Toieo, but LiLi IS the reason it works. Same position as you with an x61 thinkpad. Tried everything. First try with LiLi and everything works 100%

The author of Linux Live Creator, has just facilitaed freedom for many people, he will be a millionaire if he steps up and gets the crew at tails to get everyone to use his software as an alternative. for a fee

LiLi you rock

 

[mjvej4f]

Just for grins, I looked up the TAILS stuff (I use linux generally) and tried to format a usb under linux and had the same issues.

However, when I went to W7 and used my ultimate usb installer from pendrivelinux, it worked fine. I would suggest using windows as your install medium and ultimate usb installer. I chose to use an iso that was not listed, browsed to the tails iso and ran the installer and it worked fine.

Instead of selecting a "tails" distro directly, try using the "unlisted iso" option.

Mark

I'm going to just redownload the ISO and use the ultimate usb installer like you suggested. I also got another mouse but I doubt it'll change anything. Praying this works. Not very tech savvy when it comes to linux :s