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how to force linux to boot from a USB
Signed-off-by: Xe Iaso <me@xeiaso.net>
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lume/src/notes/2024/force-linux-boot-usb.mdx
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lume/src/notes/2024/force-linux-boot-usb.mdx
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---
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title: "How to force a Linux device to boot from USB when the GPU is dead and you can't do it from the BIOS"
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date: 2024-12-28
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---
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tl;dr: use `efibootmgr`
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Let's say you have a Kingston DataTraveler with a Linux ISO on it and want to boot from it, but your GPU is broken or something and you can't view output. Here's what you do:
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List the potential boot targets with `sudo efibootmgr`:
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```
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$ sudo efibootmgr
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BootCurrent: 0005
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Timeout: 1 seconds
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BootOrder: 0005,0000,0006
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Boot0000* Linux Boot Manager HD(3,GPT,d540ada8-f3df-4783-b774-01f46cb8246f,0x800,0xff800)/File(\EFI\systemd\systemd-bootx64.efi)
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Boot0005* UEFI OS HD(3,GPT,d540ada8-f3df-4783-b774-01f46cb8246f,0x800,0xff800)/File(\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI)0000424f
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Boot0006* UEFI: KingstonDataTraveler 3.0, Partition 2 PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x8,0x1)/Pci(0x0,0x3)/USB(2,0)/USB(0,0)/HD(2,GPT,39313032-3630-4130-b232-303133343532,0x150,0x1680)0000424f
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```
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The Kingston DataTraveler is Boot0006, so tell efibootmgr to mark 0006 as the next boot target:
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```
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$ sudo efibootmgr --bootnext 0006
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BootNext: 0006
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BootCurrent: 0005
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Timeout: 1 seconds
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BootOrder: 0005,0000,0006
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Boot0000* Linux Boot Manager HD(3,GPT,d540ada8-f3df-4783-b774-01f46cb8246f,0x800,0xff800)/File(\EFI\systemd\systemd-bootx64.efi)
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Boot0005* UEFI OS HD(3,GPT,d540ada8-f3df-4783-b774-01f46cb8246f,0x800,0xff800)/File(\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI)0000424f
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Boot0006* UEFI: KingstonDataTraveler 3.0, Partition 2 PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x8,0x1)/Pci(0x0,0x3)/USB(2,0)/USB(0,0)/HD(2,GPT,39313032-3630-4130-b232-303133343532,0x150,0x1680)0000424f
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```
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Then reboot. You will boot off of the USB drive.