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I used Rufus to put Lubuntu 20.04 on a USB pendrive with persistant storage. I can boot Lubuntu from USB and can save stuff persistently - great.

But the disk checkup runs for several minutes on every boot. Text says press Ctrl+C to cancel disk checkup but that does not cancel the already ongoing check of a very large file. So it still takes minutes.

This https://askubuntu.com/a/1232719/1083672 post says

Add fsck.mode=skip to the Default menuentry for (UEFI boot mode).
Open /isolinux/txt.cfg as root and add fsck.mode=skip to the "Try Ubuntu without installing" menuentry, (for BIOS boot mode).

But I do not know where exactly in those files to add the string fsck.mode=skip and there is no example of that string in context in that answer

This is my grub.cfg . You can see where I have already tried to add the string. That did not work, the disk check still runs on boot.

if loadfont /boot/grub/font.pf2 ; then
  set gfxmode=auto
  insmod efi_gop
  insmod efi_uga
  insmod gfxterm
  terminal_output gfxterm
fi

set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray

set timeout=30
menuentry "Start Lubuntu" {
  fsck.mode=skip
  set gfxpayload=keep
  linux /casper/vmlinuz  persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/lubuntu.seed quiet splash ---
  initrd    /casper/initrd
}
menuentry "Start Lubuntu (safe graphics)" {
  fsck.mode=skip
  set gfxpayload=keep
  linux /casper/vmlinuz  persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/lubuntu.seed quiet splash nomodeset ---
  initrd    /casper/initrd
}
menuentry "OEM install (for manufacturers)" {
  set gfxpayload=keep
  linux /casper/vmlinuz  persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/lubuntu.seed only-ubiquity quiet splash oem-config/enable=true ---
  initrd    /casper/initrd
}
grub_platform
if [ "$grub_platform" = "efi" ]; then
menuentry 'Boot from next volume' {
  exit
}
menuentry 'UEFI Firmware Settings' {
  fwsetup
}
fi

This is my txt.cfg. I have no idea where to add the string here so have not tried anything yet.

default live
label live
  menu label ^Start Lubuntu
  kernel /casper/vmlinuz
  append  persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/lubuntu.seed initrd=/casper/initrd quiet splash ---
label live-nomodeset
  menu label ^Start Lubuntu (safe graphics)
  kernel /casper/vmlinuz
  append  persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/lubuntu.seed initrd=/casper/initrd quiet splash nomodeset ---
label memtest
  menu label Test ^memory
  kernel /install/mt86plus
label hd
  menu label ^Boot from first hard disk
  localboot 0x80

I tried to ask this in a comment to the above linked answer but do not have enough reputation to add comments yet. Thus this new question.

lubunewbu
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    fsck.mode=skip sounds like a kernel parameter, and should be in linux line in grub.cfg or in the append line in txt.cfg (i.e., it's not an instruction to the bootloader, but something that either the kernel will interpret or something it starts will) – muru May 17 '20 at 19:08
  • I am not good at Linux. What does"should be in linux line" mean. At the start? At the end? with some prefix? Could you give an example of a linux line with that string included in the right position? – lubunewbu May 17 '20 at 19:12
  • The example is present in the answer you linked to; it was just poorly formatted. I fixed the formatting. – muru May 17 '20 at 19:13
  • Editing grub.cfg to add fsck.mode=skip after ... lubuntu.seed worked. – lubunewbu May 17 '20 at 19:22
  • But note that I use Rufus and you edited the paragraph for mkusb. Not clear to the reader that the exact same applies when using Rufus. Also the Rufus paragraph lists two edits to make. Is the correct other edit ("for BIOS boot mode", not sure what that is, anyway) similarly to put fsck.mode=skip after ... lubuntu.seed? In general if the answer had a link to a tutorial on how to edit these kinds of files then that would help new users a lot. – lubunewbu May 17 '20 at 19:24
  • Well, if the example was going to be nearly the same for every option, I wouldn't repeat them either. That much is to be inferred. Once you have enough reputation, you can comment on that answer and ask them to improve it. (Or suggest improvements yourself, based on what you have learned.) – muru May 17 '20 at 19:30
  • I'm sorry but as new to Linux I have near zero capacity to infer anything. Confusions compound. My previous comment asked: Is the correct other edit ("for BIOS boot mode", not sure what that is, anyway) similarly to put fsck.mode=skip after ... lubuntu.seed? Is the answer to that "yes"? – lubunewbu May 17 '20 at 19:33
  • Yes. Here's an article on various methods for adding kernel parameters: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Kernel_parameters#Configuration As for BIOS, maybe see https://superuser.com/questions/496026/what-is-the-difference-in-boot-with-bios-and-boot-with-uefi – muru May 17 '20 at 19:35
  • For context I can add that I have prior to asking this question spent 3 hours in a row now trying to solve this small issue, which is one among many issues I have to solve before I can use the live USB the way I want. It is a steep uphill climb. – lubunewbu May 17 '20 at 19:38
  • Thank you for the clarification. I will read those links to learn more. – lubunewbu May 17 '20 at 19:39
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    @lubunewbu I have given you an upvote to help you with your reputation. Thank you for pointing out where I can improve in my writing skills. (I spent many more than three hours writing and testing my answer). I understand one typo can make things frustrating. – C.S.Cameron May 18 '20 at 03:46

1 Answers1

2

Location of fsck.mode=skip

Location in grub.cfg, (mkusb, UNetbootin and Rufus)

menuentry "Ubuntu" {
    set gfxpayload=keep
    linux   /casper/vmlinuz  file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed maybe-ubiquity fsck.mode=skip quiet splash ---
    initrd  /casper/initrd
}

Location in syslinux.cfg, (UNetbootin)

label unetbootindefault
menu label Default
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/ubninit file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed fsck.mode=skip quiet splash ---

Location in txt.cfg, (Rufus)

label live
  menu label ^Try Ubuntu without installing
  kernel /casper/vmlinuz
  append  file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed initrd=/casper/initrd fsck.mode=skip quiet splash ---

Exact location in the linux line is not important, it can even go one space after ---.

Edit 20200524: The above workaround is no longer needed.

This bug was fixed in the package casper - 1.447, as announced in: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/casper/+bug/1875548

Run:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y casper

(I am still testing the fix, It does not seem to be working yet).

C.S.Cameron
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