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I successfully created a bootable USB drive using the instructions in the various answers to this question : Unable to boot Ubuntu Live USB Flash Drive with casper-rw persistent partition (including my own experiences here https://askubuntu.com/a/878009/544376 )

Please note that the ISO in question is a custom image derived from Ubuntu 16.04 created by SystemBack. The iso was created from a laptop that has since died (screen death), prior to which I had removed some software and adding other softwares. Systemback creates a nice bootloader using grub.

However - when booting on a PC with an Nvidia graphics card, after the splash screen successfully shows, the screen goes blank. I can't even dropback to TTY via CTRL-ALT-F1. Th system did boot into the GUI desktop fine in 'Safe Graphics Mode'.

So - I used the advice here : https://askubuntu.com/a/760935/544376 to try and fix it. I booted into 'safe graphics mode', switched to TTY (CTRL-ALT-F1), then ran the commands. The Nvidia drivers apparantly installed correctly.

But now the USB will only boot to BusyBox and an 'initramfs' prompt, no matter which option I choose from the bootloader menu (default/safe graphics mode/debug)

It would appear that the installation of the Nvidia drivers has done something to the casper-rw partition, or the manner in which the partition is accessed?

Possibly this is just a mis-configuration, but has anyone else experienced this?

Previously I had exactly the same ISO running on a different USB stick with a 4GB casper-rw persistent file, and this is still running fine. Oddly, although when first used on the PC with the Nvidia card the same behaviour happened (only safe-graphics-mode would display a GUI). But on a 3rd or 4th attempt (I can't remember the exact sequence of events, I may have used the stick on a different PC between attempts), the ISO just booted cleanly in full graphics mode without me having to install the Nvidia drivers.

This particular drive still works fine, it's just filling up! Hence attempting to install a larger persistence PARTITION on a new USB stick).

UPDATE: I have since discovered that the solution is just to boot into the 'safe-mode' option and then run

sudo apt-get update

The update seems to reset things successfully.

Community
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JamesBB
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1 Answers1

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When booting a persistent USB drive, the standard video drivers are loaded before the casper-rw file or folder.

If casper-rw contains Nvidia drivers, they end up in conflict with the video drivers already loaded.

You should do a Full install to USB if you want to use Nvidia drivers.

C.S.Cameron
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  • Useful info and makes sense. As in my edit on the question - an update does seem to do the trick. – JamesBB Feb 21 '17 at 15:21