Installation for computers without (U)EFI

[quarterlife]

Better guide here http://w3.reddit.com/r/SteamOS/comments/1su4t1/uefi_requirement_with_steamos/ce1apdz

Edit: If you have no idea what you are doing, do not attempt this

You can indeed install (or at least start the installer) on a computer without (U)EFI. To do this, install grub on your freshly FAT formatted USB stick

mkdir /media/usbstick
mount /dev/sdX1 /media/usbstick (replace X with the proper letter for your USB stick)
grub-install --no-floppy --root-directory=/media/usbstick /dev/sdX (replace X)
or (for grub 2)
grub-install --force --no-floppy --boot-directory=/media/usbstick /dev/sdX (replace X) 

Adapt boot/grub/grub.cfg from the SteamOSInstaller.zip and put it to your usb stick.

Copy everything except the boot folder from SteamOSInstaller.zip to your usb stick. The usb stick should now be ready.

Be warned that even the "Expert install" option WILL format your hard drive without warning!

This is what happened to me, and I'm currently recovering the partitions...

Good luck!

[ARE FEET SHOES?]

Thank you. :)

(updates soon)

[Shark]

That's what I did to get it to boot, no luck on installing yet though. You might want to mention that you can only do this under Linux.

[quarterlife]

Originally posted by Shark:

That's what I did to get it to boot, no luck on installing yet though. You might want to mention that you can only do this under Linux.

I left the instructions vague intentionally. If someone doesn't understand how to do it with these instructions, they probably have no business trying this

[ARE FEET SHOES?]

after a bit of picking, I was able to pack GRUB into the SteamOS install with grubinst/grub4dos (on Windows 7).

I'll just wait for things to iron out -- or until I can get my hands on a Steam Box somehow ;)

[ARE FEET SHOES?]

A copy of /boot/grub/grub.cfg (Warning, Steam will kill formating)

https://gist.github.com/anonymous/7955136

if loadfont /boot/grub/font.pf2 ; then
insmod efi_gop
insmod efi_uga
insmod video_bochs
insmod video_cirrus
insmod gfxterm
insmod png
terminal_output gfxterm
fi

set theme=/boot/grub/theme/1
menuentry 'Automated install (WILL ERASE DISK!)' {
set background_color=black
linux /install.amd/vmlinuz preseed/file=/cdrom/default.preseed DEBCONF_DEBUG=developer desktop=steamos auto=true priority=critical video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr vga=788 -- quiet
initrd /install.amd/gtk/initrd.gz
}
menuentry 'Expert install' {
set background_color=black
linux /install.amd/vmlinuz preseed/file=/cdrom/default.preseed DEBCONF_DEBUG=developer desktop=steamos priority=low video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr vga=788 --
initrd /install.amd/gtk/initrd.gz
}
menuentry 'Rescue mode' {
set background_color=black
linux /install.amd/vmlinuz preseed/file=/cdrom/default.preseed DEBCONF_DEBUG=developer video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr vga=788 rescue/enable=true -- quiet
initrd /install.amd/gtk/initrd.gz
}

[Shark]

Originally posted by quarterlife:

Originally posted by Shark:

That's what I did to get it to boot, no luck on installing yet though. You might want to mention that you can only do this under Linux.

I left the instructions vague intentionally. If someone doesn't understand how to do it with these instructions, they probably have no business trying this

I actually made an image of my usb stick with dd, which could be used flash a usb drive on Windows. I just cba to upload it, it's 8gb.

[beeradmoore]

http://w3.reddit.com/r/SteamOS/comments/1su4t1/uefi_requirement_with_steamos/

Has useful info as to how to do this.

[Alpha17x]

I've managed to force it into grub, i have never done anything in grub before. does anyone know what the commands are to attempt to install it? I've got a spare computer for this, I see this as the perfect opportunity to learn some 'deeper' linux. and every time i've tried elitist linux nerds are always like 'you're not linux enough, come back and learn the hard stuff after you've already learned the hard stuff' and other nonsense.

[Shark]

Originally posted by The President:

I've managed to force it into grub, i have never done anything in grub before. does anyone know what the commands are to attempt to install it? I've got a spare computer for this, I see this as the perfect opportunity to learn some 'deeper' linux. and every time i've tried elitist linux nerds are always like 'you're not linux enough, come back and learn the hard stuff after you've already learned the hard stuff' and other nonsense.

I don't really get what you're asking, how to install grub for bios systems on a usb stick is in the first post. I have no clue how to do the same thing with Windows or Mac though.

[Alpha17x]

I dont' even get what I'm asking. I've always wanted to get into linux but it is so astonishingly terrible. I have no idea what the hell I'm looking at and any attempt to get help amounts usually to 'You're not hardcore enough to use linux' .
*insert more crying*

I'm just going to wait until they package it with a real installer.
*high five*

[WidescreenJohn]

THANK YOU! I have a number of older, spare PCs lounging around that would have been perfect test platforms, except that none of them have UEFI. I was quite miffed that they discounted a BIOS-based system. Now I might actually give this a try after the holidays.

[adolson]

Originally posted by The President:

I dont' even get what I'm asking. I've always wanted to get into linux but it is so astonishingly terrible. I have no idea what the hell I'm looking at and any attempt to get help amounts usually to 'You're not hardcore enough to use linux' .
*insert more crying*

I'm just going to wait until they package it with a real installer.
*high five*

I've run Linux exclusively since 2002, and I can tell you immediately that SteamOS is not a good entry point into Linux...

If you actually do want to get into Linux, honestly, you should go and get a Linux Mint ISO and try that out. It's really not hard. My mother-in-law has been running Linux for about three years now, and she barely knows how to plug it into the wall. Yes, I installed it for her, but I could have walked her through it since it's really not difficult.

[Cosmo]

Thanks a lot for this, OP! c:

[UnkendTech]

think you for posting this :) many will find it usefull

[StevenRaith]

Originally posted by The President:

I dont' even get what I'm asking. I've always wanted to get into linux but it is so astonishingly terrible. I have no idea what the hell I'm looking at and any attempt to get help amounts usually to 'You're not hardcore enough to use linux' .
*insert more crying*

I'm just going to wait until they package it with a real installer.
*high five*

What you are doing is the equivalent of asking a six year old to create a PowerShell script in Windows to automatically drop a WIM image into an existing partitioning system.

Which most Windows admins would roll theory eyes at and start reading up on the documentation.

It's not Linux being rubbish, it's because what is expected here is pretty advanced Linux management. Most other Linux distros will install in about twenty minutes with three clicks ;)

I'll pretty comfortable with Linux, but even I'm going to have to dig up some old hardware to test this on - I'll not risking my everyday hardware with this the moment...