[gentoo-user] scanner problem

[gentoo-user] scanner problem

[Philip Webb]

My scanner -- Epson Perfection V550 Photo -- is suddenly not detected :
when I enter 'xsane' (via the menu or Alt-F2), it says "no devices available".

I last used it without any problem 180626.
Since then, I've updated my kernel & some other pkgs.
I've checked the USB physical connection ; the scanner 'ready' light is on.
I've remerged 'xsane' & 'sane-backends' & rebooted.

Following my notes, I've done :

  root:500 ~> sane-find-scanner
  ...
  found USB scanner (vendor=0x04b8 [EPSON], product=0x013b [EPSON Scanner]) at libusb:001:004
  # Your USB scanner was (probably) detected.
  # It may or may not be supported by SANE.
  # Try scanimage -L and read the backend's manpage.
root:501 ~> scanimage -L
device `epkowa:interpreter:001:004' is a Epson Perfection V550 Photo flatbed scanner
  
  The first time I ran these commands (I don't remember which),
  the scanner itself made the noises it usually does when starting.

  This model needs a driver which is not included in 'sane-backends'
  & which I downloaded from Nvidia & installed when I got the scanner 2017.
  The 'epkowa' driver is installed :

  root:505 ~> locate epkowa
    /etc/sane.d/epkowa.conf
    /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-epkowa.la
    /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-epkowa.so.1
    /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-epkowa.so.1.0.15
    /usr/lib64/sane/archive/libsane-epkowa.la
    /usr/lib64/sane/archive/libsane-epkowa.so.1
    /usr/lib64/sane/archive/libsane-epkowa.so.1.0.15

My user is a member of the 'scanner' group :

  scanner:x:104:purslow

I am puzzled : does anyone have a suggestion what to do next ?

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'   purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Re: [gentoo-user] scanner problem

[Steven Lembark]

> Since then, I've updated my kernel & some other pkgs.

You build your own kernel or rely on modules to handle it all?

Any idea what modules you've rebuilt since the last use of the
scanner?

As a sanity check you might want to take a look at VueScan. Hamerick
does a nice to of just making things work. Might give some better
error messages -- it's also a nice package, worth a few bucks to 
have something that Just Works and also helps support someone who
actually releases software for Linux.

Depending on which syslogger you use, create /var/log/debug with 
debug-level output (no idea how to do this with systemd), zero the
log, and tail -f it while you plug in the scanner, try to use it.

I normally keep /var/log/messages w/ *.info, auth.none and have
logrotate switch it out frequently (daily) at 1MiB. You only need it
once to make it worth the disk space :-)

Try:

    ( strace sane <what you expect to work ) >
    /var/tmp/sane.strace.out 2>&1;

and see what it's trying to open when it fails to get the file. It
might not be the device itself that is botching the process but a 
secondary file that got stepped on.

Try:

    find /etc -name '._cfg*';

any of them affect scanning, dbus, usb (anything else that might
be used by sane)?

-- 
Steven Lembark                                       1505 National Ave
Workhorse Computing                                 Rockford, IL 61103
lembark@wrkhors.com                                    +1 888 359 3508

Re: [gentoo-user] scanner problem

[Jack]

On 2018.07.17 02:38, Philip Webb wrote:
> My scanner -- Epson Perfection V550 Photo -- is suddenly not detected  
> :
> when I enter 'xsane' (via the menu or Alt-F2), it says "no devices  
> available".
> 
> I last used it without any problem 180626.
> Since then, I've updated my kernel & some other pkgs.
> I've checked the USB physical connection ; the scanner 'ready' light  
> is on.
> I've remerged 'xsane' & 'sane-backends' & rebooted.
> 
> Following my notes, I've done :
> 
>   root:500 ~> sane-find-scanner
>   ...
>   found USB scanner (vendor=0x04b8 [EPSON], product=0x013b [EPSON  
> Scanner]) at libusb:001:004
>   # Your USB scanner was (probably) detected.
>   # It may or may not be supported by SANE.
>   # Try scanimage -L and read the backend's manpage.
> root:501 ~> scanimage -L
> device `epkowa:interpreter:001:004' is a Epson Perfection V550 Photo  
> flatbed scanner
> 
>   The first time I ran these commands (I don't remember which),
>   the scanner itself made the noises it usually does when starting.
> 
>   This model needs a driver which is not included in 'sane-backends'
>   & which I downloaded from Nvidia & installed when I got the scanner  
> 2017.
>   The 'epkowa' driver is installed :
> 
>   root:505 ~> locate epkowa
>     /etc/sane.d/epkowa.conf
>     /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-epkowa.la
>     /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-epkowa.so.1
>     /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-epkowa.so.1.0.15
>     /usr/lib64/sane/archive/libsane-epkowa.la
>     /usr/lib64/sane/archive/libsane-epkowa.so.1
>     /usr/lib64/sane/archive/libsane-epkowa.so.1.0.15
> 
> My user is a member of the 'scanner' group :
> 
>   scanner:x:104:purslow
> 
> I am puzzled : does anyone have a suggestion what to do next ?

Does the scanner currently show up if you do "lsusb" ?
Does dmesg say anything when you plug the scanner in?
Is it possible that the driver needs updating to deal with a newer  
kernel?

Jack

Re: [gentoo-user] scanner problem

[Mick]

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On Tuesday, 17 July 2018 15:23:06 BST Jack wrote:
> On 2018.07.17 02:38, Philip Webb wrote:
> > My scanner -- Epson Perfection V550 Photo -- is suddenly not detected
> > 
> > when I enter 'xsane' (via the menu or Alt-F2), it says "no devices
> > available".
> > 
> > I last used it without any problem 180626.
> > Since then, I've updated my kernel & some other pkgs.
> > I've checked the USB physical connection ; the scanner 'ready' light
> > is on.
> > I've remerged 'xsane' & 'sane-backends' & rebooted.
> > 
> > Following my notes, I've done :
> >   root:500 ~> sane-find-scanner
> >   ...
> >   found USB scanner (vendor=0x04b8 [EPSON], product=0x013b [EPSON
> > 
> > Scanner]) at libusb:001:004
> > 
> >   # Your USB scanner was (probably) detected.
> >   # It may or may not be supported by SANE.
> >   # Try scanimage -L and read the backend's manpage.
> > 
> > root:501 ~> scanimage -L
> > device `epkowa:interpreter:001:004' is a Epson Perfection V550 Photo
> > flatbed scanner
> > 
> >   The first time I ran these commands (I don't remember which),
> >   the scanner itself made the noises it usually does when starting.
> >   
> >   This model needs a driver which is not included in 'sane-backends'
> >   & which I downloaded from Nvidia & installed when I got the scanner
> > 
> > 2017.
> > 
> >   The 'epkowa' driver is installed :
> >   
> >   root:505 ~> locate epkowa
> >   
> >     /etc/sane.d/epkowa.conf
> >     /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-epkowa.la
> >     /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-epkowa.so.1
> >     /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-epkowa.so.1.0.15
> >     /usr/lib64/sane/archive/libsane-epkowa.la
> >     /usr/lib64/sane/archive/libsane-epkowa.so.1
> >     /usr/lib64/sane/archive/libsane-epkowa.so.1.0.15
> > 
> > My user is a member of the 'scanner' group :
> >   scanner:x:104:purslow
> > 
> > I am puzzled : does anyone have a suggestion what to do next ?
> 
> Does the scanner currently show up if you do "lsusb" ?
> Does dmesg say anything when you plug the scanner in?
> Is it possible that the driver needs updating to deal with a newer
> kernel?
> 
> Jack

I've also had problems with my WiFi/bluetooth with all kernels after 4.9.95.  
The kernel binds and unbinds the USB device in a loop pegging the CPU.  I'm 
mentioning it here in case it is related (the USB part), but sadly I have no 
solution for it yet.  :-(

-- 
Regards,
Mick

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Re: [gentoo-user] scanner problem

[Philip Webb]

Thanks for the replies so far, which I've followed up with ideas of my own.

(1) In  /etc/sane.d/dll.conf  (at the end) it lists

  # Add support for the Epson-specific backend. Needs media-gfx/iscan installed
  epkowa
  
I've installed 'iscan', but it makes no difference.

(2) The  2  pkgs which mb relevant & which have been updated > 180626
are the kernel & 'gtk+:2' : syslog reports use of 'ehci-pci',
but that is enabled in my kernel 4.14.52 ; might 'gtk' be the problem ?

(3) I can scan without problems using Mint Xfce (on another partition),
so it's not a hardware problem.

(4) 'lsusb' lists "Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0418: 013b Seiko Epson Corp".

(5) the 'epkowa' driver is the latest version : a download from
'support.epson.net/linux/en/iscan.php?model=perfection-v550&version=1.0.1'
gets the same compressed files as are already installed (same sizes).

(6) the output from 'strace' is at
http://chass.utoronto.ca/~purslow/test/xsane-trace.d1 .

(7) When the scanner is switched on (already connected), syslog says :

  usb1-3: new high-speed USB device number 3 using ehci-pci
  New USB device found, idVendor 04b8, idProduct 013b
                 strings: MFr=1, Product=2, SerNo=0
  Product: EPSON Scanner; Manufacturer: EPSON

(8) Users at Ubuntu have been having problems starting Autumn 2017 :
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/sane-backends/+bug1728012 :
see esp  # 20  &  # 144 .

(9) Vuescan is a possible alternative : does anyone have experience ?

Further thoughts from anyone are very welcome.

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'   purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Re: [gentoo-user] scanner problem

[Andrew Udvare]

> On 2018-07-18, at 04:16, Philip Webb <purslow@ca.inter.net> wrote:
> 
> (3) I can scan without problems using Mint Xfce (on another partition),
> so it's not a hardware problem.
> 
> (4) 'lsusb' lists "Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0418: 013b Seiko Epson Corp".
> 
> (5) the 'epkowa' driver is the latest version : a download from
> 'support.epson.net/linux/en/iscan.php?model=perfection-v550&version=1.0.1'
> gets the same compressed files as are already installed (same sizes).
> 
> (6) the output from 'strace' is at
> http://chass.utoronto.ca/~purslow/test/xsane-trace.d1 .

I think you should look at the /etc/sane.d/epkowa.conf file and make modifications if necessary. You should compare it to the Mint partition. And you should do the same for other configuration files like /etc/sane.d/dll.conf.

> 
> (9) Vuescan is a possible alternative : does anyone have experience ?

You want this to work with SANE because major apps like GIMP only support SANE IIRC.

Andrew

Re: [gentoo-user] scanner problem

[Raffaele Belardi]

Philip Webb wrote:
> Thanks for the replies so far, which I've followed up with ideas of my own.
> 
...
> 
> Further thoughts from anyone are very welcome.
> 

Sometimes removing or renaming the .xsane directory (or whatever it's named, I'm not in
front of my desktop now) from my home directory solved similar problems.

raffaele

Re: [gentoo-user] scanner problem : latest

[Philip Webb]

(1) I've tested 'iscan' & the result is the same failure as 'xsane'.

(2) I've checked the contents of  /etc/sane.d  as they are now,
as they were at my last back-up before 180626 (when scanning worked)
& as they are in the Mint partition, where scanning still works :
there's no significant difference between the  3  versions.

(3) Following one suggestion, I tried renaming  ~/.sane ,
but that makes no difference either.

(4) I've run 'strace' with 'iscan' & on the Mint system :
the output is at  http://chass.utoronto.ca/~purslow/test/xsane-trace.d1
& the other  2  "trace" files there.  The Mint version seems to find
a file in  /usr/share/iscan-data , which the others don't find,
but that file is present in my Gentoo system.

Does anyone have experience interpreting Strace output files ?

When I updated the kernel recently, I also had to update Nvidia-drivers.
Is it possible that that could have affected Xsane + Iscan ?

This really is a puzzle : any further suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks again for the others so far.

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'   purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Re: [gentoo-user] scanner problem : latest

[Mick]

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On Thursday, 19 July 2018 10:29:19 BST Philip Webb wrote:
> (1) I've tested 'iscan' & the result is the same failure as 'xsane'.
> 
> (2) I've checked the contents of  /etc/sane.d  as they are now,
> as they were at my last back-up before 180626 (when scanning worked)
> & as they are in the Mint partition, where scanning still works :
> there's no significant difference between the  3  versions.
> 
> (3) Following one suggestion, I tried renaming  ~/.sane ,
> but that makes no difference either.
> 
> (4) I've run 'strace' with 'iscan' & on the Mint system :
> the output is at  http://chass.utoronto.ca/~purslow/test/xsane-trace.d1
> & the other  2  "trace" files there.  The Mint version seems to find
> a file in  /usr/share/iscan-data , which the others don't find,
> but that file is present in my Gentoo system.
> 
> Does anyone have experience interpreting Strace output files ?
> 
> When I updated the kernel recently, I also had to update Nvidia-drivers.
> Is it possible that that could have affected Xsane + Iscan ?
> 
> This really is a puzzle : any further suggestions are very welcome.
> Thanks again for the others so far.

I can't recall if you mentioned any differences in the kernel versions and 
their configs between Gentoo and Mint?

Have you compared the strace outputs between Gentoo and Mint too to see if 
anything stands out?

-- 
Regards,
Mick

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[gentoo-user] Re: scanner problem : latest

[Ian Zimmerman]

On 2018-07-19 05:29, Philip Webb wrote:

> The Mint version seems to find a file in /usr/share/iscan-data , which
> the others don't find, but that file is present in my Gentoo system.

I have not looked at the strace log, but this smacks of permissions, and
possibly selinux, if you've let that beast loose.

-- 
Please don't Cc: me privately on mailing lists and Usenet,
if you also post the followup to the list or newsgroup.
To reply privately _only_ on Usenet and on broken lists
which rewrite From, fetch the TXT record for no-use.mooo.com.

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: scanner problem : latest

[Philip Webb]

180719 Ian Zimmerman wrote:
> On 2018-07-19 05:29, Philip Webb wrote:
>> The Mint version seems to find a file in /usr/share/iscan-data ,
>> which the others don't find, but that file is present in my Gentoo system.
> I have not looked at the strace log, but this smacks of permissions
> and possibly Selinux, if you've let that beast loose.

I checked the permissions for  iscan-data  & they seem ok.
No, I've never tried to use Selinux.

However, I've just escaped fr another beast, ie Linux Mint 19 :
DON'T try to install it alongside Gentoo !!

This beast leads you along to a point where you've told it where to install
-- a partition on my HDD (sdb5) -- ,
you click 'proceed' & it chugs along nicely for some time,
then it says it's trying to install a bootloader
without asking whether you want it to or where to do it.
Next, it says it's failed to install Grub -- which I've never used -- ,
offers several ugly-looking options & freezes.

All you can do is a hard power-off & when you restart,
instead of the regular Lilo box of options, there's only a Grub prompt.
Disaster looks you in the face !

SystemRescue to the rescue : Gentoo  /boot  is unaltered,
so copy  lilo.conf  into the SR  /etc  dir, edit it to use SR paths,
mount the Gentoo  /boot , run 'lilo' & the MBR is restored to what it sb.
Reboot & the familiar Lilo screen appears !

I wanted to see whether the latest Mint found my scanner,
which would suggest that the problem doesn't involve the kernel, at least.
I'm not trying again !

On inspection, Mint 19 does seem to have installed itself on  /dev/sdb5 ,
so I can copy the vital files from its  /boot  to my own Gentoo  /boot ,
edit  lilo.conf  accordingly & see if it will start : not today !

Next up -- too late for today -- is to see if I can get Nvidia working
with an earlier kernel : at present it isn't.
Then I can find out if Xsane can find my scanner with another kernel.

Can anyone take a look at my Strace output ( 3  files),
which is at  http://chass.utoronto.ca/~purslow/test ?
That would be a real help.

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'   purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: scanner problem : PS

[Philip Webb]

180720 Philip Webb wrote:
> On inspection, Mint 19 does seem to have installed itself on  /dev/sdb5 ,
> so I can copy the vital files from its  /boot  to my own Gentoo  /boot ,
> edit  lilo.conf  accordingly & see if it will start : not today !

I have successfully booted into Mint 19
-- it installed fully before it did its dirty MBR trick -- ,
so I can see what happens with Xsane tomorrow.

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'   purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: scanner problem : latest

[Mick]

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On Friday, 20 July 2018 14:04:26 BST Philip Webb wrote:
> 180719 Ian Zimmerman wrote:
> > On 2018-07-19 05:29, Philip Webb wrote:
> >> The Mint version seems to find a file in /usr/share/iscan-data ,
> >> which the others don't find, but that file is present in my Gentoo
> >> system.
> > 
> > I have not looked at the strace log, but this smacks of permissions
> > and possibly Selinux, if you've let that beast loose.
> 
> I checked the permissions for  iscan-data  & they seem ok.
> No, I've never tried to use Selinux.
> 
> However, I've just escaped fr another beast, ie Linux Mint 19 :
> DON'T try to install it alongside Gentoo !!
> 
> This beast leads you along to a point where you've told it where to install
> -- a partition on my HDD (sdb5) -- ,
> you click 'proceed' & it chugs along nicely for some time,
> then it says it's trying to install a bootloader
> without asking whether you want it to or where to do it.
> Next, it says it's failed to install Grub -- which I've never used -- ,
> offers several ugly-looking options & freezes.
> 
> All you can do is a hard power-off & when you restart,
> instead of the regular Lilo box of options, there's only a Grub prompt.
> Disaster looks you in the face !

Many an installation were hosed lately because of a GRUB problem in Mint and 
potentially *buntu.  Testing before releasing was not as thorough as it should 
have been:

https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3620

-- 
Regards,
Mick

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: scanner problem : latest

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Fri, 20 Jul 2018 09:04:26 -0400, Philip Webb wrote:

> However, I've just escaped fr another beast, ie Linux Mint 19 :
> DON'T try to install it alongside Gentoo !!
> 
> This beast leads you along to a point where you've told it where to
> install -- a partition on my HDD (sdb5) -- ,
> you click 'proceed' & it chugs along nicely for some time,
> then it says it's trying to install a bootloader
> without asking whether you want it to or where to do it.

For future reference, start the Mint installer with "ubiquity -b", then t
doesn't install a boot loader at all and you can add it to your Gentoo
bootloader after rebooting.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

WinErr 018: Unrecoverable error - System has been destroyed. Buy a new
one. Old Windows licence is not valid anymore.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: scanner problem : latest

[Philip Webb]

180723 Neil Bothwick wrote:
> On Fri, 20 Jul 2018 09:04:26 -0400, Philip Webb wrote:
>> Linux Mint 19 leads you along to a point where you've told it
>> where to install, you click 'proceed' & it chugs along nicely,
>> then it says it's trying to install a bootloader
>> without asking whether you want it to or where to do it.
> For future reference, start the Mint installer with "ubiquity -b",
> then it doesn't install a boot loader at all
> and you can add it to your Gentoo bootloader after rebooting.

I started the Mint installer by clicking on its desktop button.
What is 'ubiquity' & how would I use it ?

> WinErr 018: Unrecoverable error - System has been destroyed.
> Buy a new one. Old Windows licence is not valid anymore.

That's how I felt for  30 min  after Mint played its dirty trick above (grin).

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'   purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: scanner problem : latest

[Mick]

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On Tuesday, 24 July 2018 15:14:32 BST Philip Webb wrote:
> 180723 Neil Bothwick wrote:
> > On Fri, 20 Jul 2018 09:04:26 -0400, Philip Webb wrote:
> >> Linux Mint 19 leads you along to a point where you've told it
> >> where to install, you click 'proceed' & it chugs along nicely,
> >> then it says it's trying to install a bootloader
> >> without asking whether you want it to or where to do it.
> > 
> > For future reference, start the Mint installer with "ubiquity -b",
> > then it doesn't install a boot loader at all
> > and you can add it to your Gentoo bootloader after rebooting.
> 
> I started the Mint installer by clicking on its desktop button.
> What is 'ubiquity' & how would I use it ?
> 
> > WinErr 018: Unrecoverable error - System has been destroyed.
> > Buy a new one. Old Windows licence is not valid anymore.
> 
> That's how I felt for  30 min  after Mint played its dirty trick above
> (grin).


See attached screenshot.

Meanwhile I'm still at a loss why on a BIOS with GPT system GRUB installed 
fine without any mishaps, but upon a GRUB update some days later it refused to 
install without me creating a new protective MBR partition marked as ef02.

:-/

-- 
Regards,
Mick

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: scanner problem : latest

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Tue, 24 Jul 2018 10:14:32 -0400, Philip Webb wrote:

> > For future reference, start the Mint installer with "ubiquity -b",
> > then it doesn't install a boot loader at all
> > and you can add it to your Gentoo bootloader after rebooting.  
> 
> I started the Mint installer by clicking on its desktop button.
> What is 'ubiquity' & how would I use it ?

Ubiquity is the installer prom, which is run by the desktop icon with no
arguments. Running it from a terminal with -b means no bootloader is
installed.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

"Time is the best teacher....., unfortunately it kills all the students"

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: scanner problem : latest

[Mick]

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On Tuesday, 24 July 2018 15:38:35 BST Mick wrote:
> On Tuesday, 24 July 2018 15:14:32 BST Philip Webb wrote:
> > 180723 Neil Bothwick wrote:
> > > On Fri, 20 Jul 2018 09:04:26 -0400, Philip Webb wrote:
> > >> Linux Mint 19 leads you along to a point where you've told it
> > >> where to install, you click 'proceed' & it chugs along nicely,
> > >> then it says it's trying to install a bootloader
> > >> without asking whether you want it to or where to do it.
> > > 
> > > For future reference, start the Mint installer with "ubiquity -b",
> > > then it doesn't install a boot loader at all
> > > and you can add it to your Gentoo bootloader after rebooting.
> > 
> > I started the Mint installer by clicking on its desktop button.
> > What is 'ubiquity' & how would I use it ?
> > 
> > > WinErr 018: Unrecoverable error - System has been destroyed.
> > > Buy a new one. Old Windows licence is not valid anymore.
> > 
> > That's how I felt for  30 min  after Mint played its dirty trick above
> > (grin).
> 
> See attached screenshot.
> 
> Meanwhile I'm still at a loss why on a BIOS with GPT system GRUB installed
> fine without any mishaps, but upon a GRUB update some days later it refused
> to install without me creating a new protective MBR partition marked as
> ef02.
> :-/

I just noticed when I start the VM using the aqemu GUI, the  system identifies 
its virtual hard drives as /dev/sda, while when I start it with qemu-system-
x86_64 on the CLI it identifies the hard drives as /dev/vda.  This is the 
reason of GRUB refusing to update itself ... I installed with aqemu, then some 
days later I tried to update GRUB running the VM via the CLI.

So much for thinking aqemu is a just a simple GUI for running qemu VMs.  It 
evidently does its own tha'ng.
-- 
Regards,
Mick

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