Installing Ubuntu server using console

Owned by Lior Jigalo
Last updated: May 01, 2024
4 min read

Bedrock V3000 lacks an integrated display adapter. Consequently, to install Ubuntu, users must connect Bedrock to a host PC using a console, facilitated by serial over USB.

This document describes Ubuntu installation process on Bedrock V3000.

Table of Contents

Test setup

This installation process has been validated by SolidRun with the following configurations:

  • Ubuntu versions:

    • Ubuntu server 22.04

    • Ubuntu server 23.04

    • Ubuntu server 24.04

  • Terminal software:

    • Putty

  • USB flash disk: Kingston Data Traveler

Installation process


Method 1, only for 23.04

Creating bootable USB drive

Connecting serial console

Please follow instructions at https://solidrun.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/developer/pages/472481800

BIOS Boot select

You need to choose your USB bootable device to start the installation.

  • Insert the USB media to the device

  • Turn on Bedrock

  • Repetitively press the DEL / ESC key to enter the BIOS setup

  • In BIOS go to -> Save & Exit -> <your bootable USB device> -> yes

  • Device will reset and a grub menu screen will appear

    • If you dont see a grub menu, reboot and press the “arrow down” key repetitively right after you pressed enter to boot from BIOS

  • Select ubuntu console installation

Live USB settings

  • After live USB boots

  • Amidst the kernel output, press Enter to swiftly locate the shell prompt.

  • Run sudo subiquity

  • If you see a “waiting for cloud init” message, wait until it times out and opens the installer (could take some time since some services should finish starting in the background).

  • Proceed with your preferred installation settings and await completion

Enable ttyS4 service

  • After the installation completes, press tab to go to the help section above.

  • Select Enter shell

  • Run echo 'systemctl enable getty@ttyS4.service' | chroot /target

    • This enables the console for ttyS4 for the installed image.

  • Run exit

  • Select Reboot

  • When prompted, remove the installation media and press enter

  • Device will be rebooted

 

 

Method 2
Creating bootable USB drive

Please follow instructions at https://solidrun.atlassian.net/l/cp/m9Reo11r

Connecting serial console

Please follow instructions at

BIOS Boot select

You need to choose your USB bootable device to start the installation.

  • Insert the USB media to the device

  • Turn on Bedrock

  • Repetitively press the DEL / ESC key to enter the BIOS setup

  • In BIOS go to -> Save & Exit -> <your bootable USB device> -> yes

  • Device will reset and a grub menu screen will appear

    • If you dont see a grub menu, reboot and press the “arrow down” key repetitively right after you pressed enter to boot from BIOS

Configure grub

At the grub menu (displaying "try or install Ubuntu"),Press ‘e’ to set the boot parameters.

  • You'll encounter a window resembling:

    setparams 'Install Ubuntu Server' set gfxpayload=keep linux        /casper/vmlinuz   quiet  ---  initrd        /casper/initrd

  • Remove the quiet parameter and change the entry that starts with ‘linux’ to look as follows:

  • linux /casper/vmlinuz console=tty1 console=ttyS4,115200n8 systemd.wants=getty@ttyS4 —

  • Wait for the live USB to boot

Sometimes the text pointer is not visible, you can still edit grubs boot arguments, or you can reboot and the cursor will appear again.

Live USB settings

  • After live USB boots

  • Amidst the kernel output, press Enter to swiftly locate the shell prompt.

  • Run sudo subiquity

    • NOTE: On newer Ubuntu versions the installer might run automatically, so you can skip this step.

  • If you see a “waiting for cloud init” message, wait until it times out and opens the installer (could take some time since some services should finish starting in the background).

  • Proceed with your preferred installation settings and await completion

  • Wait until installation is complete

  • When prompted, remove the installation media and press enter

  • Device will be rebooted

Enable ttyS4 service

Enable the ttyS4 console to be able to interact with the system.

  • Boot into BIOS

  • Boot from the disk you installed linux on

  • If you don't get a grub menu automatically, press the “arrow down” key repetitively right after you pressed enter to boot from BIOS

    • If you dont get the grub menu after pressing shift, connect a keyboard to the device and hold shift on the connected keyboard when booting

  • In the grub menu choose:

    • Advanced options for Ubuntu

    • Select the line that says recovery mode

    • Press ’e’

    • In the line that says: linux        /boot/vmlinuz-5.15.0-43-generic root=UUID=4c58e5aa-6443-4fb2-84e7-4ac2265a7b9e ro recovery nomodeset dis_ucode_ldr

    • Add the console parameters to grub after the ‘ro’ parameter

      • from this:

      • linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.2.0-27-generic root=UUID=1dfc1a94-6289-4b15-9f4f-0fb36c083841 ro

      • to this:

        • Note: if you want to see the boot logs remove the quiet argumentPress ctrl+x to boot

Sometimes the text cursor is not visible, you can still edit grubs boot arguments, or you can reboot and the cursor will appear again.

  • Type to enable the ttyS4 service automatically when you boot: systemctl enable getty@ttyS4

  • edit grub config file: nano /etc/default/grub

    • add the console redirection to the grub default options (same as above):
      on line: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT add the following

    • save the file and run: update-grub

It might be hard to see the shell prompt within all the kernel output so you can press ‘enter’ to find it quicker.

SolidRun Ltd.