Kali Linux USB Boot Problems

Question

I have just downloaded Kali Linux and used UNetBootin to install it to a 4GB Sandisk Cruzer. I stuck it in my machine and booted from it. Options come up for:

Default
Back
Live (forensic mode)
Install with speech synthesis
Hardware Detection Tool (HDT)

However, I can't boot into any of these; they all throw the same error:

Segmentation fault at address 0xb7200000

Fatal server error:
Caught signal 11 (Segmentation fault). Server aborting.


Please consult The X.Org Foundation support 
                 at http://wiki.x.org
for help
Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.

Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.

(debconf:4384): Gtk-WARNING ##: Cannot open display: 0

There was also a small option graph with 5 options numbers 0-4 headed with the title "Backtrace" but I couldn't read all of the info in it.

Why do I get this error, and how can I work around it?

Answer 1

I would recommend running a RAM test (try Memtest86+) on the failing machine to ensure the RAM is in good working order. Segmentation faults are usually caused by hardware issues (assuming the software itself is well-tested and doesn't segfault on most hardware).

Answer 2

Do not use UNETBOOTIN, use Win32 Disk Imager if you are using Windows, or dd if you are using linux like so, after verifying the path of the USB storage:

dd if=kali.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=512k

source, official kali website: http://docs.kali.org/installation/kali-linux-live-usb-install

Answer 3

The problem, and it is the same issue I'm running into, is that UNetbootin creates an invalid syslinux.cfg file and the dd command creates an invalid drive format (ISO9006 I believe).

syslinux.cfg contains a few mistakes:

label ubnentry1
menu label ^Live (forensic mode)
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live noconfig=sudo username=root hostname=kali noswap noautomount

should be

label ubnentry1
menu label ^Live (forensic mode)
kernel /live/vmlinuz
append initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live noconfig=sudo username=root hostname=kali noswap noautomount

Also, this:

label ubnentry2
menu label ^Graphical install
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/install/initrd.gz video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr vga=788 -- quiet

should be:

label ubnentry2
menu label ^Graphical install
kernel /install/gtk/vmlinuz
append initrd=/install/gtk/initrd.gz video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr vga=788 -- quiet

Finally, add:

label ubnentry4
menu label ^Text install
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append initrd=/install/initrd.gz vga=788 -- quiet

These are the changes needed for Unetbootin to boot. On the flip side I keep getting an error about needing to install the kernel first.

Answer 4

Verify Download

To verify your download, go to http://www.kali.org/downloads/ and find the sha1 hash.

Run the following Linux/Mac command on the file downloaded form kali.org , and see if the numbers match:

$ shasum ~/Downloads/kali.tgz   
68b91a8894709cc132ab7cd9eca57513e1ce478b

Display Driver is crashing

The error messages you have provided, show that the OS is crashing on a Display driver.

You didn't state if you are dual booting Kali linux, or if you are attempting to run it inside a virtual machine. Here are some suggestions.

If you are installing to your actual machine, then you may have an incompatible graphics card. The only solutions would be:

• Wait until an update that includes a patched video driver. Your crash appears to be similar to this one

• Download the updated graphics card driver, and compile your own OS (not for the faint of heart)

• Disable any additional video cards in your bios (tv tuners, ect...)

Alternatives

While not a fix, I would recomend running kali linux inside a Virtual Machine. Kali is a dedicated OS, and should not be used for your primary work. You can download a VM that is already to go from Kali.org. Just select 'VmMare' from the 'image type' drop down box.

Answer 5

First, try to format the USB and then use this command:

dd if=/fali-linux/kali-linux.iso of=/dev/sdb 

Answer 6

I used rufus (http://rufus.akeo.ie/) to create my bootable USB drive when installing Kali Linux. Perhaps give that a try?