Yes, it is a positively ancient 32 bits laptop, but the library it's used in has no money for anything better, and well, it works as a simple internet box.
I managed to install a few versions of Linux on it before using the CD-ROM, but that device died since the last time. I'm now trying to install the i386 version of Debian 11 using an USB pen drive, but the BIOS never detects it.
Here's what I tried:
- The USB pen drive works in another 32 bits laptop: I can see the OS boot up in that other 32 bits laptop.
- I enabled the config option that says "USB BIOS Support", which "allows boot with USB diskette or CD-ROM drive". I've tested both enabled and disabled, just to be sure.
- I verified that the USB port supports USB 2.0 (it does) and that I use a USB 2.0 pen drive (had a hard time finding a working one).
- I've made sure the USB drive are at the top of the boot list, but it doesn't matter since when I press F12 to select the boot device, the USB drive is never shown,
- I've excluded all devices in the boot list except the USB drive, and it still doesn't show up in the boot list,
- I've tested booting with both USB slots of the T43 laptop, still doesn't show on the boot list.
This T43 laptop doesn't support UEFI (there's no /sys/firmware/efi file). I think I made a drive that's UEFI/Legacy compatible, but I'm not sure how to check for that.
The BIOS menu do not mention CSM or any secure boot option that I could disable. The BIOS menu is actually pretty sparse, so I'm wondering if there are some options locked somewhere. The BIOS is a "Phoenix FirstBIOS", with the BIOS Version 1.29.
Any idea what I could check next?
