Rescatux 0.41 beta 1 has been released.

Downloads:

• Rescatux 0.41 beta 1 Cdrom or USB ISO for x86 or amd64 (Sourceforge)
• (MD5)
• Torrent (Open the link the in browser and click on Download Torrent File Now)

Rescatux 0.41b1 size is about 672 Megabytes.

Some thoughts:

I couldn’t have released an stable Rescatux without UEFI options so I had to add them. So here there are. Please test them and give us feedback either on the mailing list or in the bugs. Depending on how these new options replace Boot Repair functionality I will remove it from Rescatux. Many people, somehow, are using Boot Repair inside Rescatux while we don’t support it and that should be fixed in the next Rescatux stable release.

This new beta release comes with new exciting UEFI options:

• Update UEFI order
• Create a new UEFI Boot entry
• UEFI Partition Status
• Fake Microsoft Windows UEFI
• Hide Microsoft Windows UEFI
• Reinstall Microsoft Windows EFI
• Check UEFI Boot

You can take a look at the new UEFI options on Rescatux – New UEFI options explained video (The video is a live session, it was not scripted in advance, and that means that it might be longer than needed and maybe boring. You have been warned 😉 . )

The Youtube description has the specific links for each one of the options.

I will explain these in detail here. This will probably go into the features page in the future.

* New option: Update UEFI order option
** Show all available UEFI boot entries and lets you order them

* New option: Create a new UEFI Boot entry.
** Select an EFI file among those present in the ESP partition and add them to the UEFI boot
** Make it the default boot entry

* New option: UEFI Partition Status to know if an ESP partition is a proper ESP partition or not
** Checks if fdisk detects it as an esp partition
** Checks esp flag on the partition
** Checks boot flag on the partition
** Checks if there's a valid filesystem (fat12,fat16 or fat32) on the partition
** Checks if the partition can be mounted
** Checks if the partition' hard disk type is either gpt or msdos

* New option:  Fake Microsoft Windows UEFI boot entry
** Select an EFI file and overwrite the Microsoft EFI files
** Rename it to 'Windows Boot Manager' too.

* New option: Hide Microsoft Windows UEFI boot entry and define default fallback one.
** Select an EFI file and overwrite the default EFI one
** Make sure to delete the default Microsoft Windows ones
** This should be useful for fault UEFIs as the HP EliteBook 8460p or HP EliteBook 8460p laptops

* New option: Reinstall Microsoft Windows EFI
** It copies UEFI files from Windows installation into EFI System Partiton (ESP)
** It adds a new 'Windows Boot Manager' entry and makes it the default one.
** Unfortunately this option is unable to regenerate BCD so it's only useful when you only overwrite or lose the UEFI files

There haven been also many usability improvements to make the life of the final user easier:

* Now EFI System partitions are shown properly in the Rescapp menues
* Now partition types are shown in partition dialogs in the Rescapp menues
* Now partition flags are shown in partition dialogs in the Rescapp menues
* Now partition os-prober long names are shown in partition dialogs in the Rescapp menues
* Show 'Unknown GNU/Linux distro' if we ever fail to parse an /etc/issue file.
* order.py: Usability improvement. When moving entries the last entry moved keeps selected.

* Rescatux width has been increased to 800 pixels.
* Added AFD scanning tecnology adapted for Spanish systems.
* Many grubeasy option improvements (Now handles UEFI too)

Important notice:

• If you want to use the UEFI options make sure you use DD or another equivalent tool (Rufus in ‘Direct image’ mode, usb imagewriter, etc.) to put Rescatux in your USB
• If you want to use UEFI options make sure you boot your Rescatux device in UEFI mode
• If you want to use Rescatux make sure you temporarly disable Secure Boot. Rescatux does not support booting in Secure Boot mode but it should be able to fix most of the UEFI Secure Boot problems if booted in Non Secure Boot mode.

More things I want to do before the stable release are:

• Making all the source code available but as I have mentioned on the Debian Live mailing list it is not easy.
• Make clear that ‘Extra tools’ are not supported renaming them to ‘Extra tools (Non supported)’
• Internal documentation updated
• A new Rescatux website (Optional)
• A new Rescatux tutorial video or videos (Optional)

Let’s hope it happens sooner than later.

Roadmap for Rescatux 0.40 stable release:

You can check the complete changelog with link to each one of the issues at: Rescatux 0.32-freeze roadmap which I’ll be reusing for Rescatux 0.40 stable release.

• (Fixed in 0.40b5) [#2192] UEFI boot support
• (Fixed in 0.40b2) [#1323] GPT support
• (Fixed in 0.40b11) [#1364] Review Copyright notice
• (Fixed in: 0.32b2) [#2188] install-mbr : Windows 7 seems not to be fixed with it
• (Fixed in: 0.32b2) [#2190] debian-live. Include cpu detection and loopback cfg patches
• (Fixed in: 0.40b8) [#2191] Change Keyboard layout
• (Fixed in: 0.32b2) [#2193] bootinfoscript: Use it as a package
• (Fixed in: 0.32b2) [#2199] Btrfs support
• (Closed in 0.40b1) [#2205] Handle different default sh script
• (Fixed in 0.40b2) [#2216] Verify separated /usr support
• (Fixed in: 0.32b2) [#2217] chown root root on sudoers
• [#2220] Make sure all the source code is available
• (Fixed in: 0.32b2) [#2221] Detect SAM file algorithm fails with directories which have spaces on them
• (Fixed in: 0.32b2) [#2227] Use chntpw 1.0-1 from Jessie
• (Fixed in 0.40b1) [#2231] SElinux support on chroot options
• (Checked in 0.40b11) [#2233] Disable USB automount
• (Fixed in 0.40b9) [#2236] chntpw based options need to be rewritten for reusing code
• [#2239]https://www.supergrubdisk.org/wizard-step-put-rescatux-into-a-media/ suppose that the image is based on Super Grub2 Disk version and not Isolinux.The step about extracting iso inside an iso would not be longer needed. Update doc: Put Rescatux into a media for Isolinux based cd
• (Fixed in: 0.32b2) [#2259] Update bootinfoscript to the latest GIT version
• (Fixed in: 0.40b9) [#2264] chntpw – Save prior registry files
• (Fixed in: 0.40b9) [#2234] New option: Easy Grub fix
• (Fixed in: 0.40b9) [#2235] New option: Easy Windows Admin

New options (0.41b1):

• (Added in 0.41b1) Update UEFI order
• (Added in 0.41b1) Create a new UEFI Boot entry
• (Added in 0.41b1) UEFI Partition Status
• (Added in 0.41b1) Fake Microsoft Windows UEFI
• (Added in 0.41b1) Hide Microsoft Windows UEFI
• (Added in 0.41b1) Reinstall Microsoft Windows EFI
• (Added in 0.41b1) Check UEFI Boot

Improved bugs (0.41b1):

• (Improved in 0.41b1) Now EFI System partitions are shown properly in the Rescapp menues
• (Improved in 0.41b1) Now partition types are shown in partition dialogs in the Rescapp menues
• (Improved in 0.41b1) Now partition flags are shown in partition dialogs in the Rescapp menues
• (Improved in 0.41b1) Now partition os-prober long names are shown in partition dialogs in the Rescapp menues
• (Improved in 0.41b1) Show ‘Unknown GNU/Linux distro’ if we ever fail to parse an /etc/issue file.
• (Improved in 0.41b1) Usability improvement. When moving entries the last entry moved keeps selected.

Improved bugs (0.40b11):

• (Improved in 0.40b11) Many source code build improvements
• (Improved in 0.40b11) Now most options show their progress while running
• (Improved in 0.40b11) Added a reference to the source code’s README file in the ‘About Rescapp’ option
• (Improved in 0.40b11) Not detected’ string was renamed to ‘Windows / Data / Other’ because that’s what it usually happens with Windows OSes

Fixed bugs (0.40b11):

• (Fixed in 0.40b11) [#1364] Review Copyright notice
• (Checked in 0.40b11) [#2233] Disable USB automount
• (Fixed in 0.40b11) Wineasy had its messages fixed (Promote and Unlock were swapped)
• (Fixed in 0.40b11) Share log function now drops usage of cat to avoid utf8 / ascii problems.
• (Fixed in 0.40b11) Sanitize ‘Not detected’ and ‘Cannot mount’ messages

Fixed bugs (0.40b9):

• (Fixed in 0.40b9) [#2236] chntpw based options need to be rewritten for reusing code
• (Fixed in: 0.40b9) [#2264] chntpw – Save prior registry files
• (Fixed in: 0.40b9) [#2234] New option: Easy Grub fix
• (Fixed in: 0.40b9) [#2235] New option: Easy Windows Admin

Fixed bugs (0.40b8):

• (Fixed in 0.40b8) [#2191] Change Keyboard layout

Improved bugs (0.40b7):

• (Improved in 0.40b7) [#2192] UEFI boot support (Yes, again)
  

Improved bugs (0.40b6):

• (Improved in 0.40b6) [#2192] UEFI boot support

Fixed bugs (0.40b5):

• (Fixed in 0.40b5) [#2192] UEFI boot support

Fixed bugs (0.40b2):

• (Fixed in 0.40b2) [#1323] GPT support
• (Fixed in 0.40b2) [#2216] Verify separated /usr support

Fixed bugs (0.40b1):

• (Fixed in 0.40b1) [#2231] SElinux support on chroot options

Reopened bugs (0.40b1):

• (Reopened in 0.40b1) [#2191] Change Keyboard layout

Fixed bugs (0.32b3):

• (Fixed in 0.32b3) [#2191] Change Keyboard layout

Other fixed bugs (0.32b2):

• Rescatux logo is not shown at boot
• Boot entries are named “Live xxxx” instead of “Rescatux xxxx”

Fixed bugs (0.32b1):

• Networking detection improved (fallback to network-manager-gnome)
• Bottom bar does not have a shorcut to a file manager as it’s a common practice in modern desktops. Fixed when falling back to LXDE.
• Double-clicking on directories on desktop opens Iceweasel (Firefox fork) instead of a file manager. Fixed when falling back to LXDE.

Improvements (0.32b1):

• Super Grub2 Disk is no longer included. That makes easier to put the ISO to USB devices thanks to standard multiboot tools which support Debian Live cds.
• Rescapp UI has been redesigned
  • Every option is at hand at the first screen.
  • Rescapp options can be scrolled. That makes it easier to add new options without bothering on final design.
  • Run option screen buttons have been rearranged to make it easier to read.
• RazorQT has been replaced by LXDE which seems more mature. LXQT will have to wait.
• WICD has been replaced by network-manager-gnome. That makes easier to connect to wired and wireless networks.
• It is no longer based on Debian Unstable (sid) branch.

Distro facts:

• Packages versions for this release can be found at Rescatux 0.40b11 packages.
• It’s based mainly on Debian Jessie (Stable). Some packages are from Debian Unstable (sid). Some packages are from Debian stretch.

 

Don’t forget that you can use:

• Super Grub(2) Mailing list
• Rescatux Forum
• Chat

Help Rescatux project:

I think we can expect four months maximum till the new stable Rescatux is ready. Helping on these tasks is appreciated:

• Making a youtube video for the new options.
• Make sure documentation for the new options is right.
• Make snapshots for new options documentation so that they don’t lack images.

If you want to help please contact us here:

• Super Grub(2) Mailing list
• Rescatux Forum
• Chat

Thank you and happy download!