Installation with UEFI & CSM mode does not work, CSM mode does not support onboard graphics

User Support Hardware Issues
1
PC Specifications (Intel & MSI)

CPU: Intel (more than 10 cores, less than 20)
GPU: None
RAM: 128GB DDR5
Motherboard: MSI
Storage: M2 NVME for OS.

I am trying to install Qubes OS onto a blank Desktop that was built for installing Qubes OS by myself.

My onboard CPU does not support any non-UEFI graphics if I understand Appendix 1 and 2 correctly.

The workaround I learned from a tech support dude was make a USB stick that has an onboard system that allows you to boot onto multiple ISOs. Don’t boot into the ISO. Use this tool to boot onto the Hard Drives you already have ready to go. This allows you to boot into CSM non-UEFI operating systems.

I am open to other suggestions.
Thanks

Appendix 1: In BIOS UEFI vs CSM Mode

Onboard graphics VBIOS is not supported in CSM mode. The “BIOS CSM/UEFI Mode” setting in the BIOS will be changed to “UEFI”

Appendix 2: Upon boot

There is no VBIOS support detected in this card. ‘BIOS CSM/UEFI Mode’ settings in BIOS will be changed to ‘UEFI’.

2

If I had to make a guess what people might recommend:

  1. Qubes OS gains UEFI capacities (in progress probably).
  2. Boot with UEFI into an ISO picker, than use the ISO picker to boot CSM into the onboard Qubes OS.
  3. Get a different Motherboard.
3

I had the same issue with my MSI motherboard, CSM + using a GPU worked just fine for me, it was only the internal graphics that gave the vbios error.

4

I thought GPUs are a cursed thing to use in Qubes OS due to weird driver reasons.

5

I use the open source nouveau driver shipped with the mainline kernel, don’t know if that is worse than using the intel driver.

6

Status report:

  1. Purchased 100USD GTX 960.
  2. Inserted GPU into system.
  3. Found that Qubes OS would not boot for unknown reasons.
  4. Reinstalled Qubes OS and it worked. I assume it was because it is not enough to have CSM Mode enabled. You must also have CSM mode enabled during the install.

Thanks for all of the help.

7

I now know GPU issues are about 3D realtime game graphics, not 2D UI graphics.