/**
 * file: chatgpt_karbytes_01january2025.txt
 * type: plain-text
 * date: 01_JANUARY_2025
 * author: karbytes
 * license: PUBLIC_DOMAIN
 */

The following is a plain-text conversation transcript from a chatbot session established between karbytes and ChatGPT-4o on 01_JANUARY_2025 at approximately 12:30AM Pacific Standard Time. The conversation pertains to karbytes inquiring about how to download, install, and use a software application named balenaEtcher to create bootable USB flash drives which, when plugged into a computer before that computer boots up, enables that computer to (a) have some or all of its hard drive overwritten with a fresh installation of the Ubuntu Desktop operating system or (b) test the the Ubuntu Desktop operating system without installing it on the computer.

karbytes created (and tested) a total of six Ubuntu bootable USB flash drives during the time interval starting at 6:00PM Pacific Standard Time on 31_DECEMBER_2024 and 6:00AM Pacific Standard Time on 01_JANUARY_2024 (using the balenaEtcher application (which was installed via Unix command line (i.e. bash)) and the latest version of Ubuntu Desktop's .iso file (Ubuntu Desktop 24.04.1 LTS) downloaded from the official Ubuntu downloads web page).

(Note that karbytes recently (within the past three days) re-installed the (Ubuntu) operating system on its karbytes-HP-Laptop-14-dk1xxx machine as a consequence of that machine crashing and then not being able to boot up after it crashed. According to karbytes, reinstalling a computer's operating system is generally an effective method for (a) getting rid of malware which may have been installed on the device and (b) getting around harware malfunctioning issues related to the hardware and the operating system (or other software) being incompatibly "out of sync" with each other).

* * *

karbytes:

How do I install balenaEtcher onto my Ubuntu system using the command line?

ChatGPT:

To install balenaEtcher on your Ubuntu system using the command line, follow these steps:

1. Update your system

Ensure your package list is up-to-date by running:

[bash]

sudo apt update

2. Download the balenaEtcher AppImage

Navigate to the official balenaEtcher GitHub releases page to find the latest AppImage link. Use wget to download it:

[bash]

wget https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases/download/vX.X.X/balenaEtcher-X.X.X-x64.AppImage

Replace vX.X.X and X.X.X with the latest version numbers.

For example:

[bash]

wget https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases/download/v1.18.12/balenaEtcher-1.18.12-x64.AppImage

3. Make the AppImage executable

After downloading, set the correct permissions to make the AppImage executable:

[bash]

chmod +x balenaEtcher-*.AppImage

4. Run balenaEtcher

To run balenaEtcher, use:

[bash]

./balenaEtcher-*.AppImage

Optional: Add balenaEtcher to the Applications Menu

If you want to access balenaEtcher from your system's application menu:

Move the AppImage to a directory, such as /usr/local/bin/ or another permanent location:

[bash]

sudo mv balenaEtcher-*.AppImage /usr/local/bin/balenaEtcher.AppImage

Create a .desktop file for the application:

[bash]

sudo nano /usr/share/applications/balenaEtcher.desktop

Add the following content to the file:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=balenaEtcher
Comment=Flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives
Exec=/usr/local/bin/balenaEtcher.AppImage
Icon=balena-etcher
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Utility;

Save and close the file. To update the application menu, run:

[bash]

update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications

You can now find balenaEtcher in your application menu and run it like any other installed program.

karbytes:

[bash]

./balenaEtcher-*.AppImage
dlopen(): error loading libfuse.so.2

AppImages require FUSE to run. 
You might still be able to extract the contents of this AppImage 
if you run it with the --appimage-extract option. 
See https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/wiki/FUSE 
for more information

ChatGPT:

The error indicates that the required FUSE library (libfuse.so.2) is not installed or not properly configured on your system. Here's how to resolve it:

Option 1: Install FUSE

Update your package list:

[bash]

sudo apt update

Install the FUSE library:

[bash]

sudo apt install libfuse2

Retry running the AppImage:

[bash]

./balenaEtcher-*.AppImage

Option 2: Use the --appimage-extract Option

If you are unable to install FUSE or prefer not to, you can extract the AppImage contents and run the application directly:

Extract the AppImage contents:

[bash]

./balenaEtcher-*.AppImage --appimage-extract

This creates a directory called squashfs-root. Change into the directory:

[bash]

cd squashfs-root

Run balenaEtcher from the extracted files:

[bash]

./AppRun

Option 3: Use an Alternative Installation Method

If FUSE cannot be installed, consider installing balenaEtcher via other methods such as a .deb package:

Download the .deb package from the official balenaEtcher GitHub releases:

[bash]

wget https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases/download/vX.X.X/balena-etcher-electron_X.X.X_amd64.deb

Replace vX.X.X and X.X.X with the version you want to download.

Install the .deb package using dpkg:

[bash]

sudo dpkg -i balena-etcher-electron_*.deb

Fix any missing dependencies:

[bash]

sudo apt --fix-broken install

Run balenaEtcher:

[bash]

balena-etcher-electron

Summary

The easiest fix is usually installing libfuse2. If that fails, extracting the AppImage or using a .deb package are good alternatives.

karbytes:

[bash]

./AppRun
[6070:1231/222446.257821:FATAL:setuid_sandbox_host.cc(158)] The SUID sandbox helper binary was found, but is not configured correctly. Rather than run without sandboxing I'm aborting now. You need to make sure that /home/karbytes/squashfs-root/usr/lib/balena-etcher/chrome-sandbox is owned by root and has mode 4755.
Trace/breakpoint trap (core dumped)

ChatGPT:

The error indicates that the Chrome sandbox is not properly configured. To resolve this, you'll need to adjust the ownership and permissions of the chrome-sandbox binary. Here's how to fix it:

1. Locate the chrome-sandbox binary

The error message specifies its location, which is:

/home/karbytes/squashfs-root/usr/lib/balena-etcher/chrome-sandbox

2. Change the ownership to root

Run the following command to ensure the binary is owned by the root user:

[bash]

sudo chown root /home/karbytes/squashfs-root/usr/lib/balena-etcher/chrome-sandbox

3. Set the proper permissions

Set the SUID permission (mode 4755) to enable sandboxing:

[bash]

sudo chmod 4755 /home/karbytes/squashfs-root/usr/lib/balena-etcher/chrome-sandbox

4. Retry running the application

Run the application again from the squashfs-root directory:

[bash]

./AppRun

Explanation

    chown root: Ensures that the binary is owned by the root user.

    chmod 4755: Sets the SUID bit so that the binary runs with the permissions of its owner (root), which is required for the Chrome sandbox to function securely.

If the issue persists

If the above does not work or you prefer to bypass the sandbox:

    Use the --no-sandbox flag to disable the sandbox (not recommended for security reasons):

    [bash]

    ./AppRun --no-sandbox

    Consider installing balenaEtcher via a .deb package or another method for easier setup (see the alternative methods in the previous response).

Let me know if you encounter further issues!

karbytes:

Okay, now that I have balenaEtcher installed on my system, how do I use balenaEtcher to create a bootable USB flash drive for testing or installing Ubuntu?

ChatGPT:

To create a bootable USB flash drive for testing or installing Ubuntu using balenaEtcher, follow these steps:

1. Download the Ubuntu ISO

    Visit the Ubuntu official download page.

    Choose the desired version of Ubuntu and download the .iso file.

2. Insert the USB Flash Drive

    Insert a USB flash drive with at least 8GB of storage into your computer.

    Ensure the data on the USB drive is backed up as the drive will be completely erased.

3. Launch balenaEtcher

    Open balenaEtcher using the AppImage or application menu:

    [bash]

    ./balenaEtcher-*.AppImage

4. Select the Ubuntu ISO

    In the balenaEtcher interface, click "Flash from file".

    Navigate to and select the Ubuntu .iso file you downloaded.

5. Select the USB Drive

    Click "Select target".

    Choose your USB flash drive from the list. Double-check to ensure you select the correct drive to avoid erasing unintended data.

6. Flash the USB Drive

    Click "Flash!" to start the process.

    balenaEtcher will:

        Write the ISO to the USB drive.

        Verify the flashing process to ensure there are no errors.

7. Wait for the Process to Complete


    The flashing process might take several minutes.
    Once complete, balenaEtcher will notify you.

8. Test or Install Ubuntu

    Safely eject the USB drive.

        If not automatically unmounted, use:

        [bash]

        sudo umount /dev/sdX

        Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device name.

    Insert the USB drive into the target computer.

    Boot from the USB drive:

        Restart the computer.

        Enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (commonly accessed by pressing Esc, F2, F12, or Del during boot).

        Set the USB drive as the first boot option.

    Save the settings and restart to boot into the Ubuntu live environment or installer.

Notes:

    Testing Ubuntu: You can try Ubuntu in the live environment without installing it.

    Installing Ubuntu: Follow the on-screen instructions to install Ubuntu on your system.

Let me know if you encounter any issues!