Trouble getting LL 2.2 installed on my Desktop (UEFI)

[micheldbruin]

Hey there,

I would greatly appreciate some help with installing LL 2.2 on my desktop. Please excuse terms or language I use because I'm still a bit of a noob when it comes to Linux. Not completely noob since I have used Ubuntu and Mint for about half a year.

I created a boot usb stick with which I successfully installed LL2.2 on my laptop. No problems and it runs really well. I'm very happy with it. This morning I want to install it on my desktop as well, both are 64bit by the way, but I think the UEFI bios is causing troubles because all I usually get is a white screen with blinking cursor. Once I thought it started installing but then the screen went black.

Before I started installing I went into the bios and set everything to legacy (only), but it didn't had the effect I had hope for.

More info on my desktop:
System:    Host: michelMintGB Kernel: 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: Gnome Distro: Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca
Machine:  Mobo: Gigabyte model: B85M-D3H Bios: American Megatrends version: F13 date: 06/19/2014
CPU:      Quad core Intel Core i5-4440 CPU (-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx)
          Clock Speeds: 1: 800.00 MHz 2: 800.00 MHz 3: 800.00 MHz 4: 1000.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
          Card-2: NVIDIA GF108 [GeForce GT 630]
          X.Org: 1.15.1 drivers: nvidia,intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa,nouveau) Resolution: [email protected]
          GLX Renderer: GeForce GT 630/PCIe/SSE2 GLX Version: 4.4.0 NVIDIA 331.38
Audio:    Card-1: NVIDIA GF108 High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel Sound: ALSA ver: k3.13.0-24-generic
          Card-2: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel
          Card-3: Intel 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel
          Card-4: Microsoft LifeCam Cinema driver: USB Audio
          Card-5: Logitech driver: USB Audio
Network:  Card: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller driver: r8169
          IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: 74:d4:35:88:14:7f
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1015.9GB (4.9% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: ST1000DM003 size: 1000.2GB
          2: USB id: /dev/sdc model: DataTraveler_3.0 size: 15.7GB
Partition: ID: / size: 910G used: 47G (6%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 8.45GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:  System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8C mobo: 27.8C gpu: 29C
          Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 196 Uptime: 46 min Memory: 1488.9/7856.6MB Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.4


Who wants to help me with this?

Mike,
Netherlands

[Valtam]

https://www.freecinema2022.gq/forums/index.php?topic=602

[micheldbruin]

Thanks for replying Jerry, but I don't have Windows on my desktop, instead it's running Linux Mint Rebecca 17.1

I cannot start the pc from the live usb LL 2.2 because during the startup at about one third of the loading process the screen turns black and nothing else happens. Could it be a videocard driver issue? If so how do I fix that because I need a monitor to install.

I already tried booting into safe mode but that shuts down the pc.

[gold_finger]

@micheldbruin,

If you've got Mint installed in Legacy mode, then you should be able to install LL in that mode as well without worrying about UEFI install related issues.  Boot into Mint, open a terminal and enter the following two commands:

Code:

[ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo "EFI boot on HDD" || echo "Legacy boot on HDD"

and

Code:

sudo parted -l

(Command ends in a lowercase letter "L", not the number 1.)

Those will tell us which mode you installed Mint in and what your current partition setup looks like.  Can advise from there.

[micheldbruin]

Hey mr. Gold_finger,

This is what happened in the terminal: (translation ongeldig = invalid)

michel@michelMintGB ~ $ [ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo "EFI boot on HDD" || echo "Legacy boot on HDD"
Legacy boot on HDD
michel@michelMintGB ~ $ sudo parted -l
[sudo] password for michel:
Model: ATA ST1000DM003-1CH1 (scsi)
Schijf /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sectorgrootte (logisch/fysiek): 512B/4096B
Partitietabel: msdos

Nummer  Begin  Einde  Grootte  Type      Bestandssysteem  Vlaggen
1      1049kB  992GB  992GB    primary  ext4            opstart
2      992GB  1000GB  8453MB  extended
5      992GB  1000GB  8453MB  logical  linux-swap(v1)


Fout: Ongeldige partitietabel -- recursieve partitie op /dev/sdc.       
Negeren/Ignore/Annuleren/Cancel?   

(edit additional info)

I choose to ignore and got this info

Fout: Ongeldige partitietabel -- recursieve partitie op /dev/sdc.       
Negeren/Ignore/Annuleren/Cancel? Negeren
Model: Kingston DataTraveler 3.0 (scsi)
Schijf /dev/sdc: 15,7GB
Sectorgrootte (logisch/fysiek): 512B/512B
Partitietabel: msdos

Nummer  Begin  Einde  Grootte  Type  Bestandssysteem  Vlaggen

[gold_finger]

Okay -- looks good!  You're using Mint in Legacy mode and the disk is partitioned using MBR format.  You'll be able to install Linux Lite as a dual-boot, but need to get around either a UEFI settings problem or a graphics problem or a combo of the two.

I'm not an expert on graphics problems, but noticed that your specs show computer has both integrated Intel card and an NVidia card.  That might be part of problem with trying to boot the USB stick because proprietary drivers are necessary to handle that.  Try looking through the UEFI settings menu for a way to disable the NVidia card during bootup so machine is only using the Intel graphics.  Boot computer with USB stick after doing that and see what happens.

If successful, open a terminal and run this command:

Code:

ls /sys/firmware

If you see "efi" listed in the output, then you are booted in the wrong mode.  (Since LL doesn't currently support that, I doubt you'll see it -- but who knows?)  You'll need to reboot and press whatever key is necessary to get into the UEFI boot menu so you can select the "Legacy/CSM" mode to boot the USB stick.  Choose that, boot into USB again, run command again to double-check.  If don't see "efi" listed in output, you are booted correctly and can do the installation.

If you still can't boot after disabling the NVidia card in UEFI settings, then you need to try setting the boot mode for booting the USB stick to "Legacy/CSM".  It's probably being booted automatically in UEFI mode and LL doesn't support that, so it won't work.  Get into UEFI Boot Menu and look for option to boot USB in a non-EFI mode.  (Unfortunately, all manufacturers have their own way of doing this, so can't give a standard answer on how it works on your system.  You may need to look up user manual on a search engine.)

NOTE:  The Boot Menu I'm talking about is not the same thing as the boot settings area in the general Setting Menu.  Boot setting under main settings menu controls boot mode of computer from hard drive on all boots.  Separate Boot Menu I'm talking about is for booting various medium only for that current boot session -- it does not change the persistent main settings.  (Some of the more common keys used during startup to access the boot menu are <Esc> and <F12>.  You could try each of those if you want, but just be aware that yours might be different.)

You can install by selecting the "Along side" option from installer.  On following step of installer you can tell it how much room to dedicate to LL and it will shrink the Mint root partition accordingly, then install LL.  If you wanted to, you could shrink the partition yourself with GParted from the LL USB before running the installer.  Then after you choose "Along side" option, it will see the free space you made and use it automatically.

After installation, follow directions in Help Manual here for installing the correct graphics driver.  More info about it is on this page:  https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bumblebee.  You'll also need to go back into your UEFI settings and re-enable the NVidia card.  I'm not 100% sure whether you need to do that before or after you install the drivers; but I'm guessing after.  Someone else may know that and chime in here.


P.s.  If you absolutely can not find correct info on how to access your systems UEFI Boot Menu, report back with the exact model computer you have and also let us know what key you need to press to get into the regular UEFI Settings Menu (might be incorrectly referred to still as BIOS settings).  Maybe one of us will have better luck finding the info.

[micheldbruin]

Thank you, thank you! I disabled the intel graphics card in the bios settings and could then install LL2.2

There was no EFI in the output of $ ls /sys/firmware

I'm very happy now :-) and can enjoy this great distro!

Michel