Struggling to install via USB

[skar]

I was trying to install linux lite on my acer aspire v5 laptop. its a pretty beefy laptop and a recent one. I've been using windows 8.1 and ubuntu on it side by side. Now I want to install just linux lite. I tried the windows utily, win32diskimager. That does not work. It just corrupts the usb or the usb wont show up on the boot menu. The linux commands did not work on ubuntu either. I tried unetbootin and universalusbinstaller, where i got some success by booting in, but the installer would fail at grub install stage. Kind of expected as I was using ubuntu boot images...

I really want to install the OS as my main OS, as I was impressed by its performance on virtualbox.

Any help is much appreciated.

[gold_finger]

Hi Skar,

Boot into your installed Ubuntu on the laptop and post output of the following terminal commands back here for us to see:

Code:

sudo parted -l

Code:

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

Just copy/paste the lines from above into the terminal rather than trying to type them.  Do one at a time and hit enter after each.

See this post for how to paste terminal output back here to the forum:  https://www.freecinema2022.gq/forums/index...opic=487.0.

[N4RPS]

Hello!

If you're trying to create a Live USB from a Linux Lite ISO file in Windows 8, Linux Live USB Creator (LiLi) or Yet Another Multiboot Installer (YUMI) will do things nicely. LiLi creates a single bootable USB, while YUMI will let you store several ISOs on a larger USB drive, and boot them from a menu.

LiLi: http://www.linuxliveusb.com

YUMI:http://www.pendrivelinux.com

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[gold_finger]

N4RPS,
Thanks for posting that -- I forgot to address that part of the question.


@Skar,
Here's one more tool I've heard is reliable to use for creating live USBs from Windows:  http://rufus.akeo.ie/.

Also, to give you a little clarification on why I asked for the information I did in prior post -- I suspect your system is booting in UEFI-mode and that both Windows and Ubuntu are installed that way.  If that is the case, then you MUST use a 64-bit version of Linux Lite.  "Officially", Linux Lite does not support installing in UEFI-mode, but if that is what you have I would like to try guiding you through that just to see if it will actually work.  (I suspect it will, but am not sure.)  Anyway, the results of those two commands I posted will show what kind of installation you have in Windows and Ubuntu.  That's why I asked for them.

P.s.
Just in case you and I are never online at the same time, here is a guide to installing to a Win 8 machine with UEFI booting.  There is a lot of info there, so take your time.  If it is confirmed that a UEFI-mode installation is needed then please follow guidance for making backups of anything important and also create a Windows recovery USB.  (There should be a program on your computer for doing that.)  Don't attempt installing without doing those things first and don't proceed with an install attempt until I see your partitions from the 'parted' command.

For now, just do the prep work and familiarize yourself with what the steps will be.  If your whole hard drive is taken up by partitions for the other operating systems, you will need to shrink one or more of the existing ones to make room for the Linux Lite install.  If you are already familiar with doing that, go ahead and do that in preparation too.  (Confirm that booting into both existing OSs still works correctly after the shrink and post back with a screenshot of the drive in GParted after that if possible.)

[skar]

Hi folks,

Here is the output for the requested commands

Code:

karansh@karansh-Aspire-V5-573G:~$ sudo parted -l
[sudo] password for karansh:
Model: ATA TOSHIBA MQ01ABF0 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt

Number  Start   End    Size    File system     Name  Flags
1      1049kB  538MB  537MB   fat32                 boot
2      538MB   494GB  493GB   ext4
3      494GB   500GB  6082MB  linux-swap(v1)


karansh@karansh-Aspire-V5-573G:~$ [ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo "EFI boot on HDD" || echo "Legacy boot on HDD"
EFI boot on HDD

By the way I now just have Xubuntu 14.04 installed. This is just my home laptop on which I'm trying to get up to speed with linux. I do have access to windows on my work laptop. Also I did try YUMI and LILI. Both of which dont have linux lite listed. I tried other linux and that would help me run an install but fail when the grub install is in progress.

I have a good system, 6 GB DDR3L, Nvidia Geforce 720 M, Intel core I7. I'm still good to go with linux lite or is this an OS for low end systems?

skar

[N4RPS]

Hello!

Linux Lite has not yet been added to the LiLi and YUMI menus, but can still be installed with them. Requests to add it have been made to the developers of these programs, but may take some time to finally appear.

In LiLi, it says that Linux Lite isn't on the list, but will be installed as Regular Linux (works with most Linuxes). This automatically-chosen setting will work for installing LL to a flash drive.

In YUMI, one selects Try Unlisted ISO (via SYSLINUX) to install Linux Lite. This is near the end of the list of available choices. After installation, one selects the Unlisted ISO menu when booting to select and boot LL.

With the specs you listed, your laptop should SCREAM with LL 64-bit, and should even do well gaming or running the Netflix hack via WINE - which is, IMHO, the ultimate test for ANY Linux OS. Feel free to respond with any further comments or questions...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[skar]

Hi N4RPS,

As I Mentioned I tried these programs. I could go all the way to testing linux lite and starting the installer. When the installer was almost done, I got an error that grub could not be installed and hence the system would not boot.

skar

[gold_finger]

skar,

NOTE:  Just saw your post before I finished writing this.  Skip down to the "P.s." at bottom to answer a quick question before I log off for the night.

I see you wiped out Windows 8 on the computer -- it's not listed in the partition output -- so that makes one less thing to worry about.  It also means that you WILL be able to install Linux Lite on the computer.  One way or the other, you can get it installed now.

Here are your choices:

1. Since you already have Xubuntu installed in UEFI-mode using GPT partitions, you can attempt to boot and install Linux Lite in that mode.  That is not "officially" encouraged, but I'm curious to know if it will work.  (I don't have a UEFI computer to test that myself.)  If you can get the USB to boot in UEFI-mode, I'm betting it will install.
   
2. Or, change UEFI settings to boot in CSM/Legacy mode; then re-install Xubuntu in Legacy-mode using regular MBR partitions.  Then do the same with Linux Lite and you'll have no problem installing it.
   
3. Lastly, Linux OSs (unlike Windows) can be installed to GPT partitioned disks in CSM/Legacy mode also.  You may be able to convert the current Xubuntu install for that mode, but you'll need to add a special "bios_boot" partition first, then run Boot-Repair utility to convert it after changing the boot mode to CSM/Legacy.  If that works, then you can install LL to the GPT disk as well, but direct boot loader installation to the "bios_boot" partition instead of the MBR.
   

I know it all sounds pretty confusing right now, but hang in there -- I'm sure we can get it done.  Personally, I think either of the first two are your best bet.  The last option I'm not as confident in.  I don't have time to write up detailed instructions right now, but will try doing so in about 8-12 hours.

P.s.
Just saw your last post while I typed above.  Sounds like you are able to boot LL -- just won't install grub correctly.  Before wiping LL off of the drive, can you boot the live LL again and post back the output of these two commands from the live USB (not Xubuntu).

Code:

ls /sys/firmware

and

Code:

sudo parted -l

P.s.s.
Do you still have Xubuntu on the drive?  Are you wanting to dual-boot with it, or do you only want LL on the computer?  If your goal is to only have LL, then install will be very easy.  Let us know if that is the case.

[skar]

Apologies for the delayed response gold_finger. I think I want only Linux Lite on my machine. Once again, I wanted to check if its a good idea for a good config laptop (Intel I7, 6 GB DDR3L,nVIDIA GeForce 720 M). Here is the output of what you requested.

Code:

karansh@karansh-Aspire-V5-573G:~$ ls /sys/firmware
acpi  efi  memmap
karansh@karansh-Aspire-V5-573G:~$ sudo parted -l
[sudo] password for karansh:
Model: ATA TOSHIBA MQ01ABF0 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt

Number  Start   End    Size    File system     Name  Flags
1      1049kB  538MB  537MB   fat32                 boot
2      538MB   494GB  493GB   ext4
3      494GB   500GB  6082MB  linux-swap(v1)

[gold_finger]

Once again, I wanted to check if its a good idea for a good config laptop (Intel I7, 6 GB DDR3L,nVIDIA GeForce 720 M).

Just because LL is light enough to run on lower end systems doesn't mean it was meant only for them.  Machines with better specs just run any OS better (faster) than a machine with lesser specs.  I run LL on new and old machines.  So, "Yes" running LL on your I7 machine is perfectly fine and, as N4RPS pointed out, it will be very snappy and quick.

karansh@karansh-Aspire-V5-573G:~$ ls /sys/firmware
acpi  efi  memmap

The output above does show that the live Linux Lite USB booted in UEFI/EFI mode.  (The "efi" would not have been listed in output of command if it had booted in Legacy mode.)

The other command ("parted -l") shows the partitions currently on your hard drive.  They look exactly the same as when you posted the output of that command earlier in this thread.  So, before we continue, I want to know:

1. Do you still have Xubuntu on the hard drive and are you still able to boot into it?
   
2. If "YES", did you have to re-install it after your latest attempt to install LL; or did it never disappear after your attempt to install LL and it just booted up as normal?  (In other words, after the failed install of LL, did Xubuntu still work?)
   
3. When you were trying to install LL, were you trying to install on the whole drive; or were you trying to install as a dual-boot with Xubuntu?
   
4. On your current live USB that you're using to boot and install LL, which program was used to create it?  (You mentioned using several -- which one made the USB you're using now?)
   

Based on your answers to the above questions, we'll proceed in one of two ways:

1. Try installing in UEFI mode.  (Since your live USB did boot in UEFI mode, I'm guessing it will install correctly -- but I don't know for sure.  One of questions I asked above may reveal a clue as to why your prior install attempt failed.)
   
   
2. Switch computer to CSM/Legacy boot mode and install LL that way.  That WILL definitely work, but involves changing boot mode in you UEFI settings menu and wiping the current partitions and reformatting the drive to MBR partitions instead of GPT partitions.  (Sounds difficult, but it's not.)
   
   

After you post back and are waiting for a reply, look-up how to get into your computer's UEFI Setting/Startup Menu.  (It might be referred to as "BIOS" settings.  That's technically incorrect, but many manufacturers seem to continue using that terminology even when the firmware is UEFI.)  Normally that is done by hitting a special key immediately after powering on the computer, but that key varies from one manufacturer to the next.  Sometimes it's the <DEL> key, or the <ESC>, of one of the function keys like <F2>.  You'll just have to look that up.

Normally there is also a separate key that you can hit that brings up a "Boot Menu".  Look up how to get into that as well -- we might need to know that later.  (Usually that's another key like <F12> or <F10> that's pressed on startup.)  That Boot Menu controls the booting for only that particular session booting the computer.  The UEFI/BIOS Settings Menu will have a boot menu in it also.  Changes there carry over on every bootup of the computer.  The separate Boot Menu allows you to temporarily change the settings for only the current bootup session without having to go into the full UEFI Settings Menu.