Linux Mint installation on HP laptop

[octagon]

Hi. Are there any Linux users out there who have any experience in installing Linux on a laptop?

 

I need help. I've downloaded the iso Linux Mint Mint 19.1 Cinnamon Edition and put it on a flash drive. I'm trying to install it on an HP laptop with a partition I need to save. Windows is gone. I'm having a nightmare trying to partition the C drive correctly to accommodate Linux. Whatever I do succeed in getting it installed by just ignoring all the warnings during installation, when I go to reboot the computer after installation I get a blue screen.

 

I hope I've made myself clear enough as to my specific problem.

 

Thank you.

 

J Daubman

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FredLee]

There is a lot of good info on the Linux in Thailand forum.

[Oxx]

1. Have you run Linux from the thumbdrive? That would be the first thing to do to demonstrate that the available drivers are compatible with your hardware.

 

2. Are you trying to have dual boot Linux/Windows? If not simply select "Erase disk and install" when you get to the "Installation Type" stage.  There's no need for you to do any partitioning.

[octagon]

1 hour ago, FredLee said:

There is a lot of good info on the Linux in Thailand forum.

I just now saw the Linux in Thailand forum. I didn't know it was there. However, going through the topics, I didn't see anything that would help me in my situation.

Edited January 1, 2019 by octagon

[octagon]

49 minutes ago, Oxx said:

1. Have you run Linux from the thumbdrive? That would be the first thing to do to demonstrate that the available drivers are compatible with your hardware.

 

2. Are you trying to have dual boot Linux/Windows? If not simply select "Erase disk and install" when you get to the "Installation Type" stage.  There's no need for you to do any partitioning.

Thanks.

 

Yes, I have tested the particular Linux Mint edition iso on my computer. No problems until the installation process and rebooting as I mentioned above.

 

My next option will be to back up the more than 100GB of data on my computer's D drive, then select the "Erase the disk and install" option. This seems to be the most logical choice for a hassle-free installation.

 

Another option is to install Linux on a separate flash drive from the iso. If it fails, it's easy enough to just reformat the flash drive. 

Edited January 1, 2019 by octagon

[Oxx]

Is that a physical, or a logical D: drive?  If the latter, then you definitely should be backing it up first.  There's a significant risk of losing it if something goes wrong with the Linux install.  And if the former, then for security I would just unplug it during the install, just to be sure.  However, you need to consider whether you wouldn't prefer to have a decent file system on all your drives (namely ext3 or ext4) rather than the rather flawed Microsoft NTFS.

 

Not sure what you would achieve by installing Linux on a separate flash drive.  It would run really slowly.

[octagon]

The D drive is a logical drive, and I will definitely be backing it up first before installation. A bit of a hassle, because all the files will have to be put back on the Linux OS for easy access.

 

Good riddance to Microsoft.

 

You're right about running Linux from a USB flash drive. It would be somewhat slower.

 

Thanks for your expert advice, and I'll keep you updated. I'll be installing Linux and doing all the customizations all day tomorrow.

[Henryford]

I recently installed Mint 19 on a laptop. But it was a new machine with no data so i selected the install and erase option. That worked fine. Might be best for you to save your data and add it back after the install.

[octagon]

Setup of Linux Mint was successful at last. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

The only bug I have now is that my root password stopped working for some reason. It was working at first, but just doesn't authenticate any longer.

 

Login to Mint after reboot using the password works, however.

Edited January 2, 2019 by octagon

[SheungWan]

A friend of mine who recently purchased a new laptop without OS, bypassed DIY problems by having one of the shops in TukCom load Linux Mint for him.