BIOS/EFI Problem

[BNZ]

I recently screwed up an installation as partition / root problem appeared.

I've been getting help from the Ubuntu Forum but it's getting beyond my skills.

Can any members here recommend anyone in BKK who can fix it ?

[freeworld]

partition/root problem is in the OS of ubuntu. and creating probs at boot? problem with the grub and/or bootloader?

 

Not easy to solve, can you not reinstall the linux os, this is what I would usually do.

[BNZ]

Certainly 'not easy to solve' which is why I'm seeking qualified assistance.

 

Reinstalling the Linux OS does not solve the booting problem.

[freeworld]

Did you delete all partitions and clean completely format the harddrive before reinstall?

 

Can you boot to bios and do a bios reset to defaults? don't need OS to do this.

 

In BIOS is the secure boot function enabled or disabled?

 

How are you reinstalling the OS, from a usb/cd/dvd?

 

Maybe need to create a new installation media since there may be a problem with the existing one.

 

Can you boot linux off a usb?

[BigStar]

Modern Ubuntu normally has no problems booting under EFI. Did you reformat the disk beforehand and then just accept the default Ubuntu partitioning scheme? Sounds like you were doing some manual partitioning that didn't quite work.

[BNZ]

12 hours ago, freeworld said:

Did you delete all partitions and clean completely format the harddrive before reinstall?

 

Can you boot to bios and do a bios reset to defaults? don't need OS to do this.

 

In BIOS is the secure boot function enabled or disabled?

 

How are you reinstalling the OS, from a usb/cd/dvd?

 

Maybe need to create a new installation media since there may be a problem with the existing one.

 

Can you boot linux off a usb?

 

 

1. Yes

2. Done this several times

3. Disabled

4. USB

5. The problem is my attempt at partitioning

6. Yes

I've been installing Linux since 2008 or before with no difficulties but this time I screwed it up. 

[BNZ]

12 hours ago, BigStar said:

Modern Ubuntu normally has no problems booting under EFI. Did you reformat the disk beforehand and then just accept the default Ubuntu partitioning scheme? Sounds like you were doing some manual partitioning that didn't quite work.

 

Thanks for your response. You're correct (see pics) but I don't have the 'Root' or Partitioning skills to get out of this. Also there is a small 124Gb SSD with Windows which was the main / only HD (now unseen), a new 1Tb HD was installed when I bought it - and it everything was running ok. When I went to install Ubuntu I got stuck with the Partition conundrum and F'd it up. When I Boot up it takes me to ...(see pic 4) and with F1 it will load up and operate normally. I also tried swapping the cables from the original Windows 124Gb SSD to the 1Tb HD but got nothing as I could happily dispense with the SSD.

[BigStar]

5 hours ago, BNZ said:

Thanks for your response. You're correct (see pics) but I don't have the 'Root' or Partitioning skills to get out of this.

 

You don't need any partitioning skills.

 

When you install Ubuntu, when you come to the partitioning dialogue, you simply choose erase disk and install Ubuntu. Period.

 

 

Your BIOS is complaining about the lack of a bootable disk.

 

But first there's the question of "disk."

 

It's hard to tell from your screenshot. But looks like you may have a huge FAT32 partition and an NTFS partition on one disk. As a guess, it was perhaps partitioned previously into system and data partitions. "Experts" typically do so, needed to reinstall when they can't fix anything. But they're usually both NTFS. 

 

That suggests your Ubuntu "installation," if any, is totally unbootable, lacking any small EFI system partition, which Ubuntu correctly sizes and configures, with the boot, esp flags set. And you lack the other partition, EXT4 by default, containing /, /home, /var, /swap and everything else you need.

 

Hopeless.

 

You might disconnect the larger disk to prevent yourself from becoming confused.

 

Boot the Ubuntu installation medium and run the included Gparted program. Use that to erase all the partitions on the target SSD disk so that you see the total 12? GB in one partition on one device. Then let Ubuntu do its thing without manually intervening.

 

After you install correctly, take out the installation medium and your installed Ubuntu will boot. BTW, on many machines you can choose the boot device on the fly by pressing F8 or F11 during the initial boot sequence. May need a BIOS tweak, however.

 

 

[freeworld]

 

How to Fix “No Root File System is Defined” Error

https://www.itechguides.com/no-root-file-system-is-defined/

 

 

Or you can try follow this step by step installation guide from ubuntu handbook?

 

https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2022/04/install-ubuntu-2204-step-by-step/amp/

 

https://www.qirolab.com/posts/ubuntu-installation-step-by-step-guide-with-disk-partitioning

 

 

You tube video:

 

[BNZ]

4 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

You don't need any partitioning skills.

 

When you install Ubuntu, when you come to the partitioning dialogue, you simply choose erase disk and install Ubuntu. Period.

 

 

Your BIOS is complaining about the lack of a bootable disk.

 

 .. But looks like you may have a huge FAT32 partition and an NTFS partition on one disk. 

 

 But they're usually both NTFS. 

 

 

4 hours ago, BigStar said:

That suggests your Ubuntu "installation," if any, is totally unbootable, lacking any small EFI system partition, which Ubuntu correctly sizes and configures, with the boot, esp flags set. And you lack the other partition, EXT4 by default, containing /, /home, /var, /swap and everything else you need.

 

 

 

4 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

Boot the Ubuntu installation medium and run the included Gparted program.  

 

 

 

 

 

1. I've always used that 'Erase Disk and Install Ubuntu' method.

 

2.  Yes you're correct a FAT32 / NTFS ... "usually both NTFS." Thanks that's what I need to know.

 

3.  The Ubuntu installation runs fine but it's a roundabout way to boot it and I know the partitioning etc is not as it should be "usually both NTFS.".

 

4. " ..Boot the Ubuntu installation medium and run the included Gparted program"

I'm familiar with and used GParted on Ubuntu but not aware of it being 'included' in the installation medium, please explain.

 

I've just watched the 'Install & Partition video posted by 'freeworld' which explains 'swap' and partitioning 

more clearly - and visually - so with your valuable info and the video I will attack it and reinstall tomorrow.

 

Thank you very much for your time.

 

 

[BNZ]

2 hours ago, freeworld said:

 

How to Fix “No Root File System is Defined” Error

https://www.itechguides.com/no-root-file-system-is-defined/

 

 

Or you can try follow this step by step installation guide from ubuntu handbook?

 

https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2022/04/install-ubuntu-2204-step-by-step/amp/

 

https://www.qirolab.com/posts/ubuntu-installation-step-by-step-guide-with-disk-partitioning

 

 

You tube video:

 

 

This gave me a lot of info clearly  ..& visually which I will now be able to check and adjust accordingly - if need be. I will re-install tomorrow following this info and BigStar's info and let you know.

 

Thanks.

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, BNZ said:

2.  Yes you're correct a FAT32 / NTFS ... "usually both NTFS." Thanks that's what I need to know.

 

That appears merely leftover from a Windows installation. Ubuntu doesn't use NTFS natively. A Windows disk partitioned into system and data normally uses NTFS for both, was the point.

 

If you'll let Ubuntu erase and install automatically, you'll end up with a SMALL EFI system partition, 512 MB, and an EXT4 partition taking up the rest of the disk.

 

1 hour ago, BNZ said:

I'm familiar with and used GParted on Ubuntu but not aware of it being 'included' in the installation medium, please explain.

 

The Ubuntu installation medium includes a number of programs. To access them, you have to select the TRY option, not the Install option first.

 

 

Gparted is among the programs. Use TRY first. You can install from there later. You may not need this step but it seems not a bad idea. You'll be SURE that Ubuntu will use the entire disk, not a partition.

 

1 hour ago, BNZ said:

I've just watched the 'Install & Partition video posted by 'freeworld' which explains 'swap' and partitioning 

more clearly - and visually - so with your valuable info and the video I will attack it and reinstall tomorrow.

 

 

That video leads to mucking about with manually again creating partitions. At 0:69 it deselects the Erase and install option you need and goes off into the weeds. Get over it. You've been in the weeds already. Why go back?

 

I know well about manual partitioning and have done some more challenging installations, like a portable SSD Mint to boot under both EFI and legacy BIOS. I currently dual boot OpenSUSE Tumbleweed manually partitioned (encrypted /home only, XFS format), /root Btrfs format for snapper rollback, etc.--and Windows.

 

In your case, I don't see WHY you think you need to manually partition. Do you know? If not, why?

 

BTW, Ubuntu updates itself when a new version comes out, after you're notified and you ask it to. There's no reinstalling with threat of a Windows-like erasure of your data, which you're going to backup anyway with the Ubuntu Backup program.

 

Let Ubunbu do it automatically and be done. Reboot, start using your computer. It's really quite simple.

 

[BigStar]

3 hours ago, BNZ said:

1. I've always used that 'Erase Disk and Install Ubuntu' method.

 

No, you didn't. The complaint about "No root partition" comes out of the "Do something else" manually partitioning options, where you failed to create it (and others, probably). It can't possibly come from "Erase Disk and Install" because using that method, Ubuntu automatically creates a root partition for you.

[BNZ]

Thank you for your assistance.
 Please note the "No Root File" popped up during a 'Clean' erase it all install ..I don't know why. It is now resolved and boots up fine except I can't see the Windows HD anywhere but it doesn't matter and I will leave it for another day, if need be.

 

Thanks again 

[BigStar]

On 11/12/2023 at 10:00 AM, BNZ said:

It is now resolved and boots up fine except I can't see the Windows HD anywhere but it doesn't matter and I will leave it for another day, if need be.

 

You couldn't see the Windows before, and you said you could dispense with the SSD on which Windows was installed. If you erased the disk, it's definitely gone.

 

If you want to dual boot, I suggest getting another SSD for Windows and replace the 1 TB HDD, which you could put in a mobile enclosure and use externally via USB. Our experts would soil their knickers at the very thought of installing Windows on the HDD (separate partition recommended), and in fact it would boot excruciatingly slowly there. Not recommended.

 

When installing Windows, as a precaution disconnect the Ubuntu SSD, then reconnect afterward and set it in BIOS as 1st in boot priority. Ubuntu may immediately set up dual boot for you automatically, or you may need a little config to get it going.

 

Your current SSD is a bit small for both Ubuntu and Windows, and getting them both on there for a smooth dual booting scenario will be tricky. Most Linux dual booters recommend separate drives, and that's what I use.

 

You can also run Windows as a VM (virtual machine), commonly done, but that's another topic. Finally, install Wine on Ubuntu and you can run a lot of Windows software, if sometimes older versions.