Help with overwrite install of Linux

Shanek

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Hi, I overwrote Windows 10 with Linux Ubuntu 16 from a bootable USB. Worked great. Then I decided to upgrade to Ubuntu 18.4 via download. Now I am having difficulty booting the laptop. (Acer, core i7-6500U 2.5Hz, 12 GB DDR3 L memory, 1000 GB HDD). Now I start up, screen goes orange like its fine then dark. I seem to be able to get it to boot if I go to BIOS and boot a few times. I get about 3 screens of command lines, then I get a GNU Grub screen where I need to select the boot OS. Only Ubuntu is available. I am not trying to boot multiple OS's.

Below are images:
Thanks, Shane

First_screen.jpg
Second_screen.jpg
Third_screen.jpg
 


G'day Shane and welcome to linux.org :)

I'm going to delete the other thread in Ubuntu because I do not think this is an Ubuntu issue rather to do with the Acer or the BIOS setup.

I have to leave for my evening in Australia shortly but here's a few ideas.

Go into your Setup, and check for a category called either TPM (Trusted Platform Module) or PTT (Platform Trust Technology) or similar. If found, disable it and save changes and reboot, this may fix it.

If it doesn't, but the error status changes from say 16 to 4 or other, note that down.

Take a look at this Bug link and see the similarities, albeit an Asrock, not an Acer.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1810430

I'll be back tomorrow, but if someone else has some good input please entertain it.

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
Wizardfromoz, thanks so much for chiming in. I did disable TPM in Bios and that fixed some issues with failure messages in the boot, but I am still having booting issues and having to re try and go to set up to get the GNU Grub that lets me select Ubuntu and boot. I believe it must have to do with the UEFI as I needed to change to Legacy boot to be able to select the USB as the primary boot to use the Ubuntu stick.
As you can see I am a beginner. I just know enough to cause trouble.

Shane
 
As you can see I am a beginner. I just know enough to cause trouble.

Works for me :) I blew away Windows 7 5 years ago to adopt a totally Linux lifestyle, now I run 90 Linux on 2 rigs. When I get good at it, I'll issue a publicity release.

I believe it must have to do with the UEFI...

On the face of it, that appears relevant.

I have to ask the "dumb questions" first, because they are not so dumb. Then we can get into the nitty-gritty.

1. If Linux is now the only install on this laptop, can you go into Setup under UEFI check and see if Secure Boot and Fast Start are enabled or disabled. If enabled, disable them, and restart.

Ubuntu should not need that, but if the world was perfect we would not have Murphy's Law.

2.

Hi, I overwrote Windows 10 with Linux Ubuntu 16 from a bootable USB. Worked great. Then I decided to upgrade to Ubuntu 18.4 via download.

Just a protocol - Ubuntu 16.04 (likely) and Ubuntu 18.04. There are LTS (long-term support) versions released in April every even-numbered year (so April 2016 , April 2018) with 5 years support. Other Distros have different numbering systems.

Do you still have 16.04 or 18.04 on a stick, to use if need be?

3. If you were using 16.04 for an extended period, there may be data you wish to save so we don't blow it away. Do you have external storage of any sort?

I am thinking that if we can get you a stable environment to boot into, even if Legacy for a period of time, we can troubleshoot as we go.

Cheers

Wiz
 
I do have the stick with 16.04. I don't have any data yet that I need to worry about. If I install Ubuntu again from the stick does it take me back to a clean 16 version?
Shane
 
Yes, if you tell it what to do during the install.

I'd just like to clarify from your first Post.

Hi, I overwrote Windows 10 with Linux Ubuntu 16 from a bootable USB.

When you overwrote Windows, were you running Ubuntu 16.04 and Windows as a dual-boot, or did you blow it away when you installed Ubuntu from the stick, do you remember?

Reason I ask is your reference to the Grub Menu.

If you were dualbooting, you would have had a Grub Menu with Ubuntu on top, and a reference to Windows Boot Manager a couple of lines lower.

If however you replaced Windows with Ubuntu totally, telling the installer to overwrite the entire disk, you would not have had a Grub Menu by default, it is hidden unless we make it appear permanently (which we can do, it is handy for the Advanced Options).

The installer for Ubuntu. Linux Mint and a number of other Debian-based Distros is called Ubiquity, developed by Ubuntu.

When you are in Ubiquity and get the choice of how to install, you would choose the fill entire disk option, and the result after installation and reboot will be a pristine version of Ubuntu 16.04. Its codename is 'Xenial Xerus'.

You would then run your Updates and there will be a swag of them, as 16.04 is 3.5 years old.

Once everything is finalised, you can upgrade to 18.04 from within your install, it will take quite some time.

Alternative is to download and burn a copy of 18.04 'Bionic Beaver', and install that, with only 18 months of updates to perform.

See what you think.

Wizard
 
When I overwrote windows I "blew it away". After I upgraded, via download, to 18.04 I started getting the GRub menu. As I understand it, the Grub menu is for dual booting OS's. The selection list I got in the Grub menu was Ubuntu as first choice, second choice was memory test, third a memory test plus more .
 
I understand.

Let us know how you go, whether you re-install 16.04 or put a fresh 18.04 on, the procedure will be the same, just overwriting what is already there.

Cheers

Wiz
 
Wizardfromoz, thanks so much. I would not have known that I could go back without your help and am running good. I have reinstalled 16.04 and am stable and booting smoothly. Since I am just starting out I am sure that 16.04 will suit all my needs till I get a little further along. Again I really appreciate your help and instruction - I learned a lot through this process.

Shanek
 
Music to my (vain) ears (praise), Shane, but more importantly you have got a working setup :)

16.04 is a good distro.

The way the 5-year LTS works is 2 and a half years on the hardware support, and 5 years on the software support. It's usually around 20th April or so, so 18 months more with 16.04.

20.04 will be out next April, and by the time 16.04 reaches end of life that should be very stable.

Enjoy your Linux :)

Wizard
 

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