Installing Grub on Neon KDE

tm2383

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Hi, I am trying to install Neon KDE on my Windows dual boot machine. I am replacing Kubuntu which installed ok, but I want access to the cutting edge new versions of Plasma and Kubuntu is lagging behind. When I try to install Neon, I am told that the 'EFU system partition at /dev/sdb1 will be used for starting KDE neon.' This is the wrong partition as it is the USB drive that I am installing Neon from. How do I get it to install to the correct location? The Windows bootloader is at sda1. Should Grub be installed here? How can I change the default location? There doesn't be an option to do so and in the case of Neon not installing correctly, i don't want to lose access to Windows.
 


is Kubuntu still there for use of giving us output of for instance :

Code:
sudo fdisk -l

so that we can see whats existing on your hd. There are perhaps gaps in your info . Do you mean EFI partition rather than EFU.

Plasma is it not eye candy , cutting edge rather than perhaps cutting edge in terms in terms of code ? basically its Ubuntu LTS


i'm using

Code:
wget https://files.kde.org/neon/images/user/20210325-0946/neon-user-20210325-0946.iso

to get iso will have a quick look and see if it boots live with Ventoy
 
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This is the output from the Neon Live. Any help appreciated :)

Code:
.
neon@neon:~$ sudo fdisk -l
Disk /dev/loop0: 1.51 GiB, 1612009472 bytes, 3148456 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes


Disk /dev/sda: 698.65 GiB, 750156374016 bytes, 1465149168 sectors
Disk model: ST750LM022 HN-M7
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xdd1e1a02

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 2048 10242047 10240000 4.9G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 10242048 1055549439 1045307392 498.5G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3 1055549440 1465147391 409597952 195.3G 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 1178433536 1194817535 16384000 7.8G 82 Linux swap / Sola
/dev/sda6 1194819584 1465147391 270327808 128.9G 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 1055551488 1178431487 122880000 58.6G 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order.

Disk /dev/sdb: 3.75 GiB, 4005527552 bytes, 7823296 sectors
Disk model: USB Flash Memory
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x3df32ad3

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 * 2048 7821311 7819264 3.7G c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
neon@neon:~$
 
sda1 is Windows installation files that were copied there when I couldn't get Windows to install off a USB.
 
what i'm noticing is that the partition table is dos , old style MBR and not GPT, so your motherboard is not uefi ?
 
what version of Windows do you have; i'm guessing its maybe Windows 7 or older ?

Also what is the output of :

Code:
uname -m

that code will confirm whether you PC is 32 bit or 64 bit; on Neon download i can only see 64 bit . You don't state what your PC , architecture is and thus I have to ask- I hope you can appreciate that


You will have to bare with me /others . I particularly like identify exactly what your situation and hardware is etc before commiting myself with suggestions. So for instance i don't know if there is a 32 bit version of neon , but if you have a dos partition table and you don't have Windows10 , its hinting that you have an oldish PC. Do you see where i'm coming from ? i've got the iso and putting it onto ventoy formatted usb to have a look
 
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ok booted neon 5.21.3 using ventoy on my low spec, but 64 bit uefi laptop. To be fair quite a nice looking Distro. Quick and responsive , which recognised my wifi card ( always a plus) .

So couple of things :

1: ) you need to confirm whether your PC is 32bit (you might be wasting your timer trying to install) or 64 bit (worth a try)

2) I went throught the inital stages of install , pulling out before it did anything to my main OS (Slackware) .

If you look at the images i've attached it states , select "storage device" . What it really means is select where you want to install. Now /dev/sdb is more than likely a usb stick attached to your PC, in addition to the usb , you had neon on.

If your PC , had uefi i.e had an EFI partition , then you would see similar to my image and you would just mouse left click on down arrow to find your /dev/sda However , you will have to make a selection best to your PC

So basically unlike slackware , where i have to use a terminal to do everything you have a nice , visual graphic installer. On your system you could delete /dev/sda6 and /dev/sda7 then you can use Gparted to use both the created free space into one partition of around 170 gig. If you don't do that then you will have to choose to install Neon on either the 128 gig /dev/sda6 or be probably cramped onto /dev/sda7


Or i guess use the gui installer to stretch , shrink as necessary ( but be careful)

So to summarize if you have a 64 bit PC , you can boot up Neon and play around with it or click on install icon. I , if i where you get to live boot stage and play with it, then consider where install is going ; get back ups for Windows in place etc , read up on manual partitioning


Now as for grub , yes you install it to /dev/sda , if thats where your main install is going , along the lines from a terminal of :
Code:
sudo grub-install   /dev/sda
then you run :

Code:
sudo update-grub

that should add Windows OS to grub boot menu; however you probably won't need to use terminal, at one point in graphic install it will give you choices


if you have any questions - feel free to ask. I will probably be back some time tomorrow
 

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To tell if it's a 64 or 32 bit CPU:

Code:
lscpu
from Linux that is ..

Code:
uname -m
is easier
or from Windows you can get that info from going into system menu's. You will have to look that up how to do it but this used to work:

Hit Windows Icon key on keyboard + R (bring up run)

then type msinfo32
 
Doesn't uname -m only tell you what kernel is installed? So, if they had a 32 bit kernel on a 64 bit system it would show only 32 bit. Where lscpu actually tells you what the hardware is capable of.
 
Yeah, I went and verified it.

Selection_080.png


The uname -m only tells you what kernel is in use. The lscpu tells you what the CPU is capable of.
 
This is the output from the Neon Live. Any help appreciated :)

Code:
.
neon@neon:~$ sudo fdisk -l
Disk /dev/loop0: 1.51 GiB, 1612009472 bytes, 3148456 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes


Disk /dev/sda: 698.65 GiB, 750156374016 bytes, 1465149168 sectors
Disk model: ST750LM022 HN-M7
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xdd1e1a02

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 2048 10242047 10240000 4.9G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 10242048 1055549439 1045307392 498.5G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3 1055549440 1465147391 409597952 195.3G 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 1178433536 1194817535 16384000 7.8G 82 Linux swap / Sola
/dev/sda6 1194819584 1465147391 270327808 128.9G 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 1055551488 1178431487 122880000 58.6G 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order.

Disk /dev/sdb: 3.75 GiB, 4005527552 bytes, 7823296 sectors
Disk model: USB Flash Memory
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x3df32ad3

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 * 2048 7821311 7819264 3.7G c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
neon@neon:~$
IF your ST750LM022 HN-M7 698 GB HDD is the 'only drive' on that machine than yes you would install Grub to that device.

Looking at your partition table /dev/sda6 and /dev/sda7 are both Linux install's.
IF you know which one of those is your Kubuntu installation that simply delete that partition during the installation of KDE Neon. Than use the free space and create a new /ext4 partition for your KDE Neon install.

On your first fresh boot into Neon you probably won't see Windows to boot into it. Don't panic.
Just open your terminal in KDE Neon and update Grub and upon your next reboot you should have the option in Grub to choose one of the 2 os's you have installed.

***Running uname -m confirmed that my gaming rig is a 64-bit machine.****
 
Also select Manual Partitioning when the partition manager pops up.

Know which partition you want to delete and know which partition is your Windows install and don't touch that parition and your install will go well.
 

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