[Solved] Boot Ubuntu Install From USB Stick

[Lorz]

Hello!
I got an Lenovo T430 and want to boot from USB-Stick. It's an usb-boot stick with Ubuntu.
The PC ignores the usb-Stick. I tried the usb-stick on another Computer (T420) it works fine.
I don't know how to teach the T430 to use the usb. I tried to press F1, F2 and F12. But then I don't know what to change in Bios to enable boot from usb-stick.

Is there anybody who could help?

 

[MatsuShimizu]

Welcome to Linux.org @Lorz.

As for your issue, it depends. In most cases, you need to disable secure boot and enable Legacy. After that, select the USB drive from the boot menu.

Lenovo ThinkPad T430 to Boot GNU/Linux in Legacy and UEFI Modes

This article shows how to boot a T430 laptop in BIOS (Legacy) and UEFI mode with Ubuntu operating systems. Thus, you will be able to boot ...

www.ubuntubuzz.com

 

[Lorz]

Welcome to Linux.org @Lorz.

As for your issue, it depends. In most cases, you need to disable secure boot and enable Legacy. Select the USB drive from the boot menu.

Lenovo ThinkPad T430 to Boot GNU/Linux in Legacy and UEFI Modes

This article shows how to boot a T430 laptop in BIOS (Legacy) and UEFI mode with Ubuntu operating systems. Thus, you will be able to boot ...

www.ubuntubuzz.com

Thanks for quick help! I could start!

But then I ended up on this screen... :-(

 

[wizardfromoz]

@Lorz which version of Ubuntu is that, please?

Wizard

 

[Lorz]

@Lorz which version of Ubuntu is that, please?

Wizard

First Try with 16.04. Second Try with 20.04. LTS

 

[MatsuShimizu]

From my quick search (Ctrl +F) on Wikipedia article here, Lenovo T420 and T430 were released in 2011 and 2012. So, I think those are old PCs.

I'm not sure if Ubuntu 20.04 can run on old PCs. Even if you can run on USB, you might not be able to run it properly after the real installation, since it depends on your system.

 

[KGIII]

I'm not sure if Ubuntu 20.04 can run on old PCs.

So long as it's 64 bit and there are 4 GB of RAM, 20.04 should be able to run on that hardware (this doesn't mean all hardware will be compatible out of the box). It should even run 'fine' - so long as one is careful about their resources. They're not going to want to have a half dozen browser instances with 50 tabs open in each, or anything like that. But, they can probably stream a video¹ with LibreOffice Writer open - so long as they're patient for Writer to open.

Xubuntu or Lubuntu would be better choices, but Ubuntu *should* run.

I speak with another tester pretty much every day. He tests across a ton of hardware, much of it quite old - some older even than this device.

¹ They're probably lacking a specific instruction set on their CPU and modern browsers really want it there. I want to say it's called 'SSE2'. So, they'll be streaming in a fairly low resolution - but it can work.

 

[MatsuShimizu]

So long as it's 64 bit and there are 4 GB of RAM

Yes, I agree.
The reason I said that is because his PC could run on 32-bit and as far as I know, Canonical already stopped the 32-bit version for the latest Ubuntu systems.
Anyway, @Lorz, your PC is 32-bit or 64-bit? And your RAM?

 

[Brickwizard]

2012. So, I think those are old PCs.

I'm not sure if Ubuntu 20.04 can run on old PCs.

my dell is older than that and runs Mint 20 with the hungry Cinnamon desktop just fine..
A note on Lenovo , on another forum where I try and assist the members with their [normally M$] machines we have become well aware that this is probably the most problematic machine on the market W10 updates regularly cause conflict issues, as it was built for windows its not good, I dont know [as i have never had one to fix] if the hardware is fully linux compatable

 

[KGIII]

The reason I said that is because his PC could run on 32-bit and as far as I know, Canonical already stopped the 32-bit version for the latest Ubuntu systems.

I get it. Yeah, it's gotta be 64 bit for modern Ubuntu.

Hmm...

They could do a 'net install' (maybe also server?) of 18.04 (the last 32 bit Ubuntu as far as I can recall without looking it up) and then build it up with a desktop, finally adding ESM and getting some extended security support.

As they're obviously new, that's a lot of work for them and a large learning curve. There are easier ways to get a 32 bit system up and running.

But, yes. I get what you were saying now.

 

[Brickwizard]

the Lenovo T430 should be at least a duel core I3 with 4 gb ddr2/3 [depending on country spec]
in theory it should run any distro 32 or 64 bit just fine.
I say in theory because on another forum I assist on the most common laptops to cause problems are Lenovo nearly all the members run windows 10 [fools] which breaks them quite often on updating.

sorry repeating myself, didnt realise other past came out

 

[Deleted member 108694]

Might want to check what the graphics are if it is a NVIDIA NVS™ 5400M which some of these units have you may need to set the nomodeset function in the grub menu

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"

 

[Lorz]

Thanx for the several answers.
I did (nearly*) install Ubuntu 16.04 on a T420 with 4 GB Ram and an i5-2520M Processor, 64-Bit-System.
*But there came later a problem with ssd connection-cabel.

So I tried to install on a T430 with 8 GB Ram and an i5 3380M 2x 2,90GHz, 64-Bit-System. As written I tried Ubuntu 16.04. and 20.04.

Both tries are on my own computers. But for me this topic leads further. I am in discussion whether Linux is an alternative to apple for digitization in German schools. Having a problem with my first tries I'm skeptical about thinking about having thousands of different computers from pupils. Especially, I don't understand why Ubuntu doesn't give any advice or interaction to find possibilities to "repair" installation. Just a purple screen and no reactions of the computer.

 

[Lorz]

Might want to check what the graphics are if it is a NVIDIA NVS™ 5400M which some of these units have you may need to set the nomodeset function in the grub menu

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"

Mmmhm, what can I do with that while installation? Or do I have to do something before installation? It's still Win 7 on it. So I might be able to do some changes.

 

[Brickwizard]

humor me... try Mx linux [debian base] I found it loaded on an old machine that did not like Ubuntu

 

[Deleted member 108694]

Mmmhm, what can I do with that while installation? Or do I have to do something before installation? It's still Win 7 on it. So I might be able to do some changes.

You have to edit the grub on boot up - generally you hold down the right shift key during boot then the grub menu appears, then press the "e" key to edit it then look for the line
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" and modify it to read
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"
this will disable graphics until you add the drivers

Also i would checkout "brickwizard" answer about MX Linux

 

[dos2unix]

I'm not sure if Ubuntu 20.04 can run on old PCs. Even if you can run on USB, you might not be able to run it properly after the real installation, since it depends on your system.

I have AMD Opteron (Circa 2005) that runs Redhat 8.3, and Fedora 34 with no problems.
It only supports 4GB RAM. (DDR1)
The IDE hard drive is pretty slow admittedly. The video card is AGP, the NIC is only 10/100
and there is no built-in wifi. But it runs newer Linux's with no problems.

 

[Lorz]

You have to edit the grub on boot up - generally you hold down the right shift key during boot then the grub menu appears, then press the "e" key to edit it then look for the line
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" and modify it to read
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"
this will disable graphics until you add the drivers

Also i would checkout "brickwizard" answer about MX Linux

Ah, OK. Mention: In another (German) forum I read that it helped to "....ro quiet acpi=off splash $vthandoff" (whatever that means) is expedient.

 

[Lorz]

At Sunday I'm back home and could continue the fight with ubuntu vs T430.
But I'm skeptical whether it is possible to bring ubuntu on T430.
(So I put a question in a new thread: Is there anybody out there who has ubuntu on a T430?)

 

[Lorz]

I moved with this topic to ubuntu subforum. But want to mention, that I forgot to mention, that have no linux installed and so think I don't have a grub menu and stuff that's most of the very advises doesn't work for me. But I thank yo all for trying to help me!!