Thinkpad T4 tech support- can't install new oses

[orz]

Pretty sure I screwed up something in installation process.
It's worth mentioning that even before I tried installing new systems, the computer didn't do well with bootable USB operating systems (namely Tails and Kali).
Alright, so I started off trying to install Salix 14.2, replacing my Ubuntu system, and the installer would get stuck on "Loading file initrd.img...done" early in the installation process. I decided that it must just be too old for my computer, so I tried to install Salix 15.0. It seemed to work & install correctly, but I couldn't boot it. It booted into grub, and I had to manually load the kernel and then boot it. Even then, I had issues with the graphic card, so it still wouldn't work. Eventually, I decided to just try to install something else. Upon trying to install Parrot, the installer wouldn't even boot. So, so far my new laptop seems to be incompatible with Tails, Kali, Salix 14.2, Salix 15.0, and Parrot. What have I done? Is there anything that can be done or is my computer just really bad with anything except Ubuntu? P. S. I checked the salix installers and they were error free.

 

[MikeWalsh]

Just out of pure curiosity, why - with the exception of Salix - are you concentrating exclusively on awkward, high-security distros? Almost to a man, they're not the easiest things to use, even for those with plenty of experience under their belt....

Any particular reason?

Mike.

 

[osprey]

Pretty sure I screwed up something in installation process.

There is a more specialised discussion list for linux on lenovo here which may be worth accessing:

English Community-Lenovo Community

 

[z7vl7abxc]

I had issues with the graphic card

did you also have graphics issues with ubuntu or possibly have to install some proprietary drivers? i've not heard of a thinkpad T4. is it maybe one of the T400, T40 or T14 series? it may help to know more about the hardware. the output of a command like

inxi -Fxxxz

would give a broad range of info. something like

lspci -knn | grep -iA3 vga

should at least show some info about the graphics card.

 

[gvisoc]

Pretty sure I screwed up something in installation process.
It's worth mentioning that even before I tried installing new systems, the computer didn't do well with bootable USB operating systems (namely Tails and Kali).
Alright, so I started off trying to install Salix 14.2, replacing my Ubuntu system, and the installer would get stuck on "Loading file initrd.img...done" early in the installation process. I decided that it must just be too old for my computer, so I tried to install Salix 15.0. It seemed to work & install correctly, but I couldn't boot it. It booted into grub, and I had to manually load the kernel and then boot it. Even then, I had issues with the graphic card, so it still wouldn't work. Eventually, I decided to just try to install something else. Upon trying to install Parrot, the installer wouldn't even boot. So, so far my new laptop seems to be incompatible with Tails, Kali, Salix 14.2, Salix 15.0, and Parrot. What have I done? Is there anything that can be done or is my computer just really bad with anything except Ubuntu? P. S. I checked the salix installers and they were error free.

This strongly smells like you've been reusing the same partition schema and you're running out of space in the EFI partition which holds the kernels and other boot-related information. Can you please try again installing a system but making sure you mark the EFI partition to be formatted?

Caveat: if you have any other system in your disk it may render unbootable as well by doing this, but it doesn't seem you have based on your original post.

 

[Brickwizard]

Compared to standard desktop builds, pen-testing distributions are usual harder to install and usually have less built in drivers and applications,
There has been some problem with the latest Parrotsec build on different machines. You could try either the architect branch and compile your own distribution from it, or try the Parrot home edition,
you do not tell us the age or spec of your machine, if under a year old you may need a distribution with the latest drivers and kernel [example MX-AHS]
I agree with @gvisoc, if you have been trying to install too many distributions without clearing the old crud first, you may have flooded one or more of your partitions

 

[osprey]

As z7vl7abxc has ventured, it's worth clearing up which model of Lenovo, since T4 doesn't appear to exist, but the T likely refers to the Thinkpad T series of which there are many.

 

[orz]

Just out of pure curiosity, why - with the exception of Salix - are you concentrating exclusively on awkward, high-security distros? Almost to a man, they're not the easiest things to use, even for those with plenty of experience under their belt....

Any particular reason?

Mike.

learn by doing

did you also have graphics issues with ubuntu or possibly have to install some proprietary drivers? i've not heard of a thinkpad T4. is it maybe one of the T400, T40 or T14 series? it may help to know more about the hardware. the output of a command like

inxi -Fxxxz

would give a broad range of info. something like

lspci -knn | grep -iA3 vga

should at least show some info about the graphics card.

Compared to standard desktop builds, pen-testing distributions are usual harder to install and usually have less built in drivers and applications,
There has been some problem with the latest Parrotsec build on different machines. You could try either the architect branch and compile your own distribution from it, or try the Parrot home edition,
you do not tell us the age or spec of your machine, if under a year old you may need a distribution with the latest drivers and kernel [example MX-AHS]
I agree with @gvisoc, if you have been trying to install too many distributions without clearing the old crud first, you may have flooded one or more of your partitions

I apologize for a mistake. I have the thinkpad T14. It is pretty new, I got it less than a year ago. According to product information from Lenovo, its graphics card is Integrated Intel® UHD Graphics. I will reply later with the information from running the commands. I will also re-partition it and clear it, and try to reinstall architect parrot or salix.
Thank you for the help!

 

[wizardfromoz]

learn by doing

... is all very well in principle, but often times, it is better to gain experience on a trailbike and a low powered roadbike before trying a 750cc, or a Ford before trying a Ferrari?

So consider trying an Ubuntu, a Linux Mint or such like, before trying the others.

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[Brickwizard]

Another thought, Have you disabled Windows quick-start [fast-boot] and secure boot in the BIOS, Ubuntu can work with secure boot, but most distributions won't

 

[orz]

Another thought, Have you disabled Windows quick-start [fast-boot] and secure boot in the BIOS, Ubuntu can work with secure boot, but most distributions won't

I have disabled both of them.

... is all very well in principle, but often times, it is better to gain experience on a trailbike and a low powered roadbike before trying a 750cc, or a Ford before trying a Ferrari?

So consider trying an Ubuntu, a Linux Mint or such like, before trying the others.

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

I guess so. i will try easier distros.

so to 'clear out the crud', i just reinstall it, and rewrite the efi partition?

 

[wizardfromoz]

so to 'clear out the crud', i just reinstall it, and rewrite the efi partition?

If you are talking about Ubuntu, and you have no other OS (eg Windows) on the drive, then there is an option to install to entire disk.

Take that option, and it will rewrite the efi partition accordingly.

Wizard