Can't detect my nvme SSD on Linux mint edge boot usb

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banana789

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need help installing linux on my thinkpad E14

I have a lenovo thinkpad e14 gen 5 amd and it has win 11 on the main 500 gb ssd.. i installed a secondary 1 tb nvme ssd and im using that to install mint on so i can duel boot but have each os on thier own ssd.. when i go to install mint from the live usb i cant find the new ssd.. i can only see the 3 partitons on the windows drive..

im very new to linux and im not sure what to do. any help ?

(Ps the drive is being picked up by windows but not Linux)
 


Is it the case that you have an .iso file written to a usb drive, and upon trying to install linux, the installer is not showing the nvme drive?

With an .iso on a usb it's best to have verified that it is a valid copy by checking the checksums. Then you'll have some assurance that the installer will most likely work. Instructions for verification are here:

Verify your ISO image — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

After trying to install mint, what does the partitioning section of the installer show? See here for the steps to get to that point in the installation:

Install Linux Mint — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

If you wish to check what drives mint sees before installation, when just running the live distro, you can check that in several ways before you install. For example: open a terminal and run the following command:
Code: 
lsblk
It should show the nvme disks. If you can't interpret the results you can paste them back here for readers to interpret.

Another way of checking is to run the program Gparted from the live disk and see what disks and partitions it sees. There are other ways too if it comes to it.
 
osprey said:
Is it the case that you have an .iso file written to a usb drive, and upon trying to install linux, the installer is not showing the nvme drive?

With an .iso on a usb it's best to have verified that it is a valid copy by checking the checksums. Then you'll have some assurance that the installer will most likely work. Instructions for verification are here:

Verify your ISO image — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

After trying to install mint, what does the partitioning section of the installer show? See here for the steps to get to that point in the installation:

Install Linux Mint — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

If you wish to check what drives mint sees before installation, when just running the live distro, you can check that in several ways before you install. For example: open a terminal and run the following command:
Code: 
lsblk
It should show the nvme disks. If you can't interpret the results you can paste them back here for readers to interpret.

Another way of checking is to run the program Gparted from the live disk and see what disks and partitions it sees. There are other ways too if it comes to it.
Click to expand...
I got the iso from the official mint website and yes I checked gparted and only the windows drive and usb is showing .. not the new nvme. But it shows up in windows ...

I should also add it seems do be Linux itself . I tried pop os and that too does not see the ssd
 
Perhaps there's a BIOS/UEFI option that may help. Often in dual boot, users will disable secure boot, and turn off fast booting in the BIOS/UEFI, so if those options haven't been so disabled, perhaps you could try those. If there are some other options in the BIOS/UEFI relating to the disks, they can be checked. The BIOS/UEFI should see the disks of course.

In particular in the BIOS/UEFI, if not already set, change SATA operations settings from RAID to AHCI.

A perhaps more radical alternative would be to move the MS installation to the second disk it sees, and then install the linux installation it sees. This is however, more a thought bubble, since linux should have no trouble with seeing the disks if MS sees them, and thinkpads are usually very workable with linux.
 
Last edited:
banana789 said:
need help installing linux on my thinkpad E14

I have a lenovo thinkpad e14 gen 5 amd and it has win 11 on the main 500 gb ssd.. i installed a secondary 1 tb nvme ssd and im using that to install mint on so i can duel boot but have each os on thier own ssd.. when i go to install mint from the live usb i cant find the new ssd.. i can only see the 3 partitons on the windows drive..

im very new to linux and im not sure what to do. any help ?

(Ps the drive is being picked up by windows but not Linux)
Click to expand...
I am leaning toward the observation of osprey here. except what I am wondering is what do you need windows for? reason I ask is because you may just take out the windows install and put in Linux instead. Totally forget about windows. Then if you do need windows you can install it in a virtual machine and run what you need that way. This allows you to contain windows in a bubble that it can't screw anything else up. You can install your windows software in the VM... You can use "Boxes" or "Qemu" (same thing) to easily do the VM. However if you do not need windows then just dump it. But do not wipe out the original drive. Instead install it on a new drive that way you can always throw the windows drive in for warranty or any other purpose.

Not sure why linux does not see the M2 but some systems are only meant to use one or the other. But windoze sees it.

While you may be placing the 2 systems on separate drives which is the best way, you are still in need of something to handle the boot. Which I will assume is GRUB? If GRUB is on the windows drive you will still run into issues with windows overwriting it. I think the less problematic solution is to eliminate windows entirely or make it a VM in Linux. The VM will allow you to do anything you normally do in windows except 3d graphics or anything heavy graphics such as games and some graphic editors.
 
APTI said:
I am leaning toward the observation of osprey here. except what I am wondering is what do you need windows for? reason I ask is because you may just take out the windows install and put in Linux instead. Totally forget about windows. Then if you do need windows you can install it in a virtual machine and run what you need that way. This allows you to contain windows in a bubble that it can't screw anything else up. You can install your windows software in the VM... You can use "Boxes" or "Qemu" (same thing) to easily do the VM. However if you do not need windows then just dump it. But do not wipe out the original drive. Instead install it on a new drive that way you can always throw the windows drive in for warranty or any other purpose.

Not sure why linux does not see the M2 but some systems are only meant to use one or the other. But windoze sees it.

While you may be placing the 2 systems on separate drives which is the best way, you are still in need of something to handle the boot. Which I will assume is GRUB? If GRUB is on the windows drive you will still run into issues with windows overwriting it. I think the less problematic solution is to eliminate windows entirely or make it a VM in Linux. The VM will allow you to do anything you normally do in windows except 3d graphics or anything heavy graphics such as games and some graphic editors.
Click to expand...
I wish I could delete windows but since I also shared this laptop with another family member they use windows for work so I can't delete otherwise I would delete that rubbish.. I just don't get why windows picks it up but not Linux... I really don't understand
 
osprey said:
Perhaps there's a BIOS/UEFI option that may help. Often in dual boot, users will disable secure boot, and turn off fast booting in the BIOS/UEFI, so if those options haven't been so disabled, perhaps you could try those. If there are some other options in the BIOS/UEFI relating to the disks, they can be checked. The BIOS/UEFI should see the disks of course.

In particular in the BIOS/UEFI, if not already set, change SATA operations settings from RAID to AHCI.

A perhaps more radical alternative would be to move the MS installation to the second disk it sees, and then install the linux installation it sees. This is however, more a thought bubble, since linux should have no trouble with seeing the disks if MS sees them, and thinkpads are usually very workable with linux.
Click to expand...
Yea that's why we got a ThinkPad . It's really odd .. I just want Linux lol
 
G'day @banana789 and welcome to linux.org :)

banana789 said:
someone said my ssd is not supported by Linux and lexar have no plans to fix this...
Click to expand...

If you give us the make and model of the nvme ssd we could take a look and see if we agree.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
Thanks for that, I'll take a look around and see if I find something and report back.

Someone else may happen along with some good ideas.
 
wizardfromoz said:
G'day @banana789 and welcome to linux.org :)



If you give us the make and model of the nvme ssd we could take a look and see if we agree.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
Click to expand...

wizardfromoz said:
Thanks for that, I'll take a look around and see if I find something and report back.

Someone else may happen along with some good ideas.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much.. I just wanna get started with Linux and saved up enough to finally get a SSD for it.. hopefully it can be done
 
Well, that did not take long.

I googled keywords

lexar nm790 "linux"

and immediately it started to look ominous - regarding bugs filed, driver issues to do with it being fairly new, won't work with certain linux kernel versions below a certain level, and so on.

There does however seem some hope if you wish to change to a different distro.

We have an article in our own forum from August 2023 on the subject - 3 pages but I suggest you read it from start to finish.

https://www.linux.org/threads/lexar-nm790-nvme-fails-to-initialize.46315/

I'll post a couple of ideas shortly, after I grab a beer and a smoke.

Wiz
 
Also maybe I should mention some people have said I should use edge to get the latest kernel . I downloaded edge and used that to try and install mint but I'm not sure if that's the right thing .. do I need to update the kernel on the edge iso?
 
wizardfromoz said:
Well, that did not take long.

I googled keywords

lexar nm790 "linux"

and immediately it started to look ominous - regarding bugs filed, driver issues to do with it being fairly new, won't work with certain linux kernel versions below a certain level, and so on.

There does however seem some hope if you wish to change to a different distro.

We have an article in our own forum from August 2023 on the subject - 3 pages but I suggest you read it from start to finish.

https://www.linux.org/threads/lexar-nm790-nvme-fails-to-initialize.46315/

I'll post a couple of ideas shortly, after I grab a beer and a smoke.

Wiz
Click to expand...
Your a legend, I appreciate the help. I guess I could try? I would prefer mint since it is very user friendly and I heard the dev is really good but I'm not sure
 
banana789 said:
Your a legend,
Click to expand...

Wizards are the stuff of legend (I can't keep a straight face when I get an opportunity like that, lol)

On Edge - dunno, haven't used it yet. The last Poster in that thread I linked to was from December past, and said he had kernel 6.5.10 using Ubuntu 23.10.

I've had a look again just now, and Edge appears to be using 6.5 so you could download it and give it a try - if you boot the iso from a USB stick and it recognises the SSD, it should be good to install.
 
wizardfromoz said:
Wizards are the stuff of legend (I can't keep a straight face when I get an opportunity like that, lol)

On Edge - dunno, haven't used it yet. The last Poster in that thread I linked to was from December past, and said he had kernel 6.5.10 using Ubuntu 23.10.

I've had a look again just now, and Edge appears to be using 6.5 so you could download it and give it a try - if you boot the iso from a USB stick and it recognises the SSD, it should be good to install.
Click to expand...
I tried it yesterday and still hasn't noticed the ssd
 
Bummer. OK, I'll run another couple of suggestions by you for your consideration.

1.
banana789 said:
(Ps the drive is being picked up by windows but not Linux)
Click to expand...

Is there anything to be said for putting Windows on the Lexar, and then use the 500 GB SSD to install and run Linux?

2. to follow
 
wizardfromoz said:
Bummer. OK, I'll run another couple of suggestions by you for your consideration.

1.


Is there anything to be said for putting Windows on the Lexar, and then use the 500 GB SSD to install and run Linux?

2. to follow
Click to expand...
I can try but I would be using Linux more that's why I got the bigger ssd
 
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