Solved Want to try linux again but had a not too happy experience last time i tried
- Thread starter Huxoslos
- Start date
Solved issue
Ubuntu builds usually work with secure boot, but on some kit it doesn't, I don't run windows so I don't bother with secure boot.
This might be stupid question to some but, is it safe to turn off? I assume thats why it recomended to download from repos and such, at least from videos i have watched. I think i corupted repo thing trying to update it before, i couldnt find fix for it. The last probably something i need to learn eventually as ideally i would know how my system works properly as an advaced user and not basic one.
CaffeineAddict
Well-Known Member
The only purpose of secure boot is to prevent unsigned modules (aka. drivers in Windows) to load.
Secure boot also prevents booting unsigned OS's whether from drive or USB.
None of this is essential for security if you're careful to boot/load only stuff you know is trusted.
Secure boot is major obstacle when you want to install drivers that aren't signed, you can sign them yourself to make secure boot work but the procedure is not straightforward.
So i guess only from trusted sources then us fine. Would you say secure boot is more to avoid user error? I am kind of stuck in windows virus tinfoil also hehe, virus likley not impossible on linux and all as i would belive all systems are vondurable to a point.
Beware of watching anything on YouTube [except films and music vids] as many of the tutorials are either out of date and in some cases just plain wrong, as @CaffeineAddict has said , secure boot was designed to cover flaws in windows security, where most apps want to tie themselves to the main kernel [which is otherwise open] in Linux no app can tie itself to the kernel unless you the user authorises it using the Sudo command, then if it goes wrong its down to the user not the distribution.
If its security you are worried about then my golden rules once you have installed your chosen distribution are
1] enable the Linux firewall [in most distributions it automatically loads, but you need to set it up]
2] install and run Timeshift or one of the other rescue apps]
3] make sure you understand and select the correct security for you from your browser
4] if possible, always install the distribution version of any driver or app you need[ often they will be Tailored to that distribution]
5] if you must download a driver or app use only trusted sources [manufacturer, GitHub etc]
6]NEVER download from a 3rd party link [it is not unknown for these to be heavily corrupted] or e-mail attachment
I could make the list longer, but the above should guide you to safe computing
Thanks for the heads up
CaffeineAddict
Well-Known Member
No, a user can't predict whether something is safe of not, even if it's open source that means nothing unless you're in position to study the code and tell yourself it's OK, majority of users don't do this since it requires a good amount of knowledge and time wasted.
Secure boot therefore avoids you needing to study the code that affects boot such as OS's or modules.
Singled module or boot loader is one that is signed by a digital certificate issued by trusted CA (Certificate Authority), if signed secure boot allows them otherwise it blocks.
Malware is possible but way less than what's the case with Windows, you're pretty much safe as long as you install software from repository belonging to your distro.
Take caution when installing stuff outside of your distro, in 99% of cases it's not needed.
Compared to Windows, Linux has 2 advantages relating to malware:
1. There is much less malware coders targeting Linux
2. System belongs to you, without you doing
sudo it's almost impossible to infect your OS.I understand, thanks
Do you perhaps know the cause why the drive suddenly disapeared? I dont want it to happen again. I lost all the files. I was playing a game (reading from D drive) and screen froze and i couldnt do anything so i hard reset, after booting it was just gone idk what happened. Wierd it being corupt if just reading i am thinking but might be wrong. Also to mention again, it was NTFS and i didnt really do anything speciall to the drive after installing linux on C
theLegionWithin
Well-Known Member
you could run a smart scan on it to see what the health of the hardware is. you'll need the smartmontools package installed first - once you have that, then use lsblk to find the device name (winOS drive letters dont exist in linux) and then run
Code:
sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdxpersonally, if I had a drive do that I'd take it out and smash it with a hammer, dispose it, and replace it (with an external ssd)
The situation described in post #1 is dual booting MS on one drive and linux on another. The following observations occurred to me.
The query in post #31 is about /etc/fstab, but if the linux installation can't be detected and is "just gone", that needs to be attended to before anything else one would think
It seems to me there may be an issue with where the bootloader is located. In UEFI, MS has an EFI system partition where its bootloader is located. This partition can be used by linux if the grub bootloader detects it. That would mean that the grub bootloader would be located on the disk with MS. However, since linux is no longer detected, it suggests that there may be an issue with the bootloader for linux despite it being installed on its separate drive.
If the linux bootloader is located on the disk with MS, there's the issue of MS updates amending it and disappearing linux.
The grub linux bootloader can detect both MS and linux and enable booting of either system, so if linux is no longer visible, it may be worth considering re-installing grub. Grub uses an os-prober to detect other operating systems and their bootloaders and thus enable booting the other installation.
Once linux becomes bootable again, then one can make sure with the /etc/fstab file that the disk it needs to mount will be mounted and not disappear.
There are different ways of setting up dual booting, but it may be of interest to read the description of a method for dual booting by @APTI which keeps the two installed systems apart so that they do not interfere with each other regardless of updates to either system: https://linux.org/threads/dual-and-multi-boot-systems.47320/post-208976.
It's commonly the case in recent years that linux users replace dual booting by using virtualisation since modern hardware enables near native speeds for virtually installed operating systems. MS is thus often installed in a virtual machine with the linux system hosting, and both systems can be run at the same time unlike a dual booting arrangement.
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And for those who prefer a graphical 'front-end' for 'smartmontools', gsmartctl is in most distro's repos.
Older variants didn't used to 'play nice' with external HDDs/SSDs, but that was fixed several years ago.....the USB 3.0-to-SATA 'bridge' cards used to chuck a spanner in the works before the devs realized what was going on.
@Huxoslos :-
Don't ever let anybody tell you Linux is ALL terminals and command-line stuff. GUIs abound, and are just as prevalent this side of "the fence" as they are over on the "dark side". The sole reason many of us prefer to use the terminal is simple; you can get more done with less effort, you're talking direct to the system.....and it helps you to understand your system in particular (and Linux in general) in a way that no Windows user ever really can.
Mike.
I am sorry if i was not clear before. C drive or drive 1 is only for OS and only 1 OS at the time as i dont have any interest of dual boot. D drive or drive 2 is only for storage and it is that one which disapeared after hard reset. OS worked completely fine with D drive gone.The situation described in post #1 is dual booting MS on one drive and linux on another. The following observations occurred to me.
The query in post #31 is about /etc/fstab, but if the linux installation can't be detected and is "just gone", that needs to be attended to before anything else one would think
It seems to me there may be an issue with where the bootloader is located. In UEFI, MS has an EFI system partition where its bootloader is located. This partition can be used by linux if the grub bootloader detects it. That would mean that the grub bootloader would be located on the disk with MS. However, since linux is no longer detected, it suggests that there may be an issue with the bootloader for linux despite it being installed on its separate drive.
If the linux bootloader is located on the disk with MS, there's the issue of MS updates amending it and disappearing linux.
The grub linux bootloader can detect both MS and linux and enable booting of either system, so if linux is no longer visible, it may be worth considering re-installing grub. Grub uses an os-prober to detect other operating systems and their bootloaders and thus enable booting the other installation.
Once linux becomes bootable again, then one can make sure with the /etc/fstab file that the disk it needs to mount will be mounted and not disappear.
There are different ways of setting up dual booting, but it may be of interest to read the description of a method for dual booting by @APTI which keeps the two installed systems apart so that they do not interfere with each other regardless of updates to either system: https://linux.org/threads/dual-and-multi-boot-systems.47320/post-208976.
It's commonly the case in recent years that linux users replace dual booting by using virtualisation since modern hardware enables near native speeds for virtually installed operating systems. MS is thus often installed in a virtual machine with the linux system hosting, and both systems can be run at the same time unlike a dual booting arrangement.
Also i want to say sorry i am not always good at reading so much.
Drive is not broken though. This is strictly issue with linux and me interacting with it, i never want similar issue happening again if i do decide to go linux in the end. Figuring out this issue and avoiding it is 100% must for me to switch, thats why i try figure out
I like terminal, but have to learn the commands to get full system control as you say from my understanding. Package managers etc... is convenient though for a learning userAnd for those who prefer a graphical 'front-end' for 'smartmontools', gsmartctl is in most distro's repos.
Older variants didn't used to 'play nice' with external HDDs/SSDs, but that was fixed several years ago.....the USB 3.0-to-SATA 'bridge' cards used to chuck a spanner in the works before the devs realized what was going on.
@Huxoslos :-
Don't ever let anybody tell you Linux is ALL terminals and command-line stuff. GUIs abound, and are just as prevalent this side of "the fence" as they are over on the "dark side". The sole reason many of us prefer to use the terminal is simple; you can get more done with less effort, you're talking direct to the system.....and it helps you to understand your system in particular (and Linux in general) in a way that no Windows user ever really can.
Mike.
@Huxoslos :-Drive is not broken though. This is strictly issue with linux and me interacting with it, i never want similar issue happening again if i do decide to go linux in the end. Figuring out this issue and avoiding it is 100% must for me to switch, thats why i try figure out
I wouldn't worry TOO much about stuff going wrong, and not behaving itself.....certainly not the first time round (OR the second). Windows tries to hold your hand, and do everything for you.....so you never really learn what makes things tick. With Linux, because there's so much you DO have to setup manually, you're more or less forced to learn.....whether you want to or not. And in the long run, that's GOOD thing.
"Bricking" your system - to the point where it's unrecoverable, and you have to wipe the drive clean, and re-install - is something of a "rite-of-passage" for Linux noobs. I don't know of anybody who hasn't stuffed things up at least a couple of times, and had to go through the re-install process.
We've ALL been there, trust me. In fact, you're not really considered a fully paid-up member of the 'club' unless you have! Yes, you feel like a right tit, of course you do.....but the outcome hinges on how well you learn from your mistakes. Some people only make a mistake once, and they never make it again. Others seem doomed to repeat the same mistake dozens of times before they finally figure out what they're doing wrong!
It's a "normal" part of getting to grips with Linux, it really is. So you don't need to feel bad about it. You're in good company! Doubtless there are some people out there who never, ever get anything wrong.....but they're very much in the minority, believe me. Most of us are just NOT that lucky....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anything we can do to help, we will. Between us, we probably know pretty much everything there is to learn about Linux.....and if we don't, we can usually direct you to where you can find the answer to whatever your question is. Just remember this; Linux is NOT intrinsically any "better" or "worse" than any other OS......it's just "different". There WILL be a 'learning curve'.....and that's the same with anything new, no matter who you are. This is part of life, I'm afraid. In this respect, 99.9% of humans are exactly the same...
If you're worried that anybody here will look down on you for being a beginner, you couldn't be more wrong. We just LIKE helping others out.....noobs & veterans alike. Nobody knows it all, I don't care WHO you are!
Mike.
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Okay. If you're just running linux with a second external drive, then, if you want that second drive to always appear in the filesystem when you boot up, all that needs to happen is an appropriate entry in the /etc/fstab file.
The following is one way of doing that.
Boot the system.
Run the command:
lsblk, to see if the second drive is visible, for example:
Code:
$ lsblk
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda 8:0 1 28.7G 0 disk
└─sda1 8:1 1 28.7G 0 part
sr0 11:0 1 1024M 0 rom
nvme0n1 259:0 0 465.8G 0 disk
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1 0 476M 0 part /boot/efi
├─nvme0n1p2 259:2 0 14.9G 0 part [SWAP]
└─nvme0n1p3 259:3 0 450.4G 0 part //dev/sda1. Note that it is the partition that will be mounted into the system, so that device partition name is important.
Find the UUID of the partition on the second drive by navigating to:
/dev/disk/by-uuid/ to find the identifying number for that partition, which is called the UUID, for example:
Code:
$ ll
total 0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 Aug 17 05:26 1c2836e8-3786-4a8b-b9fa-4f767f739534 -> ../../nvme0n1p2
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 Aug 17 05:26 4BF6-0F74 -> ../../nvme0n1p1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Aug 17 06:15 66A7-069E -> ../../sda1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 Aug 17 05:26 7bb5cb7c-e217-4ab6-b74e-31f25581b4ea -> ../../nvme0n1p3A mount point needs to be made in the filesystem from where the second drive will be accessed. This is an individual matter. On a machine here, the mount point was made, as root, in the root filesystem by creating a new directory called "data", so it's path is: /data.
Then in the /etc/fstab file write an entry such as the following:
Code:
UUID=<your-drive-uuid> /data ext4 defaults 0 2One can run as root:
mount -a, to mount it immediately, or reboot and it should become available if the user navigates to /data.A few things to note in this scenario:
The second drive needs to be partitioned with an ext4 filesystem.
If the second drive is a single partition, then it will be fully accessible.
If there are multiple partitions on the second drive, each partition has to be mounted with a separate entry of its own in the /etc/fstab file for full access to the whole drive.
The permissions on the directory /data where the drive is mounted need to allow the user to access it, for example, one could run, as root:
chmod 777 /data to give access to the second drive to anyone on the system. Other readers may have alternative views
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I know Gnome as a GUI app for doing this, it's called gnome-disks, so I would think KDE Plasma would have this as well. No need to edit that file manually if you don't want to.
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