Help choosing an installation--so many choices!

[Condobloke]

I don't suppose you have a spare screen you can connect ?

 

[wizardfromoz]

OK, if you're still fresh enough -

See if you can give us, from Terminal, the output of

cat /etc/default/grub

See if you can give it to us in the Code tags, as shown below

Wiz

 

[Brickwizard]

Had some struggle figuring out which key brings up the boot menu and had to restart multiple times. But I finally got it. It's F12. When my computer boots, should a boot menu automatically come up where I choose Windows or Mint?

Good morning
good progress I see. Did you remove the installation USB and re-boot when prompted [set up doesn't complete until you do] if this did not happen then you may need to re-install/repair the Grub as others have suggested

 

[UpNorth]

Brickwizard, Yes, I did remove the USB when prompted and I rebooted.

Per Wizardfromoz's instructions in #22: I typed this in and screenshot is below. I don't understand the code tags part or where I'm supposed to see the image with the arrows.

During installation it asked me some things that I had no idea what to do, so I just hit continue. Could be I missed something and need to reinstall?

 

[UpNorth]

Wait, I didn't have the whole image captured. Wish I could edit my posts. Here it is in full:

 

[Aristarchus]

Maybe change grub menu resolution?
GRUB_GFXMODE=1920x1080
Or something similar. This should make grub menu smaller

 

[Condobloke]

In your post #25, just above, it shows grub timeout style as 'hidden'

It would be a good start to make that visible

The screenshot below is MY grub (LM21.2)

Below that is how to navigate manually to the grub

On your desktop, double click Home

On left hand side, find and single click File system

Right click and select 'open as root' on the etc folder

fill in your password

double click on default folder

double click on grub folder (not grub.d)

only change the GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden ....to...... GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=menu
(No need to retype the whole line....just backspace the word hidden and then type in menu)

Then up above where my arrow points....click on that arrow....just once.....that will Save the change you have just made (it will actually say saving etc down the bottom of that window...it will only take a few seconds)

Then...open terminal...and copy and paste this in. (password required) This will update grub
Give it a few seconds to do its thing....it should look similar to the below

sudo update-grub

Then reboot. (you can reboot by simply typing reboot in the terminal and hitting enter....or you can close the windows you have open and reboot in the usual way.

 

[Condobloke]

After rebooting, watch the screen as the booting process starts up etc....should see your grub screen.

It should look something like the below....not exactly but similar...

When that screen appears, you will have 10 seconds to hit the down arrow on your keyboard......Once you have tapped that down arrow just once....the screen will stay there. you might like to try arrowing down to the windows heading and then hit enter

 

[Condobloke]

inserting "code" into a post is done like this

1. click on the three dots as shown by my first arrow in the pic below

That will 'open' the line of icons below....which include the second red arrow pointing at the 'code' icon

click on the code icon and you will get the below ( I have typed the sudo update-grub command in......

Then....click on continue...and it will end up in your post looking like the below

sudo update-grub

It does make 'code' stand out from the rest of a post, if for no other reason

 

[UpNorth]

OK, I believe I changed the grub timeout style to... whatever not hidden is. I still can't figure out the code thing. I clicked the dots and the code icon, but then what? Am I pasting something in the text box?

 

[KGIII]

Am I pasting something in the text box?

Yes. Code, when you're posting text that's code, that is non-conversational text.

We can't work with pictures of text. They're rather heavily frowned upon, depending on where you are online. Text, when possible and necessary, like that should be posted with the site's code tags. They'll vary depending on where you are, but we have a nice GUI method to add code tags.

 

[Condobloke]

change the GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden ....to...... GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=menu

 

[UpNorth]

Like this?

tina@tina-Lenovo-H520:~$ cat /etc/default/grub
# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
#   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=menu
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"
tina@tina-Lenovo-H520:~$

 

[KGIII]

Like this?

Yup. You can usually skip the bit about the command you entered, but that's fine.

 

[Condobloke]

When you reboot, is there any difference?...can you see the full grub menu now ?

 

[UpNorth]

No, unfortunately everything still looks the same. I tried everything suggested.

I was curious what would happen if I clicked on the 2nd ubuntu listed. Got this message. Beginning to think I messed up the installation somehow.

 

[wizardfromoz]

No, unfortunately everything still looks the same.

Bummer, we'll put on our thinking caps.

It's good, though, that you have got the Codes tags nailed.

I'll put together a couple of options, and post them in a separate Post. Might take a while.

Chris

 

[wizardfromoz]

Actually, before we reinvent the wheel, I'd like to try running a couple of things past you.

You can see from our and your posts that they get numbered with a # at the top right of each post (it's also a link), so if I say eg

"With what you said at #36" that's referring to the post you last made on this page 2.

Get it, got it? Good.

So

Compare the screenshot you posted at #15, on page 1, with what Brian posted at #28 on this, page 2.

Note the squarish (rectangular) border in yours and his. It's the same sort of thing, it's a Grub Menu (albeit Brian seems to be taking lessons in Spanish, lol).

So if you can reproduce getting to that screen you got to, try this.

1. Press your Home key, this will move your selection capability to the top entry
2. Then press Enter and see if it launches you into your Linux Mint
3. If that works OK, then close down your Mint and get back to that screen and
4. Press Home key first, followed by pressing your down arrow twice, one at a time
5. Press enter and see if it launches you into Windows.

If all of the above works, it means you have a Grub Menu, but it is misaligned and we can work on that.

Cheers

Wiz

 

[wizardfromoz]

BTW I'd also like to work through that 2nd screenshot at #36 on your Secure Boot violation, that will require going into your Lenovo BIOS, but we can do that soon.

 

[UpNorth]

The home key on my keyboard? Am I supposed to be in a certain place when I do this?