HP laptop running Windows 10, Ubuntu and Mageia. No Grub. Must select F9 to get selection

[wizardfromoz]

OK, so let's look at your #18 Post, and thanks for the trouble.

I wasn't able to expand the /boot/efi partition using Gparted in Mageia.

... and you won't be able to, without difficulty, that is why Alex @Alexzee gave you a link to download GParted Live to put on a USB stick, or it will even fit on a CD. You just burn the .iso to the medium as you would a LInux iso and then boot from it.

The ESP (EFI System Partition) of 100 MB being 100% full accounts for the low space warning on your Ubuntu desktop and that needs to be addressed asap.

Can you, from the GParted in Mageia, take a layout shot of the partitioning in /dev/sda ?

Then we can see how the ESP on /dev/sda1 is related to the other partitions for rustling up a bit more space.

Cheers

Wizard

BTW when attaching the screenshot file you can choose Fullsize over Thumbnail and we will see the full picture straight away.

 

[shadrach]

From Ubuntu-Mate
[email protected]:~$ cat /etc/issue
Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS \n \l
[email protected]:~$ df -h
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
udev            3.8G     0  3.8G   0% /dev
tmpfs           780M  1.6M  778M   1% /run
/dev/sda11       22G  7.3G   13G  37% /
tmpfs           3.9G     0  3.9G   0% /dev/shm
tmpfs           5.0M  4.0K  5.0M   1% /run/lock
tmpfs           3.9G     0  3.9G   0% /sys/fs/cgroup
/dev/loop0       97M   97M     0 100% /snap/core/9665
/dev/loop2       56M   56M     0 100% /snap/core18/1885
/dev/loop1       15M   15M     0 100% /snap/ubuntu-mate-welcome/575
/dev/loop3       56M   56M     0 100% /snap/core18/1988
/dev/loop4      8.0M  8.0M     0 100% /snap/pulsemixer/283
/dev/loop5       15M   15M     0 100% /snap/ubuntu-mate-welcome/539
/dev/loop6       99M   99M     0 100% /snap/core/10823
/dev/loop7      128K  128K     0 100% /snap/software-boutique/54
/dev/sda1        96M   96M  1.0K 100% /boot/efi
tmpfs           780M   28K  780M   1% /run/user/1000
/dev/sdb2        15G  6.2G  8.5G  43% /media/david/SPARE
/dev/sdb7       7.4G  6.2G  775M  90% /media/david/400dd044-ce67-4a19-bec6-05d2334b45cb
/dev/sdb3        25G   14G   12G  55% /media/david/MY-DESKTOP
/dev/sdb1        30G   11G   19G  37% /media/david/EDOC
/dev/sdb5        44G   16G   28G  36% /media/david/Desktop
[email protected]:~$ cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
# / was on /dev/sda9 during installation
UUID=f02c88d4-380c-4700-8c7c-958b006530f8 /               ext4    errors=remount-ro 0       1
# /boot/efi was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=E889-2C95  /boot/efi       vfat    umask=0077      0       1
/swapfile                                 none            swap    sw              0       0

I will followup with Mageia's outputs, if it still boots.

 

[shadrach]

OK, Mageia won't boot. I copied and pasted the code to install Gparted into my Ubuntu OS.

 

[Lord Boltar]

Nor I.

What happens when you put the #back in front of

GRUB_TERMINAL=console

?

Wiz

I agree with you on this mine has
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

 

[Alexzee]

Your partition table is a mess:-

The first 3 partitions (sda1, sda2 and sda3) are very important do not delete them.

Before you do anything I'd boot up to a Live Linux DVD or USB and backup all of your files on:
dev/sda4, dev/sda7, dev/sda11, dev/sda14 and dev/sda16.

 

[Alexzee]

I agree with you on this mine has
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

OK, Mageia won't boot. I copied and pasted the code to install Gparted into my Ubuntu OS.

I can't tell if Mageia is dev/sda4, dev/sda11 or dev/sda16

 

[shadrach]

Sorry for all the confusion on my part. I'm learning here. How do I backup files in these partitions? Step by step instructions please. Bottom line, I think I want to wind up with Windows 10, Ubuntu, and KaOS on my laptop. Is there an Ubuntu KDE flavor? What do you recommend? Thank you very much for your patience and help.

 

[Alexzee]

Sorry for all the confusion on my part. I'm learning here. How do I backup files in these partitions? Step by step instructions please. Bottom line, I think I want to wind up with Windows 10, Ubuntu, and KaOS on my laptop. Is there an Ubuntu KDE flavor? What do you recommend? Thank you very much for your patience and help.

You can backup your files to a external HDD <or> to a USB thumb drive manually.
Basically you select all of your files, copy them and than paste them to the device you want to transfer them to.

With Ubuntu you can use a program called Deja Dup:

How to back up

How to Back up Ubuntu Files And Folders

Set up the default backup tool in Ubuntu to backup and restore files and folders. The backup tool can work on-demand or you can schedules automatic backups.

www.lifewire.com

Ubuntu should have Timeshift. Just look in your Software Center for it.
Timeshift will take a snapshot of your whole system.

If you would like to have the KDE Plasma desktop you can install that on Ubuntu.

How to Install KDE Desktop Environment on Ubuntu

A simple tutorial to explain how to install KDE Plasma Desktop environments on Ubuntu Linux. Screenshots have been included for reference.

itsfoss.com

 

[shadrach]

Thank you, I will work on this. It might take a while since I have other obligations too. I'll follow-up afterwards.

 

[Alexzee]

Thank you, I will work on this. It might take a while since I have other obligations too. I'll follow-up afterwards.

You're welcome.
Take as much time as you need.
No worries:-

 

[wizardfromoz]

When you are ready, David - we'll be around.


Just clarifying if necessary, for Helpers:

David's last GParted shot is taken on his desktop for Ubuntu MATE 18.04.5. GParted shows /dev/sda11 with EXT4 and a forward slash, so that is his Ubuntu.

/dev/sda12 - non-working Fedora

/dev/sda16 - EXT4 so likely Mageia, but that figure seems to small for a Mageia install.

NOTE on TIMESHIFT:

Not in Ubuntu 18.04's Software Centre - makes it in sometime in the v19 point releases I believe and is in by v20.04 Software Centre.

David can use instructions here to install it if he wishes

https://github.com/teejee2008/timeshift

Is there an Ubuntu KDE flavor?

Kubuntu.

Cheers

Wiz

 

[shadrach]

I formatted my SSD except for the C drive and the 100MB boot partition at the front of the drive.

While installing Feren ios into the 277GB unallocated partition (at the time of install), I got the following failure message.

I got the following window after attempting to install KaOS. And a similar window message - "executing grub-install /dev/sda4 failed" when installing Kubuntu.


In all this, I see that the grub install seems to be in common and fails on my HP 15bs244wm laptop running Windows 10. I suspect there is something in the HP BIOS that is killing the grub install. I have a friend who has a Dell laptop and he is able to load multiple Linux OS's with a grub screen when he boots. Do I seem to be on the right track? What am I missing?

 

[Alexzee]

There may be something wrong/corrupt with the .iso image.

Installation Failed - KaOS

A Lean KDE Distribution

forum.kaosx.us

Did you check the integrity of the .iso image of KaOS and Kubuntu?

What program are you using to make your Linux .iso's bootable?

 

[shadrach]

For Kubuntu I used Rufus. For KaOS i used balenaEthcher. No, I don't think I checked the integrity of them.

 

[shadrach]

Attached is the MD5sum from the Kubuntu Live USB. None of these match the MD5sum I got from the website kubuntu.org - download and clicked on check-sums under the 64-bit Download button. I'm downloading the iso from this site now. I'll verify when it finishes. BTW, which sum from the attached list do I want to check the live USB against?

 

[wizardfromoz]

Try - none of them

Those are the filesums for each individual file in the packing list that is combined into the .iso, they are not the checksum for the actual .iso itself.

Where are you downloading the iso from, is it

https://kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/

?

If so, click the link which reads

Alternative downloads, torrents, mirrors and checksums

for the Kubuntu version you are downloading.

For example, if that is

Kubuntu 20.04.2.0 LTS 64-bit

the sha256sum is

0356bd2d13d7d8d4fc26b16f676c04a396e29c48996736ac88623edfa9dbeb75


It also says there

Before writing an image to DVD or USB drive, it is highly recommended that you verify the SHA256 sum (hash) of the ISO file. For instructions, please see HowToSHA256SUM. Below is a list of SHA256 sums to check with your downloaded file.

Be sure to read the highlighted link.

Cheers

Wiz

 

[shadrach]

I'm back. I formatted my hard drive, reloaded Windows and loaded Fedora KDE. My HP laptop is still not booting into a Grub(2). I saw a note somewhere else to run the command, sudo efibootmgr -v. (seen below)
The instructions state to make a backup of the original boot loader:
/boot/efi/EFI/Microsoft?Boot/bootmgfw.efi
and moving it up one level using this command: sudo cp /boot/efi/EFI/Microsoft?Boot/bootmgfw.
Then to copy the Grub2 boot loader in that place to 'trick' the system into loading the Fedora boot loader instead of the Windows original boot loader using this command:
sudo cp /boot/efi/EFI/Fedora/grubx64.efi /boot
I don't see that path in the list. What is "shimx64"? is it the same as grubx64,efi?
How do I do this? What commands do I use?

 

[Alexzee]

Here's information about shim64:

What is the difference between grubx64 and shimx64?

I'm new to Linux. I loaded Ubuntu on my Mac and I'm booting it with rEFInd. I see two choices: EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi They both boot into Ubuntu. What's the difference be...

askubuntu.com

 

[shadrach]

Is there a Linux flavor/distro that can be run from a flash drive that will save settings, documents, and other information so the next time it is booted live the settings like wifi password doesn't have to be reentered each time?

 

[Alexzee]

Is there a Linux flavor/distro that can be run from a flash drive that will save settings, documents, and other information so the next time it is booted live the settings like wifi password doesn't have to be reentered each time?

None that I know of.

Unless the distro is installed to the HDD you'll have to enter the wifi password and etc with a Live USB.