Failed to install Ubuntu 26.04.01

[santifaster]

Ubuntu Version

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

Desktop Environment (if applicable)

GNOME

Problem Description

I’m installing Ubuntu again (It gave a lot of problems updating, and yesterday I tried to upgrade to 26.04.1 and failed, breaking my desktop’s fragile ecosystem)

So I made a copy of my home, and some root folders and I’m trying to install Ubuntu again, and failing in the process.

Relevant System Information

Motherboard: Gigabyte H97-HD3
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ i7-4790 (8) @ 4.00 GHz
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070

What I’ve Tried

First I tried with Ventoy and then flashing directly a pendrive. In both cases I had to use the safe mode because the gnome gui was so glitchy that I couldn’t do the install process.

When I tried to install it in safe mode, it crashes with the next error:
curthooks crashed with CurtInstallError
Error[Errno 40]: Too many levels of symbolic links: '/var/log/installer/ubuntu_bootstrap.log'

I have no clue of what could be going wrong.

[tea-for-one]

@santifaster

I have no clue of what could be going wrong.

Nor I
However installing an OS depends on all the details working seamlessly.
When there is a failure, it is prudent to try alternatives:-

• Disable security settings in UEFI/BIOS i.e. Secure Boot and TPM (or similarly named proprietary options)
• Run a Try Ubuntu session for a few minutes before clicking Install
• Remove all peripheral disks & devices - only have the target disk available
• Use a different USB port (not via an external hub)
• Do not connect to the internet
• Check the integrity of the ISO
• The USB/Thumb/Flash device is faulty
• The target disk is damaged
• Use different software to create the USB
  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb
  https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_start.html
  https://rufus.ie/en/
  Startup Disk Creator (included in Ubuntu iso)
• Allow the installer to create default partitions

[santifaster]

Okay, finally I’ve tried all of the above, and disabling internet connection let’s me finish the installation.

But the installation isn’t working correctly, screen drivers aren’t working as expected and can’t connect to the net.

I have seen this before, it happened to me with every update after the kernel update 6.14.0-37, I had to rollback to that version because they had the same issues, I wrote a topic about it here:

Updates post 6.14.0-37 don't work correctly

Ubuntu Version: 24.04.4 LTS Desktop Environment (if applicable): GNOME 46 Relevant System Information GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Motherboard: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. H97-HD3 Problem Description: Every kernel version I try to open 6.17.* doesn’t work as expected, the first notable issue is that I have 2 screens, one connected to the GPU and other directly to the Motherboard. The GPU one isn’t detected correctly and has another resolution, then it sets as primary the second one, t…

So once again, I don’t know what to do, I’ve being dragging that problem for months and it’s way beyond my understanding.

[tea-for-one]

@santifaster

Okay, finally I’ve tried all of the above, and disabling internet connection let’s me finish the installation

That’s a bit of progress

@santifaster

But the installation isn’t working correctly, screen drivers aren’t working as expected and can’t connect to the net

That isn’t

---

Can you let us know the age of the PC and the RAM size?
Possibly, a lighter version within the Ubuntu family may be more suitable e.g. Xubuntu 26.04 or Lubuntu 26.04?

[santifaster]

@tea-for-one

---

Can you let us know the age of the PC and the RAM size?

Of course
It has 16GiB of RAM, some pieces have around 10 years max.

It’s a bit old, but it shouldn’t have problems running Ubuntu, now I’m writing from the same pc on a KDE Bazzite I have in other drive, and it works flawlessly, even on Wayland.

I’ll try to install another up to date distro with Gnome, to see if it gives the same problems and I’ll tell you back how it went.

[tea-for-one]

@santifaster

It has 16GiB of RAM

Yes, more than enough RAM

@santifaster

now I’m writing from the same pc on a KDE Bazzite

I don’t know much about KDE Bazzite
Assuming it’s a modern distro, I’m as surprised as you that Ubuntu 26.04 is not performing successfully.

@santifaster

I’ll try to install another up to date distro with Gnome, to see if it gives the same problems and I’ll tell you back how it went.

That would be a valuable comparison

[santifaster]

@tea-for-one

I don’t know much about KDE Bazzite

It’s a gaming focused static distro that tries to be like the SteamDeck’s Steam OS, the version with KDE Plasma

---

Okay, so I installed Fedora 44 Workstation edition, using Ventoy again, and I had no issue at all with the installation, and rebooting after the install works great as well.

Also, took a photo of how it’s seen the LiveUSB of Ubuntu without the safe graphics mode, just in case it’s useful (Tried to take a screenshot, but it doesn’t show exactly what I see on the screen)

That white box it’s supposed to be the install window.

[santifaster]

I come here with the solution of this problem (or at least what I could understand about it…)

Had to edit GRUB launch parameters to disable IOMMU of the Ubuntu LiveUSB , it can be accessed by pressing e on the selected GRUB option.

setparams 'Try or Install Ubuntu'

    set gfxpayload=keep
    linux  /casper/vmlinuz  ---quiet splash
    initrd /casper/initrd

to:

setparams 'Try or Install Ubuntu'

    set gfxpayload=keep
    linux  /casper/vmlinuz  ---quiet splash intel_iommu=off
    initrd /casper/initrd

This happened probably due to an issue with the bios/motherboard

And thanks to tomreyn from the Ubuntu Support chat in Matrix, the main reason why this problem is solved.