Kubuntu 26.04 dual boot on dual drive set up with Windows 11

[mistrynitesh]

Ubuntu Version:
Kubuntu 26.04

Desktop Environment (if applicable):

KDE Plasma

Problem Description:
I had a Lenovo Thinkpad T490 with a 256GB NVMe 2280 SSD loading Windows 11.

I want to install Kubuntu 26.04 on this laptop. For this I got another 256GB NVMe 2230 SSD and connected it to the WWAN port of the laptop.

Windows recognised this drive correctly. Then I boot from Kubuntu Live USB and that recognises both drives as well.

I installed Kubuntu on the new SSD with a partition configuration of 300MB FAT32 partition mounted to /boot/efi and boot flag on, and the rest of the drive formatted to ext4 mounted to /.

Install process goes on smoothly and it says “Finished”. However, on reboot (after removing the live USB), it directly boots to Windows without the dual boot options.

So, as suggested in a Youtube video, I removed the original 2280 SSD and then reinstalled Kubuntu on the new 2230 SSD using the live USB (this time used Erase Disk option instead of manual partitioning).

This time again, the install went on smoothly, but when I rebooted after removing the liveusb, it doesn’t show boot screen at all. Instead the BIOS asks for a medium to boot from.

I’d like to mention that in case of both installs, Kubuntu shows in the BIOS boot priority list and it didn’t work even after putting it on the top of the list.

If I press F12 on boot to bring up the boot menu, Kubuntu is present. But when I press enter on it, the screen just blinks and nothing happens.

I am returning to Linux after 15 years, so please be patient with me.

Output of efibootmgr from live USB is:

kubuntu@kubuntu:~$ efibootmgr 

BootCurrent: 001F
Timeout: 2 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,001C,0010,0011,0012,0013,0014,0015,001B,001F,0019,001A,0000,001D,001E,0020,0021,0022,0023
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager  HD(1,GPT,76f26192-bf42-41dc-b9e9-43d8205dd33d,0x800,0x32000)/\EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi57494e444f5753000100000088000000780000004200430044004f0042004a004500430054003d007b00390064006500610038003600320063002d0035006300640064002d0034006500370030002d0061006300630031002d006600330032006200330034003400640034003700390035007d00000033000100000010000000040000007fff0400
Boot0001* Kubuntu       HD(1,GPT,96c89b38-a577-4bde-a1c4-8ded1adb3746,0x1000,0x96000)/\EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi
Boot0010  Setup FvFile(721c8b66-426c-4e86-8e99-3457c46ab0b9)
Boot0011  Boot Menu     FvFile(126a762d-5758-4fca-8531-201a7f57f850)
Boot0012  Diagnostic Splash Screen      FvFile(a7d8d9a6-6ab0-4aeb-ad9d-163e59a7a380)
Boot0013  Lenovo Diagnostics    FvFile(3f7e615b-0d45-4f80-88dc-26b234958560)
Boot0014  Regulatory Information        FvFile(478c92a0-2622-42b7-a65d-5894169e4d24)
Boot0015  ThinkShield secure wipe       FvFile(3593a0d5-bd52-43a0-808e-cbff5ece2477)
Boot0016  Startup Interrupt Menu        FvFile(f46ee6f4-4785-43a3-923d-7f786c3c8479)
Boot0017  Rescue and Recovery   FvFile(665d3f60-ad3e-4cad-8e26-db46eee9f1b5)
Boot0018  MEBx Hot Key  FvFile(ac6fd56a-3d41-4efd-a1b9-870293811a28)
Boot0019* USB CD        VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,86701296aa5a7848b66cd49dd3ba6a55)
Boot001A* USB FDD       VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,6ff015a28830b543a8b8641009461e49)
Boot001B* NVMe0 VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,001c199932d94c4eae9aa0b6e98eb8a400)
Boot001C* NVMe1 VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,001c199932d94c4eae9aa0b6e98eb8a401)
Boot001D* ATA HDD0      VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f602)
Boot001E* ATA HDD1      VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f601)
Boot001F* USB HDD       VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,33e821aaaf33bc4789bd419f88c50803)
Boot0020* PXE BOOT      VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,78a84aaf2b2afc4ea79cf5cc8f3d3803)
Boot0021* LENOVO CLOUD  VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,ad38ccbbf7edf04d959cf42aa74d3650)/Uri(https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/cdeploy/efi/boot.efi)
Boot0022  Other CD      VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,aea2090adfde214e8b3a5e471856a35406)
Boot0023  Other HDD     VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f606)
Boot0024* IDER BOOT CDROM       PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(11,1)
Boot0025* IDER BOOT Floppy      PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(11,0)
Boot0026* ATA HDD       VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f6)
Boot0027* ATAPI CD      VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,aea2090adfde214e8b3a5e471856a354)

Taking hints from the comments and from google AI mode, I figured that I need to install Kubuntu on the new drive, but point to the UEFI partition on the original drive for mounting /boot/efi.

So this time, my install summary looks like this:
Kubuntu install summary

Now, after restart, grub screen pops up, but still does not show me the boot options. This is the screen after restart:
Grub Screen

What next?

[tea-for-one]

@mistrynitesh

I got another 256GB NVMe 2230 SSD and connected it to the WWAN port of the laptop

Are you certain that your Thinkpad T490 can boot an OS from the WWAN port?

I’m sure that you can boot Kubuntu via USB in a suitable external nvme enclosure i.e. boot via USB rather than WWAN

[avb66]

@mistrynitesh

grub screen pops up, but still does not show me the boot options

GRUB enters CLI when it does not find its grub.cfg. Does /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu/grub.cfg exist? If yes, show its content.

[celticwarrior]

@tea-for-one

Are you certain that your Thinkpad T490 can boot an OS from the WWAN port?

Exactly my point from the beginning. One of two scenarios can happen, any of then preventing a a successful boot to any OS installed in the drive connect in non-standard slot:

1. The firmware doesn’t expect an ESP there and won’t read it. If this is the only issue, installing GRUB in the ESP of the primary drive would be enough, but the OP already tried and was unsuccessful.
2. Even with GRUB booting correctly it can’t access the system partition due to the hardware not being ready yet at the time it is needed, something very likely to happen with the WLAN M.2 slot, depending on the firmware (Fast Boot or similar setting CAN be the sole culprit here and it’s easy to test).

Other than the aforementioned hypotheses I have nothing. The M.2 slot supports storage devices as attested by the drive being recognized in Windows and Ubuntu. If, at the end of the day, it can’t be used for installing an OS, at least it can be used for simple data partition(s).

[oldfred]

Many Lenovo models have another security setting in addition to Secure Boot. I makes only the orginal install the default. You have to turn off a setting like “boot lock” or similar in UEFI settings to be able to change boot order.

Lenovo T490 Boot lock order start up tab, UEFI settings lock in security tab
Was this you? And did it not work?

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1568614/issue-with-fresh-install-of-kubuntu-26-04-on-thinkpad-t490-with-nvme-m-2-2230-ss

Lenovo Locked UEFI/BIOS setting:

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Foygxuo193ui41.jpg

If system does allow boot from wwan port probably better but not required to have ESP on Linux drive. I might have it on NVMe drive, so later if you install it somewhere else the ESP exists as difficult to add later at front of drive. (may work at end if drive not too large).

I expect entry in internal NVMe drive to work, but have seen occasions where entire /boot in separate partition had to be on internal drive.

I find external drives work well. I updated M.2 SSD to NVMe and bought a M.2 to USB3 adapter. Worked so well I bought another NVMe drive and NVMe M.2 to USB3 adapter.
So if too many issues with wwan port, consider adapter. Relative inexpensive about $25. You want a better one with decent cooling pad & UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol).

[mistrynitesh]

I guess the WWAN port is to blame for this misfortune. I reformatted about 36 GB of storage from my original ssd and installed Kubuntu on it and it worked like a charm.

I am going to use my second SSD mounted on the WWAN port as data drive formatted as one NTFS partition. However, when I booted from Kubuntu, it is not able to access this drive (it sees the drive but not able to mount it). But I guess that is a topic for another post.

Thank you!

[celticwarrior]

Does it work as expected in Windows?

If so, and assuming it is NOT part of any pool of drives - “RAID”, Microsoft Dynamic disks (or something), etc. - make sure to disable Windows’ Fast Startup “feature” and shut it down properly. Then the new partition should be accessible in Ubuntu as well.

[mistrynitesh]

Yes, both the drives show in Windows (c: for the windows partition on original ssd and d: for the partition on the new ssd)

The Windows’ Fast Startup feature was already disabled when I was trying to install Kubuntu on the new SSD.

I am assuming the Windows shuts down when I reboot into Kubuntu. Still these drives don’t mount in Kubuntu.

Below are the screenshots of the errors on accessing each of the drives

[celticwarrior]

@mistrynitesh

Yes, both the drives show in Windows (c: for the windows partition on original ssd and d: for the partition on the new ssd)

The question was about it working, not about it showing up… Partitions with corrupt filesystems do not loose their letter assignation but won’t work until error corrected. “Working” here means you can see the files, if any, read/write/delete new files, etc. Ubuntu won’t mount “dirty” or hibernated NTFS partitions, exactly what the error message says.

@mistrynitesh

The Windows’ Fast Startup feature was already disabled when I was trying to install Kubuntu on the new SSD.

I am assuming the Windows shuts down when I reboot into Kubuntu.

Well, no… Reboot is reboot, shutdown is shutdown

The reason we say shutdown after disabling Fast Startup is to make it stick. It may not if just rebooting. Also some updates can re-enable it. So, please, check again, act accordingly if not and shutdown this time. While in Windows TEST that partition by opening it, copying files to it, etc. Error correct it if you notice a problem and, again, shutdown. Boot Ubuntu and test.

[tea-for-one]

@celticwarrior

Error correct it if you notice a problem and, again, shutdown. Boot Ubuntu and test.

Yes, I fully agree that Windows partitions need to be in fine fettle before accessing them from Ubuntu/Kubuntu.

While in Windows run chkdsk

After verifying that your Windows filesystems are clean and you still have a problem using Dolphin, have a look at mount ntfs via terminal
Terminal output may provide more clues?

[mistrynitesh]

Well, the drives ‘worked’ in Windows - all read/write etc.

But yes, I learnt that Reboot is reboot and shutdown is shutdown. This time I ‘shutdown’ the laptop. Then started it again to boot in to Kubuntu, and the drives worked in here as well.

Thank you!