Problem Description:
I had Ubuntu dual booting with Windows for a few years on this machine without any problems, then one day I could not boot anymore. I had done a few changes to try to get chrome to work that may or may not have broken something. I could access all my files via a USB boot so I backed up everything I needed on an external drive and after trying unsuccessfully to solve the I decided to wipe the slate clean and reinstall. Since I wasn’t using the windows part much I decided to get rid of it and install only Ubuntu. It seemed to work all right but then grub will still not be found. Looks like something to do with needing not on the 1024 mark.
Since then as a work around I have installed Chrome OS, and run Linux in it. This is OK for my basic use but Calibre and Digikam cannot access the ebook or camera which is a bit of an issue.
While I’m enjoying mucking around in Linux I’m not IT trained, I don’t have lots of time to deal with it and I’m happy with good enough.
My question is
Is there a way to re-install ubuntu or another flavor in the right spot.
If not could I install it permanently on a removable hard drive and run it from there?
Or should I just upgrade to a more recent laptop and be done with it…
Grub uses efibootmgr to add & reset UEFI boot order. But HP resets back to Windows entry. Most with HP go into UEFI settings (not boot menu) and change boot order there. If only booting Ubuntu you can add an UEFI boot entry that says “Windows Boot Manager” but boots Ubuntu/grub. It seems to only check description, not actual boot file. Assumes ESP is sda1. If not sda1 you have to add drive & ESP partition. See man page.
Specs say i5 2520M which should be UEFI. But some early UEFI systems worked better with old BIOS boot installs.
Also if 4GB of RAM or less, Ubuntu is probably too much system. A lighter weight flavor will work much better. I even found Kubuntu, which is more mid-weight worked on old system, if it has SSD. I used external SSD for both old & new laptops.
Light weight flavors:
Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Ubuntu MATE, Budgie
Flavors of Ubuntu only come with three years of supported life (five years applies to Ubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu Server but not flavors)
So do I need to do this after I reinstall or from the usb-boot?
How to I get into the UEFI settings?
By the way I’m so glad you guys are back online, I used the forum a lot when 1st joined Linux, and was sad to read you were going to close it (which explained why my question there wasn’t looked at last November), ask Ubuntu is not the same. So Thanks.
Power on PC and immediately tap F10 at, say, one second intervals
System Configuration > Boot Options, do you see Legacy and/or UEFI?
Are you referring to efibootmgr?
If you wish to clean install a lighter flavour (e.g. Xubuntu or Lubuntu), then you do not have to worry about this yet
It’s more important to verify if your target PC is UEFI compatible?
My Dell uses F12 for UEFI/BIOS boot options.
And it uses F2 for UEFI System settings. It is newer and it says BIOS, but once in “BIOS” it says UEFI only.
HP typically uses. Other brands refer to manual, often initial vendor screen may show what key(s) to press.
HP - escape + F9 for UEFI boot menu, F10 for UEFI/bios settings
HP is one where you may have to go into UEFI settings and boot tab to change boot order. It seems to revert to Windows entry after grub/efibootmgr updates to boot order.
This computer uses ESC to get to the menu then F10 for the boot options.
UEFI is in the list but not currently enabled ticking the box trigger the following message
" Warning
UEFI Boot option on htis system is provided for development purpose only and is currently NOT fully supported or warranted by HP.
Pre boot authentification and drivelock are currently NOT supported under the UEFI Boot mode.
HP strongly recommends disabling Preboot Authentification and Drivelock before enabling UEFI Boot on this system."
Drivelock is currently disabled and I don’t see pre boot authentification, pretty sure its off too.
Internal hard drive is HDD, I have an USB external SDD that I use for backing up files.
I used Xubuntu initially on a much older desktop and switched to Ubuntu when I got this machine but noticed that the latest upgrades were taking a bit more time to do stuff so lighter would probably be a good idea. I was wondering about changing to Kubuntu since I use quite a few KDE softwares
My old 2006 Laptop worked with BIOS boot of Kubuntu, but I also had Kubuntu on an external SSD for my newer laptop and use with desktop. Found external SSD made old laptop system a lot faster/better. Old slow HDD was only used for BIOS boot of external SSD which actually had an UEFI install. BIOS boot bypassed UEFI and directly loaded kernel & booted.
LXQT and KDE Plasma have QT foundations, therefore Lubuntu may be more suitable choice for an older (Legacy) PC.
Download and Try a live session of Lubuntu 24.04
Some older PCS have trouble booting in Legacy mode when the installer adds a BIOS Boot partition. This can be avoided by installing to a single partition (pre UEFI style).
This is an old-fashioned installation with only one partition (without a BIOS Boot partition):-
Remove all disks – only the target disk available
Boot into a “Try Ubuntu” live session in Legacy mode
Can you boot into a live 24.04 “Try Lubuntu” session, open a terminal and enter sudo parted -l
Please post the output within code tags (for legibility)
Also, if you are able to mount your internal disk via the PCManFM-Qt file manager, can you add the output from lsblk -e 7 -o name,size,pttype,type,fstype,fsuse%,fsavail,mountpoint
> Model: ATA TOSHIBA MQ01ABD0 (scsi)
> Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
> Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
> Partition Table: msdos
> Disk Flags:
>
> Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
> 1 1049kB 500GB 500GB primary ext4
>
>
> Model: ADATA USB Flash Drive (scsi)
> Disk /dev/sdb: 7759MB
> Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
> Partition Table: gpt
> Disk Flags:
>
> Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
> 1 32.8kB 3304MB 3304MB ISO9660 hidden, msftdata
> 2 3304MB 3309MB 5194kB Appended2 boot, esp
> 3 3309MB 3309MB 307kB Gap1 hidden, msftdata
> 4 3309MB 7758MB 4449MB ext4
>
>
> Model: Unknown (unknown)
> Disk /dev/zram0: 3072MB
> Sector size (logical/physical): 4096B/4096B
> Partition Table: loop
> Disk Flags:
>
> Number Start End Size File system Flags
> 1 0.00B 3072MB 3072MB linux-swap(v1)
lsblk -e 7 -o name,size,pttype,type,fstype,fsuse%,fsavail,mountpoint
NAME SIZE PTTYPE TYPE FSTYPE FSUSE% FSAVAIL MOUNTPOINT
sda 465.8G dos disk
└─sda1
465.8G dos part ext4 2% 425.7G /media/lubuntu/998cb71f
sdb 7.2G gpt disk iso966
├─sdb1
│ 3.1G gpt part iso966 100% 0 /cdrom
├─sdb2
│ 5M gpt part vfat
├─sdb3
│ 300K gpt part
└─sdb4
4.1G gpt part ext4 0% 3.8G /var/crash
sr0 1024M rom
zram0 2.9G disk [SWAP]
PXE boot is when other boot fails & it tries to do a network boot. I turn network boot off first thing in UEFI/BIOS settings, so it does not try to use Internet.
If Intel, it may just need boot flag. Windows uses boot flag, grub does not.
But some older Intel based systems wanted a boot flag when only Ubuntu/grub installs. Try a boot flag on any partition using gparted.
Do I need to reformat the disk do do this, currently I can’t see a way to add a flag to existing partition .
I have read previously that the issue on that specific model comes from the installation starting by default on 1048, as shown above, instead of starting on 1.
Suggested gpt partitioning for years & have used gpt with both old BIOS systems and newer UEFI systems.
Normally if you have partitions, you just right click on partition in gparted to choose flags.
If drive starts at 1st sector, it sounds like it it not partitioned.
Boot into a live “Try Lubuntu” session
System Tools > KDE Partition Manager
Select the Lubuntu (Toshiba) Disk > Right Click > Properties > Flags
Checkbox for boot (tick the box)
