Bitlocker is not used.
I am so confused now.
I think the simplest way to get out of this is to install Xubuntu on one of the two data partitions giving it more space than I had when first installed in the boot nvme. This time I would be sure to make a separate /home in the install.
Check: Are the directory and file ownerships on the mounted /home partition, and your home subdirectories, correct?
What command did you use to copy /home?
Check: Can you boot the system with the mounted /home partition and successfully login to the terminal?
A graphical login loop can have many possible causes. Letās rule some of the most common out.
I agree that a quick solution is to reinstall. If you want to keep noodling at it, weāll be here with you.
Using the fstab I posted in which I had to # out the line for the new /home, works perfectly in every way except that when I try to make a separate /home ready to transfer the contents of / (p8) the fstab fails unless I # it out.
The space occupied by / (p8) and the ānew /homeā (p5) is the space now available for the whole Xubuntu system and it is too small.
Yes, this is the best solution
Windows on one disk and Xubuntu on a separate disk
Now, have you noticed that your disk IDs can change?
Boot-repair shows your two systems on disk nvme2n1
Gparted shows the systems on disk nvme1n1
Therefore, be vigilant when re-installing Xubuntu
chkdskThese disks are actually plugged into the motherboard slots. To get to them and remove them is not easy.
The nvmem1n1 is in the slot designed especially as the fast booting slot I understand.
What I will end up with is the effectively unused windows on this drive and it will boot up first.
Will grub then give me an opportunity to choose which OS to run?
I assumed I would leave all drives plugged it, run Xubuntu trial and install Xubuntu on, lets say nvme0n1 in a new partition for the install, not touching windows or the EFI boot.
However, I am wondering, will I actually have access to that new partition as from memory when installing Xubuntu I donāt think I can access it as neither data disk is booted.
I will need to look later.
Anyway, am I going to end up with one grub to choose which OS to run on machine boot? I donāt know at this stage.
As an aside, going back to your suggestion for the fstab: The last line there for /home causes the round robin login and must be # out to login. Obviously something is wrong in setting up the /home because the line in the fstab is correct. It is a pity because if it did work then the /home could be on a data drive and my problem solved. I donāt like using symlinks to achieve that.
Your UEFI firmware may allow you to isolate/de-activate disks?
Yes, after you have re-installed Xubuntu to a separate disk, grub can be configured to boot Windows 11.
I donāt understand - which new partition?
I mean the new partition I would make for Xubuntu on the nvme0n1 which currently only has windows data for games on it. As I really donāt game any more but my grandkids may want to I would make a separate partition for xubuntu on there.
I donāt want to boot windows on 99 out of 100 machine boots. I only use xubuntu on a daily basis.
I have no idea if UEFI firmware can do that. It is beyond my meager knowledge.
Is it possible to do that with only one disk (nvme1n1 476.94GiB) as the boot disk and then have a grub to select boot drives?
That would be what I am trying to achieve.
I am still wondering if the trial Xubuntu will allow me to choose which drive for xubuntu if I use the āalongsideā option. I assume the āalongsideā would be / alongside windows but is the location of / available on another drive at that time?
I feel that we are going round in circles now.
Alongside means both systems on one disk.
Please confirm your ultimate goal?
Sorry, I was not sure what the term āalongsideā meant other than it did not remove windows.
My original aim when I first opened this thread was to have both OS on the same disk and have Xubuntu /home on another disk.
However after reading back today, your suggestion is the closest to that.
My goal now: Windows 11 and Xubuntu 24.04 on separate disks.
However, is that possible from one boot disk bearing the current windows 11?
I am concerned I will make a total mess if I disturb the windows 11 and current boot meaning a total reinstall not done since covid times.
This was my initial objective posted very early in this thread. I am sorry this got lost in the long thread.
Perfect, best way forward
The notion of one boot disk is misleading.
For example, when you attached your Xubuntu USB, the PC UEFI firmware recognised it as a bootable disk i.e. another boot disk.
As soon as you install Xubuntu on a separate disk, it also becomes a boot disk.
You will have two boot disks - Windows 11 and Xubuntu 24.04
Xubuntu will also need its own ESP (Efi System Partition) so that it can always operate independently.
This is the reason that it is always advisable to only have the target disk accessible.
Alternatively, during installation, you can remove the esp and boot flags from the Windows ESP via gparted.
The boot process can either be controlled by the PC Boot Menu or by Grub - user choice.
Grub may need a quick edit after installing Xubuntu but that should be simple enough.
I am so grateful for your patience and speed of replies here. Please make it tea-for-two.
Please explain how I should go about it ie. installing Xubuntu after I remove the existing instance and the ānew /homeā partition and update grub.
Please confirm that you have backups of your personal data (Windows and Xubuntu)?
I do not have anywhere large enough. Would it suffice if I put the backups on one nvme?
Yes, anywhere will do - but not the disk you wish to use for Xubuntu.
For curiosity what brand/model motherboard?
And what video card/chip? And are UEFI & NVMe firmware up to data? Compare versions to vendorās support site.
If booted in Ubuntu this will show machine
inxi -M
And drives:
inxi -M
Display 3 lines shown:
sudo lshw | grep -m 1 -A 3 ā*-displayā
Almost all newer UEFI based motherboards have a setting in drives to ādisableā the drive. That is then the same as removing it. So you do not have to physically remove a drive.
Did you copy all of oldHome to newHome partition before mounting newHome as the /home? You want to use cp -a to preserve ownership & permissions.
Older instructions on moving /home. Uses rsync with parameters. It is older so has ext3 which now should be ext4 and used gedit, which should be sudoedit or other terminal based editor.
/dev/nvme2n1 is now empty.
/dev/nvme1n1p4 is unchanged and contains windows 11
/dev/nvme0n1p2 and /devnvme0n1p3 contain the two backups
Shall I remove the xubuntu instance and the ānew /homeā directory from /dev/nvme1n1p4 and update grub?
Returns empty, sorry