Linux Mint 18.3 fails to install on HP laptop

yancek · 02-25-2019, 11:16 AM

Quote:

No return for sudo mkdir and sudo mount

Not sure what you expect here. You should just get back to a prompt after the mkdir and mount commands and there will be no output in the terminal. Since the command below showed output, that means you have the mount point /mnt/sda4 and it is mounted.

Quote:

cat /mnt/sda4/etc/fstab

J Harp · 02-25-2019, 11:25 AM

Thanks, I didn't know if I should see a return or not. I going to try the fix suggested by BW-userx now.

J Harp · 02-25-2019, 12:37 PM

Result of trying the fix by BW-userx. I used esc key and f9, and selected boot from efi file. It still boots to Windows. I'm not sure how to do what HAPPY TUX suggested.

sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
EFI 'system volume information'
sudo !!
sudo ls /mnt
EFI 'system volume information'
sudo ls /mnt/EFI
Boot HP Microsoft ubuntu
sudo ls /mnt.efi/ubuntu
BOOTx64.CSV fw fwupx64.efi grub.cfg grubx64.efi mmx64.efi shimx64.efi

colorpurple21859 · 02-25-2019, 01:37 PM

HAPPY TUX suggestion was to

Code:

mv /mnt/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI  /mnt/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI.bak

and replace by

Code:

mv /mnt/EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi  /mnt/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

But I don't think this will fix your problem. I think you need to reinstall grub. Normally mint doesn't put it's grub.cfg in the efi/ubuntu directory.

You can reinstall grub with this

Code:

sudo umount /dev/sda1
sudo umount /dev/sda4
sudo mkdir /mnt/sda4
sudo mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/sda4
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda4/boot/efi
for i in /dev /dev/pts /proc /sys /run; do sudo mount -B $i /mnt/sda4$i; done
sudo chroot /mnt/sda4
grub-install /dev/sda
update-grub
exit

reboot
The first few commands are to make sure the partitions are mounted correctly

J Harp · 02-25-2019, 04:26 PM

Screw up, did it twice.

sudo umount /dev/sda1
umount: /dev/sda1: not mounted.
sudo umount /dev/sda4
umount: /dev/sda4: not mounted.
sudo mkdir /mnt/sda4
sudo mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/ /sda4/mnt
mount: /mnt/sda/: mount point does not exist.
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda4/boot/efi
mount: /mnt/sda4/efi: mount point does not exist.
sudo mount -B $i /mnt/sda/$i
mount: /mnt/sda/: mount point does not exist.
sudo chroot /mnt/sda4
chroot: failed to run command '/bin/bash': No such file or directory
sudo grub-install /dev/sda
Installing for i386-pc platform
grub-install: error: failed to get canonical path of `/cow'.
update-grub
grub-mkconfig: You must run this as root
sudo update-grub
/usr/sbin/grub-probe: failed to get canonical path of `/cow'.
exit

That's a toughie.

colorpurple21859 · 02-25-2019, 04:58 PM

Quote:

sudo mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/ /sda4/mnt

this is wrong should be

Code:

sudo mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/sda4

your missing the rest of this line:

Quote:

sudo mount -B $i /mnt/sda/$i

should be

Code:

for i in /dev /dev/pts /proc /sys /run; do sudo mount -B $i /mnt/sda4$i; done

J Harp · 02-25-2019, 05:08 PM

OK, I'll try to fix it, about to go cross eyed typing the returns.

colorpurple21859 · 02-25-2019, 05:12 PM

if you can connect to internet from live usb you can copy past the commands

yancek · 02-25-2019, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Normally mint doesn't put it's grub.cfg in the efi/ubuntu directory

If Mint is like Ubuntu, it will have a grub.cfg file in the EFI/ubuntu directory which is generally just 3 lines and it points to the actual grub.cfg file on the filesystem /boot/grub/ partition. Apparently, Mint still creates an EFI directory named ubuntu. The links below discuss this. It looks like Mint still uses an ubuntu directory on EFI.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/8043...-launch-ubuntu

https://linuxmint-installation-guide...atest/efi.html

J Harp · 02-25-2019, 07:00 PM

Can't connect to wifi, hope this asus will hold up to finish this.

sudo umount /dev/sda1
umount: /dev/sda1: not mounted.
sudo umount /dev/sda4
umount: /dev/sda4: not mounted.
sudo mkdir /mnt/sda4
mkdir: cannot create directory '/mnt/sda4': File exists
sudo mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/sda4
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda4/boot/efi
mount: mnt,sda4/boot/efi: mount point does not exist.
for i in /dev /dev/pts /proc sys run; do sudo mount -B /mnt/sda4$i; done
mount: /mnt/sda4run: mouint point does not exist
sudo chroot /mnt/sda4
root@mint:/#
root@mint:/# sudo grub-install dev/sda
Installing for x86_64-efi platform
grub-install: error: cannot find EFI directory
root@mint:/# sudo update-grub
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-20-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-20-gemeric
WARNING: Filed to connect to lvemtad. Falling back to device scanning.
Adding boot menu entry for EFI firmware configuration
done
root@mint:/# sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda4/boot/efi
mount: /mnt/sda4/boot/efi: Mopunt point does not exist

I tried going back and correcting the missing / but got the same return.

colorpurple21859 · 02-25-2019, 07:06 PM

after "mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/sda4"
what is the output of

Code:

ls /mnt/sda4/boot

if it says it doesn't exist, the what is output of

Code:

ls /mnt/sda4

J Harp · 02-25-2019, 07:11 PM

Still booting to windows. yancek, I'll look at those links. got to get off this one before it quits again.

J Harp · 02-25-2019, 07:56 PM

ls mnt/sda4/boot
ls: cannot access '/mnt/sda4': No such file or directory
ls /mnt/sda4
ls: cannot access '/mnt/sda4': No such file or directory

J Harp · 02-25-2019, 08:02 PM

that was cannot access '/mnt/sda4/boot': No such file or directory

colorpurple21859 · 02-25-2019, 08:04 PM

you do know every time you reboot the usb you have to reenter the commands from the start again.

Code:

sudo mkdir /mnt/sda4
sudo mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/sda4
ls /mnt/boot