Linux Mint 18.3 fails to install on HP laptop
 

I tried installing Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon Sylvia alongside Windows 10 on an HP 15-db0004dx laptop with Windows 10 Home edition.
First tried with a USB stick, and then with a DVD. Both failed to
install properly.
Partitions were created, but they are empty. When I
click install Mint, it starts up slowly, then shows 3 sets of errors,
then just sits there. I don't think I can copy the errors because the
install is incomplete, and they go away pretty quickly. There are nearly a page full of errors in each stack,

I got completely befuddled and gave up on SHA verification, I'll try
again after a fresh download.

The big question is, should I delete those empty partitions before trying again? Hope the screenshots work. Thanks
Jim

Seems like you have recent hardware, maybe your computer is a 2017 model?

If so I recommend to give the current Mint 19 a release try. Mint 18 was based on the 2016 release of Ubuntu, so it won't have great support for 2017 hardware. :)

Thanks snowpine,

I'll give the 19 release a try, then try to switch to the next LTS version when it comes out.

Should I delete the empty partitions which were created for and by the failed install? That's my main concern, I don't want to mess up the system, or wipe out windows.

Jim

format before install, if you like the way your partitions are setup, if not, then redo everything.

Linux Mint 19 is an LTS release.

https://linuxmint.com/download_all.php

Thanks yancek,

I have 19.1 on a usb stick, verified by sha256, but the computer won't boot from it. I think I'm going to have to get into boot manager and change to Ubuntu boot manager, I hope that is a safe thing to do.

The boot order is set to boot from usb diskett on key first, dvd drive second, then OS boot manager. I have tried with safe boot enabled, and disabled. It eventually boots to Windows 10 every time.

Jim

the HP's I use have this for BIOS, first hit 'esc' to get option list, then 'F9' for boot from. So I just plug in a usb stick and do that then it shows bootable items, I select usb stick and I'm off and booting into it.

That's the way it work on my HP also, F10 option after Esc to access BIOS setup. I'm not sure that's the case for all HP computers but when I do this, it will show the usb by name of manufacturer.

In the initial post, you indicate 'partitions were created' but don't explain how. Did you do this with the installer? With some partition manager before trying to install? Giving us some idea of what the errors are and at what point in your attempted install they occur would be usful.

You indicate you went through the install or partial install and then found your Linux partitions were empty. How did you ascertain this, from the Mint USB? Other method?

Thanks BW-userx & yancek

That does work to some extent. I must do some errands, I'll explain further and answer yancek's questions when I return.

Jim

To explain, when I do power button and esc if I do f9 it boots from usb stick, but Tessa doesn't take off and run, I haven't got around to studying the run command yet. If I do power button and esc then f10, the bios is set to boot from usb stick first, but after pressing f10 to exit and continue, the computer takes a s while and boots to windows.

When I first tried to install Sylvia I got into Windows partition manager and shrunk the 900+ partition to make room for Mint. I chose 35GB for the Mint installation. I didn't do any mire partitioning, I have 8GB ram so didn't think I needed a swap partition.

In setting up the install I chose the first option, install mint alongside windows. I don't recall every step, and I didn't take screenshots because I wasn't anticipating a problem. I thought the installation had completed, a restart was called for, or for some reason I tried to restart, but it wouldn't boot, I looked at the partition table, and the 35 GB had been split into 26.52 GB and 7.66 GB.Partitions 1,6,and7 each show 100% free space, that's why I called them empty. You can see that in the screensht in my first post. This is from memory and I may have missed some points.

Further attempts to install Sylvia gave the three sets of errors and then hung up and wouldn't do anything else. I couldn't get my phone camera on quick enough to get pictures of the errors. Gotta go now for a few hours.

oohhh I do not let the install program do its thing, I always select do something else, then manually set it up to where to install everything. So I have no experience in the install alongside windows option. if there is a place somewhere within that setup to tell it where to install grub make sure it is pointing to your boot drive. I've seen it always picking my SD card slot , because I keep a split one in there for data and swap, and have to change it.

So this might be the what and why it is going to windows if you have a Linux already installed, because it did not install the grub in the proper place, if this is not uefi mind you. if it is then you might have to boot a live OS and get into the boot partition on the system and do a name change of the uefi grub file, maybe even have to move it. but I too only have done that once or twice so it is not burned into my memory for all of the details. I'd have to try to recall and just figure it out as I go. if i had to do it again.

you can try to reinstall or if you have supergrub2 on a stick use that to see if it will pick up the partiton old school, because it might not see a grub entry for it. its something like, I forget the name for it, if I even ever knew it, it is someting like

(msdos 0,2)

where format type, first number indicates hd, and second number indicates partition. for hard drive and partition OS boot is on, and it is zero based.

mount off of live os and chroot install grub. in lue of reinstall.

did you use 32 bit or 64 bit iso?

Did you install windows 10 or was it pre-installed? Do you know if it was UEFI? Your first partition looks like it could be an EFI partition or possibly a boot partition. I would also agree that using the Install Alongside option is not best, particularly with an EFI install. Can you boot the Mint usb and from a terminal run; sudo parted -l
post the output as that should tell whether you have an EFI partition. Use the manual Something Else option.

Thanks Fellows,

It's 64 bit system, and I downloaded the 19.1 cinnamon 64bit.iso. I think I forgot to say that I set it to boot from the Ubuntu boot manager, but that made no difference.

Experience or lack of it makes a difference. My last try at installing Ubuntu as dual boot with Win 7 wiped out Windows. I don't want that to happen again, that's why I tried to let the system do it, but looks like that was a mistake. I've mostly been a user, I do very little of this kind of thing. Use of the command line is not easy for me, I get lots of "no such file or directory", but I keep trying.

I'll see if I can locate grub and get it where it belongs. I'm slow at this stuff so it may take a while, but I will let you know when I succeed, I do appreciate the help.

yancek, your post came in while I was typing. It is preinstalled Windows with UEFI. I will try your suggestion and let you know the result. That may take a while, I'm slow.