LM13 Error: Unknown File System - Grub Rescue (Separate HDD)

[zachwulf]

Hi all,

Let me just state that I am a newbie with Linux Mint. That said, I've been trying to run 64-bit LM13 Cinnamon on a separate 2.5" laptop hard drive enclosed in a USB drive case. It will install just fine and boot the first time (I have done this 4 times now), but upon rebooting I'm given the prompt:

Error: Unkown File System
Grub Rescue \>

I have searched other forums and this one, and I tried using Super Grub Disk to fix Grub, however it was not able to detect anything at all even when that drive was the only one connected to the laptop. I am totally at a loss for what to do.

Is it just the nature of having an internal HDD hooked up to a USB enclosure that's giving me problems? My laptop is set to boot from USB first by default, so I just wanted to have it to where if it was plugged in I could use Mint, otherwise I could use Windows.

Thanks for any and all help.

[oobetimer]

You have met a BIOS limit .. I think. An external USB installation requires a proper partitioning, where the bootable partition cannot be too far from the beginning of the disk. My suggestion about partitioning:

1. / partition --> 10 to 20 BG primary
2. swap partition --> 1 to 2 GB
3. /home partition --> 10 to 1000´000 GB

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Large-Disk-HOWTO-4.html

[zachwulf]

Thanks for your help, oobetimer. I was wondering about the /boot partition as well. How large should that be?

[oobetimer]

Thanks for your help, oobetimer. I was wondering about the /boot partition as well. How large should that be?

Basically 0,1 GB is enough but 0,3 to 0,5 GB is better, because updates increases more kernels and initrds to the /boot partition.