Linux Mint Forums

Hi fella's,

How do i properly install Linux Mint x64 (16 or 17) on my pc with uefi?
There's obviously a lot of tutorials, but all of them miss or skip one or more steps/choices/concepts.
I'm the inlucky one who has an HP(!), laptop, with Win8.1, thus uefi and GPT.
The combination you'd like to avoid..
Those things make installing Linux a little harder.
Since i'm new to this and i don't have any experience with Linux, i can certainly use some help.
I doubt if i'm even gonna succeed without it.

So here's what i'd like to know:
How should i take account of all these concepts so i can install Linux properly?
If i just follow the installation and leave (almost)all the options on default,
i get the error "grub-efi-amd64-signed package failed to install into /target/".(i tried it several times, and checksums are OK)
I looked it up and for the ubuntu-version of my problem,
the solutions was changing the name of the file in question,
because there's a bug that causes it to be incorrectly burned to CD/USB.
It resulted in adding '64'to the file's name.
However this was not the solution in my case. Or, there's another file which is faulty burned.

I can imagine there are a lot more of points where it could have gone wrong.
For instance, the option for the location of the bootloader.
I'm using my internal SSD for windows system, and i'm using my ext.hdd for windows files, and linux.
Now the install-wizard chooses my ssd(dev/sda) as the target for the bootloader, but maybe i should choose my ext.hdd?
Or create a /boot partition and use that as the target? Or the Windows efi partition? I don't know.
Secureboot, and fastboot are disabled, uefi is enabled but this shouldn't be a problem.

Sorry for the long story, but i wanted to make things clear so people can help me easier.
If anyony has ideas or suggestions/answers, i thank you greatly.
PS: If linux asks me to unmount partitions, should i choose yes, or would this mess windows things up?

This should answer your questions: Guideline for Installing Mint on a Windows 8/8.1 Computer.

P.s. Have heard from many people that this is the best program to use to make a UEFI bootable USB from Windows: http://rufus.akeo.ie/.

As far as i can see i have followed the same steps when i tried to install, but i didn't select the efi partition as target for the bootloader. People recommenden to leave it as default in tutorials.
And i used linux live usb creator.
I don't know if this is the most clever descision in my case, because i'm installing linux on my ext.hdd and now the bootloader would be on my ssd.
Or is this perfectly possible?
Didn't boot the dvd in efi mode either, at least not purposely. I don't know if this makes a difference.
I'm trying again, but with those changes and i hope it wil succeed.

I don't think there is any reason for you to worry about installing Mint in UEFI mode.
If you have Windows and the Windows bootloader installed to the internal SSD, then you have the freedom to install Mint and the Mint bootloader (GRUB) to the external drive in any way you chose - UEFI or not, your choice.

I am saying this on the assumption that the Mint GRUB will be able to see and include Windows in the GRUB menu. I have no way of testing that, but I believe it will work.

DO NOT install the Mint bootloader to the Windows drive. Why would you?

You mean i should install grub on my ext.hdd as well?
I got that idea too at first cause it'd be the same as if there was no windows at all and only the ext.hdd would be used.
but people recommended me the way i described in my post.
Since EFI stuff is stored in the efi partition on ssd it seemed reasonable for me.
But how would you recommend me to do it? Create a /boot partition on ext.hdd and select that as the target?
And how big should it be, around 250mb?

I tried again with those changes but now i got the error: 'Executing 'grub-install /dev/sda1'failed. this is a fatal error.'
I tried to use boot-repair to fix it, but this needs an internet to work properly, but i cannot enable my wifi antenna.
I usually do this by pressing fn+f12 but this doesn't work in boot-repair environment. anyone suggestions?
If i can't use boot-repair, i'll try again with efi installed on the hdd as well. don't know if that's gonna work.

austin.texas wrote:I don't think there is any reason for you to worry about installing Mint in UEFI mode.
If you have Windows and the Windows bootloader installed to the internal SSD, then you have the freedom to install Mint and the Mint bootloader (GRUB) to the external drive in any way you chose - UEFI or not, your choice.

I am saying this on the assumption that the Mint GRUB will be able to see and include Windows in the GRUB menu. I have no way of testing that, but I believe it will work.

DO NOT install the Mint bootloader to the Windows drive. Why would you?

Sorry, i should've quoted you in my first post. i'll do it now to let you know i reacted on your reaction.

The most common cause of a failure of GRUB to install is a failure to disable Fast Startup in Windows. Note that I'm talking about a Windows feature. Disabling a feature with a similar name in the firmware is not sufficient. (It's often not necessary, either.)

Once you've done that, you can try re-installing again; or you can try using my rEFInd boot manager on CD-R or USB flash drive. (There are downloadable images for both.) If it enables you to boot to both Windows and Mint, install the Debian package in Mint.

srs5694 wrote:The most common cause of a failure of GRUB to install is a failure to disable Fast Startup in Windows. Note that I'm talking about a Windows feature. Disabling a feature with a similar name in the firmware is not sufficient. (It's often not necessary, either.)

Once you've done that, you can try re-installing again; or you can try using my rEFInd boot manager on CD-R or USB flash drive. (There are downloadable images for both.) If it enables you to boot to both Windows and Mint, install the Debian package in Mint.

I disabled fastboot from the moment i got my pc so that wouldn't be a problem. What would you recommend me to do with rEFInd? Fix the incorrect installed bootloader or tweak some things before an installation? Sorry, i'm a newbie at linux..

biertje wrote:I disabled fastboot from the moment i got my pc so that wouldn't be a problem.

You missed the point of what srs5694 said. He was referring to the Windows "Fast Startup" feature, not "fastboot" in your boot config. Follow his link.

srs5694 wrote:The most common cause of a failure of GRUB to install is a failure to disable Fast Startup in Windows. Note that I'm talking about a Windows feature. Disabling a feature with a similar name in the firmware is not sufficient. (It's often not necessary, either.)

austin.texas wrote:

biertje wrote:I disabled fastboot from the moment i got my pc so that wouldn't be a problem.

You missed the point of what srs5694 said. He was referring to the Windows "Fast Startup" feature, not "fastboot" in your boot config. Follow his link.

srs5694 wrote:The most common cause of a failure of GRUB to install is a failure to disable Fast Startup in Windows. Note that I'm talking about a Windows feature. Disabling a feature with a similar name in the firmware is not sufficient. (It's often not necessary, either.)

Sorry i meant Fast Startup indeed, i've disbled that from the beginning. (so no, there's no hyberfile.sys on my C: anymore)