[SOLVED] Cannot install LMDE4 from USB stick

[br1anstorm]

I'm changing and (re)installing the operating systems on one of my laptops after adding an additional SSD.... and I came across something slightly odd.

I had prepared separate bootable USB sticks with the ISOs of Mint 19.3 and LMDE4 (and another with MXLinux....). All ran successfully in Live sessions.

I've been a Mint XFCE user for years, but thought I might give LMDE4 a go. So I booted up that USB stick, and clicked the "Install" icon on screen. Nothing happened. So, thinking it might be a slight problem with the icon, I then opened the menu, found the 'install' entry there, and clicked. Nothing happened.

So .... I gave up and instead booted into a Live session of Mint 19.3 from that USB. Clicked on the 'Install' icon..... and away we went. So I went ahead and installed Mint 19.3 instead.

Which leaves the unanswered question: why wouldn't LMDE4 install from its USB, when all the other actions/operations function properly in a Live session from that stick? I can't now recall exactly when I created the USB, but I think I made them all (LMDE4, Mint 19.3 and MXLinux) at about the same time, on the same brand and model of Sandisk USB, and - I think - using Rufus (in Windows) to actually make the bootable USBs from the saved ISOs.

It's no big deal. I'll get round to making another attempt to install LMDE4 at some stage. But I'd still like to know why its USB wouldn't play when I tried....

[spamegg]

This is a known issue, it's probably because LMDE4 iso comes with an older kernel and the installation does not work on newer hardware.

I had this issue myself during a beta and I saw that it was reported: https://github.com/linuxmint/lmde-4-cin ... /issues/50

There is not much that can be done because LMDE4 is based on an older Debian release, and that Debian version's default kernel is simply behind.

The purpose of LMDE is to see how much work would be needed from the Mint devs if they had to abandon Ubuntu base. It's not their primary focus so they don't put too much work into LMDE. Mint devs would have to go through modifying the Debian base they are working with, put a new kernel in there and everything, and it's probably too much work for them. They simply have to wait for upstream changes in Debian to switch to a newer kernel. These issues would probably go away in LMDE5 when they base it on the latest Debian version with a newer kernel.

[br1anstorm]

Thanks @spamegg - I rather suspected I wasn't the first to come across the problem.... although I thought that it might be something to do with the USB stick itself.

The odd thing is that I wasn't trying to install LMDE4 into a new high-spec machine, but into a Lenovo T230 laptop which must be at least three or four years old, with an Intel Core i5-3320M CPU. And (although the install process wouldn't even begin) I would have been trying to install it in Legacy mode on that machine, so the UEFI angle seems irrelevant.

And when all the other click-icons in the menu seem to work when running in a Live session of LMDE from that USB stick, how is it that the 'install' one doesn't? This may be a technical issue that is well outside my comfort zone!

EDIT: a bit more information (or another clue). I booted from that same USB stick into a Live session of LMDE4 on another laptop (an HP Elitebook 820, again not a new machine - has an Intel Core i5-4300 CPU). Again, all the click-icon options worked in Live session - but the "Install Linux Mint" did not function, either from the on-screen icon or from within the menu. Go figure....

[all41]

The LMDE4 kernel is newer than the 19.3 kernel--out of the box

This is incorrect

LMDE4 installs 4.19 kernel, Mint 19.3 installs 5.0 series ootb
doh

[spamegg]

The LMDE4 kernel is newer than the 19.3 kernel--out of the box

It is? Huh interesting, my bad then. Apologies for the false info.
They must have updated the ISO, it was quite a long while ago when I tried to install it.
Then there is some other issue.

[br1anstorm]

I don't want to be accused of double posting.... but I started a thread in the main forum before noticing that there was an "installation" subforum in this LMDE section.

So I mention it here in case LMDE experts don't browse the main forums!

The issue, in a nutshell, is that the "Install" icon/command simply doesn't work in a Live session of LMDE4 running from a bootable USB stick. The Live session itself runs normally, and all the other click-buttons work fine. My earlier post was at viewtopic.php?f=46&t=349797, but the moderators have now kindly moved and merged it, so those earlier posts are above....

I've tried the same USB stick in two separate laptops. Same problem. Is there some flaw in the original LMDE4 ISO, I wonder? I think I downloaded it about six months ago (and checked its integrity then). Any thoughts would be welcome.

[Moem]

I don't want to be accused of double posting.... but I started a thread in the main forum before noticing that there was an "installation" subforum in this LMDE section.

That is what we call 'double posting' though.
Both topics now merged. If it happens again, please ask a moderator to move your posting to the correct location (reporting it is a good way to do so). Even if there was no 'Installation and boot' subforum under the LMDE section, a topic about LMDE does not belong in the Main Edition section. That way lies confusion and time-wasting.

[senjoz]

I suggest that you prepare a USB stick with only LMDE 4 installation, without LM 19.3 and MXLinux. Use terminal command similar to dd bs=4M if=/home/user/Downloads/lmde-4-cinnamon-64bit.iso of=/dev/sdx status=progress && sync.


Reards, Jože

[br1anstorm]

That is what we call 'double posting' though.
Both topics now merged. If it happens again, please ask a moderator to move your posting to the correct location (reporting it is a good way to do so). Even if there was no 'Installation and boot' subforum under the LMDE section, a topic about LMDE does not belong in the Main Edition section. That way lies confusion and time-wasting.

Thanks Moem - I was aware that I was bending the rules, but didn't know how to arrange for the relocation of my post - so thanks both for doing that and for explaining. I'll remember for next time, I promise!

[br1anstorm]

I suggest that you prepare a USB stick with only LMDE 4 installation, without LM 19.3 and MXLinux. ....

Reards, Jože

Thanks, @senjoz, but perhaps my original post wasn't clear. I had three separate but identical Sandisk USB sticks. I had only a single distro on each one. So while running a live session from the USB with LMDE4, the 'install' icon wouldn't work. When running either the LM19.3 or MXLinux USBs, the 'install' icons/commands work fine.

So is there a problem with the LMDE4 ISO? I suppose I can just download another ISO and prepare another bootable USB. But I raised the issue in case it was a known fault or something to which others had found a solution.

[senjoz]

I suppose I can just download another ISO and prepare another bootable USB.

Yes, I would prepare a bootable USB stick again (not another stick, use the same USB stick).

Reards, Jože

[br1anstorm]

Well, I think the problem may be solved.

I downloaded another ISO of LMDE4 today, and used Rufus to create a bootable USB (using the same Sandisk stick as before).

I ran a Live session from it on the Lenovo T430 laptop...... and this time yes, the "install" icon on the screen (and the same choice in the menu) opened up the Installer.

So I can only conclude that the previous LMDE4 ISO downloaded a few months ago must have been flawed or faulty.

Looks as if I can mark this thread "Solved".

Thanks again to all who commented.

[all41]

The LMDE4 kernel is newer than the 19.3 kernel--out of the box

It is? Huh interesting, my bad then. Apologies for the false info.
They must have updated the ISO, it was quite a long while ago when I tried to install it.
Then there is some other issue.

Just to be sure I installed both on an extra drive.
You were correct and I was wrong re this. Those apologies are now reversed.