Solved: Cannot install 18.3 Cinnamon 64 on 4TB drive - won't boot

[SunWorks]

Hello,
Having installed Mint countless times and 18.3 many times, this is a new problem that appears to be associated with a HD larger than 2TB, specifically a 4TB drive.

After formatting the 4TB drive using GParted the same way done on a 1TB drive just a few days earlier, I installed Mint 18.3 Cinnamon 64.

Upon reboot after installation, it gets past the BIOS screen and stops:
"No boot device available - strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility"

Tried multiple things:

• Reinstalled

• Changed partition table type from "msdos" to "gpt"

• (partition table screenshot attached)

There was an installation message that I have not seen on drives 2TB or smaller and do not know what this means. So I clicked "continue" but have this instinct that the problem may be represented here.

"The partition table format in use on your disks normally requires you to create a separate partition for boot loader code. This partition should be marked for use as a "Reserved BIOS boot area" and should be at least 1MB in size. Not that this is not the same as a partition mounted on /boot."

If this represents the problem, I do not know how to solve it. Help is greatly appreciated.

Because I do not know what this represents nor the solution, I just clicked "Continue" and it *appeared* to complete the installation as shown in the third screenshot.

However, it won't boot.

Thank you,
Clinton

Dell Optiplex 780 Quad Core Tower.
16GB RAM
4TB HD.

[catweazel]

I just clicked "Continue" and it *appeared* to complete the installation as shown in the third screenshot.

However, it won't boot.

Thank you,
Clinton

Dell Optiplex 780 Quad Core Tower.

It could well be that your machine's BIOS doesn't support booting from disks >2TB. I recommend investigating that possibility. 8 or so years ago, when that machine was new, there was a kludge in the BIOS to allow machines to see >2TB but not necessarily allowing booting from them.

[SunWorks]

Thank you for the quick reply.

That thought crossed my mind when I saw the BIOS (screenshot attached), so I updated the BIOS from v4 to v14 which is the most recent. That did not change this particular BIOS setting.

The BIOS screen shows a "500GB" hard drive which would support what you are saying.

But then how come Mint sees it, partitions it, and I can write files to it (from a Live USB boot)?

Is this one of those crazy situations where I need to have a small HD for the boot drive, then use the Big HD for my Home partition?

Oh my... I was planning on having two 4TB drives, using one as backup.

What you are implying is that if the BIOS doesn't support a > 2TB boot, the OS cannot get out of the so-called starting gate, but once the computer is up and running, Mint-64 itself says "no problem" using it.

I hope there's a work-around...

When I bought them, I was *not* aware of the complications when attempting to use an HD larger than 2TB.

Crossing my fingers.
Clinton

[catweazel]

The BIOS screen shows a "500GB" hard drive which would support what you are saying.

But then how come Mint sees it, partitions it, and I can write files to it (from a Live USB boot)?

That would make sense with what I said previously. A sudden flash from the past is telling me that perhaps you could check the BIOS for a setting that reads something like LBA translation, LBA or Logical block addressing (LBA) and if you find it, make sure it's turned on. All of this may be a furphy though, as your machine has an older Serial ATA interface, but at my age I don't expect memories to come flooding back fully intact as they just did so it was a bit of a shock to the system ... Your BIOS supports MBR but doesn't support GPT disks, which is what you need to boot from >2TB, but linux does support GPT. This might explain why your machine can't see the big drive but linux can. It might be worth loading a live session to see if you can write data to that big disk from there.

I'm afraid that you may have to make do with a smaller boot drive and a large data drive.

Thank you for the quick reply.

You're more than welcome.

[SunWorks]

I'm feeling better now.

This was a bit frustrating, but now, am cautiously optimistic that the solution may actually be better than having the boot happen from the spindled 4TB HD.

• Add a 64gb SSD

• Make two partitions

• One boot partition

• One swap partition

• Use the 4TB HD for "Home"

From what I am reading this could / would / will? provide a noticeable performance boost to the system as a whole.

But I will snoop around the "BIOS for a setting that reads something like LBA translation, LBA or Logical block addressing (LBA) and if you find it, make sure it's turned on."

I did check and verify that i can read and write to the 4TB HD. Put a file there and was able to open it with an application. That's a big plus! It just seems that the issue is stuck in the BIOS, but if I go the SSD route??

Could end up more pleased than expected.

Fortunately there are enough SATA ports and space in the tower box to get a SSD in there no sweat.

Thanks again. Will keep the forum updated on anything I do on my end.

Best,
Clinton

[catweazel]

Could end up more pleased than expected.

Adding an SSD will make a huge difference to performance. Even with a more recent SSD you'll get close to the full 300MB/s bandwidth out of your older SATA II interface.

Good luck, and I'm glad I could help you.

Cheers.

[SunWorks]

Yah.
As soon as the thought of a separate boot drive came to mind, my mind started racing, aka "SSD syndrome"

One more question if you are so kind.
The Optiplex 780 holds a maximum 16gb RAM.
Meaning the maximum amount of swap I would possibly use is 2x that, or 32gb.
Add to that, a boot partition where 32gb would be huge for my needs.

Is there any reason on the planet why i would want a SSD larger than 64gb?

32gb would be too small, but i sure don't see any reason for a SSD larger than 64gb.

Thx!

[austin.texas]

There was an installation message that I have not seen on drives 2TB or smaller and do not know what this means. So I clicked "continue" but have this instinct that the problem may be represented here.

"The partition table format in use on your disks normally requires you to create a separate partition for boot loader code. This partition should be marked for use as a "Reserved BIOS boot area" and should be at least 1MB in size. Not that this is not the same as a partition mounted on /boot."

If this represents the problem, I do not know how to solve it. Help is greatly appreciated.

Here is what you need to know about that "separate partition for boot loader code" - Tutorial: Install in Legacy mode to GPT Partitions

[catweazel]

Is there any reason on the planet why i would want a SSD larger than 64gb?

I think you'll find the smallest nowadays is 128GB.

[SunWorks]

Here is what you need to know about that "separate partition for boot loader code" - Tutorial: Install in Legacy mode to GPT Partitions

Thank you for the tutorial.
Just to clarify... this tutorial does not solve my inability to boot a 4TB drive, but answers how to set up a "separate partition for boot loader code", correct?

And finally, the reason for this tutorial shows how to install Mint in "legacy" mode to an HD with GPT partitions?

Best regards,
clinton

[SunWorks]

I think you'll find the smallest nowadays is 128GB.

Agreed.
Although the marginal cost of going to a 256gb is low, for boot and swap I don't need it, so to get a new, up-to-date chip set, I think the 128gb SATA drive is my best option.

Thank you,
clinton

[austin.texas]

Just to clarify... this tutorial does not solve my inability to boot a 4TB drive, but answers how to set up a "separate partition for boot loader code", correct?

It could do both. If you set up the necessary partition for the bootloader, your installation should then work.

And finally, the reason for this tutorial shows how to install Mint in "legacy" mode to an HD with GPT partitions?

Yes, how to " Install in Legacy mode to GPT Partitions "
as opposed to installing in UEFI mode to GPT partitions.

[SunWorks]

Just to clarify... this tutorial does not solve my inability to boot a 4TB drive, but answers how to set up a "separate partition for boot loader code", correct?

It could do both. If you set up the necessary partition for the bootloader, your installation should then work.

And finally, the reason for this tutorial shows how to install Mint in "legacy" mode to an HD with GPT partitions?

Yes, how to " Install in Legacy mode to GPT Partitions "
as opposed to installing in UEFI mode to GPT partitions.

OK.
Since the Optiplex 780 does not use UEFI, that is moot, but it could/would be necessary if I choose to try booting from the HD.

However... right now I see a lot of reasons to make the boot partition and swap files run off a SATA SSD.

Fast boot.
Fast program loading.
Minimal write cycles to the SSD.
Use the big spinner (HD) for Home.

Just trying to find the best choise (reliability and cost) for the SSD.

Any reason you can see for *not* going SSD for boot 'n swap?

Thanks,
Clinton

[austin.texas]

Any reason you can see for *not* going SSD for boot 'n swap?

I have my root partition on a 128GB SSD, and the swap partition on the big HDD.
With 8GB of ram, the swap is most likely never going to be used, so I can't think of any advantage to having it on the SSD. It would just take up room on that small drive.

[SunWorks]

Any reason you can see for *not* going SSD for boot 'n swap?

I have my root partition on a 128GB SSD, and the swap partition on the big HDD.
With 8GB of ram, the swap is most likely never going to be used, so I can't think of any advantage to having it on the SSD. It would just take up room on that small drive.

Understood.
But my root partition is never over 30gb so there is a lot of space there just hanging out. I figure putting the SWAP there cannot hurt and will leave the big HDD solely for Home.

It seems a rather mute point where SWAP goes, especially if one does not utilize hibernate, so taking some of that unused space and putting swap there? meh... why not.

6 of one, half dozen of the other, as I see it.

Deciding which SSD is a little trickier, but think I am over analyzing it.
Right now, think the SK Hynix SL308 2.5" 120GB SATA SSD looks as good as any. Got great reviews when it came out. Tom's HW still rates that family of products highly... and the price is right.

thx.

[SunWorks]

As an update, I feel very happy with the result.

Installed a 128GB SSD.
Used the SSD as the boot and root partition.
Put swap on the SSD as well, but that's only because there was plenty of space left on the SSD and my setup doesn't write to swap very much at all. In other words... it really didn't / doesn't matter.
Using the entire 4TB spindle / hard drive for Home partition.

Result is fast booting and quick performing system with a massive amount of data storage for multimedia.

Thank you everybody for your guidance.

Clinton