Can't install linux anymore?

[Spearmint2]

Everything is 64 bit, the system is 64bit

I don't see why there would be a problem then unless ALL the ISO's you downloaded were corrupted during the download. Why not use a LIVE DVD you "burn image" to instead of trying to do this with a USB flashdrive that may not work correctly or the flashdrive have a problem, et al.?

[rene]

This one? https://www.msi.com/Laptop/support/GP62 ... d-Pro.html.

I see there's a 2018-02-22 BIOS update available that includes a microcode update for the Spectre/Meltdown hooplala. You have probably updated to it? If so, try and see if you can go back to an older BIOS for now (and note this, loudly, to MSI).

[interdigitated]

> Re: Spearmint2

I don't understand the problem either, i have checked and rechecked the iso's i've used and this is persistent with multiple iso's made using various tools: netbootin, mkusb, and etcher
The computer that I am using does not have a D drive, USB or network install are my options.

>Spectre and Meltdown
Right, i'll double check the bios version and see if that is the issue.

[interdigitated]

I checked the bios and I actually didn't update it!!!! So I did that, and I still have the same problem.

Update on my progress, windows is reinstalled and functioning properly.

I took a picture of where it freezes for linux mint, not particularly useful, but maybe classifies where I am having the issue.
It happens as soon as you click continue after entering your user name and password, the mouse is frozen too.

IMG_20180315_193312.jpg

[Spearmint2]

Now there's a new clue. Your mouse is a USB mouse? Is it a wireless mouse too with a USB receiver? Maybe you should unplug all USB devices when doing this other than the installation USB drive. Both freeze at the same time, if mouse is USB, means something odd with the USB bus perhaps on the motherboard, or how the BIOS is set to allow the USB bus. Since it's a laptop, there may be a low power condition in USB bus that causes this.

[rene]

I checked the bios and I actually didn't update it!!!! So I did that, and I still have the same problem.

Chances were fair that you'd have had the issue due to the microcode update, both giving that you didn't previously and that you seem to be on the CPU generation for which the update was in fact problematic. Would have made for a newsworthy issue...

But no further interesting ideas then so shall leave thread...

[interdigitated]

Sadly this removing the mouse had no effect. Installer freezes at the exact same spot

[rene]

But no further interesting ideas then so shall leave thread...

Well, maybe perhaps other than the old slideshow issue having made a return. Before you start the installer from the Live USB, try from a terminal:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get remove ubiquity-slideshow-mint

[interdigitated]

Ok some progress made by removing the slideshow

It gets past where it was and gets all the way to:

Installing System:

now it spits out errors over and over and the progress bar doesn't move forward but it isn't frozen.
Here is some of what it is saying

Error resolving pool 0.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org: Temporary failure in name resolution (-3)

/user/lib/ubiquity/ubiquityfrontend/gtk_components/nmwidgets.py:18 Warning: Source ID 21583 was not found when attempting to remove it Glib.source_remove(self.timeout_id)

[Spearmint2]

try a different flash drive. There's something wrong with the one you are using I think. Did you get it off EBay?

[interdigitated]

I will try another flash drive, but I’ve had this one for 3 years and have installed numerous OS's using it.

It is a kingston DataTravelier 8 gb USB 3.0

[rene]

This bug seems related or same: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1426981.

That is, I expect it's a partitioning issue; either an actual error, or an oddity that makes the installer miscalculate something. Am myself getting ready for sleep but I believe you'll want to post the output of gdisk -l /dev/sda when run from the Live USB.

[interdigitated]

Ok.

I tried a different USB stick, same outcome.
Then I tried to copy a file with the output of gdisk to a second usb stick. Inserting a second USB made the system freeze.
So I attempted the install again from a different USB port (was 3.0, moved to 2.0) Unfortunately nothing changed.


Here is the output of
gdisk -l /dev/sda

Partition table scan:
MBR: protective
BSD: not present
APM: not present
GPT: protective

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT
Disk /dev/sda: 250069680 sectors, 119.2 gb
Logical sector size: 512 gib
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last is 250069646
Partitions will be aligned on the 2048 sector boundaries
Total free space is 3344 sectors (1.6mb)

then it lists all 6 partitions
500mib: basic data partition
100 mib: EFI system partition
16 mib: Microsoft reserved
53.1 gib: basic data partition
7.5 gib
58 gib



This is a solid sate drive being used for the OS's, there a second drive for /home and windows applications and data
the output for /sdb/ is basically the same but only lists two ~500gb partitions

[Spearmint2]

Study this some, maybe a new idea will come up, especially in the part about including windows and partition types. This person is a member in these forums. He's the one who wrote the program. What size partition on sda are you attempting to install the linux? Hopefully not the 7.5GB one.

https://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/gdisk.html

https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3458

System requirements:

1GB RAM (2GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
15GB of disk space (20GB recommended).
1024×768 resolution (on lower resolutions, press ALT to drag windows with the mouse if they don’t fit in the screen).

Notes:

The 64-bit ISO can boot with BIOS or UEFI.
The 32-bit ISO can only boot with BIOS.
The 64-bit ISO is recommended for all modern computers (Almost all computers sold since 2007 are equipped with 64-bit processors).

https://www.linuxmint.com/rel_sylvia_mate.php

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/XenialXerus/ReleaseNotes

See if this method works for you. User had exact same problem as you.

viewtopic.php?t=241818#p1296476

Many others having same or similar problem.

[interdigitated]

7.5 is swap

I put / on the 58 gb and /home on on the 500gb partition on sdb


I honestly do not believe this has anything to do with partitions

I tried making my own partitions with gparted live, then installing windows then installing linux.
I also tried having the windows installer erase the entire disk, install, then try to install linux with the same problem.

The installer crashes, not just for Linux mint, but for kubuntu and is different for each release. The exception is 17.1 which installs, but can't seem to run. Also the option 'try kubuntu 17.1' also freezes.
This computer has had linux mint - cinnamon -xfce, ubuntu, kubuntu, fedora, opensuse, ubuntu studio, etc, at one time or another. running on it, all installed via liveusb. I tried a bunch of distros when I first got this laptop, no problems.
What is happening now I have no idea.

[MrEen]

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT
Disk /dev/sda: 250069680 sectors, 119.2 gb
Logical sector size: 512 gib
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last is 250069646
Partitions will be aligned on the 2048 sector boundaries
Total free space is 3344 sectors (1.6mb)

I don't know GPT/Uefi stuff at all, but could this be the problem?

[interdigitated]

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT
Disk /dev/sda: 250069680 sectors, 119.2 gb
Logical sector size: 512 gib
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last is 250069646
Partitions will be aligned on the 2048 sector boundaries
Total free space is 3344 sectors (1.6mb)


I don't know GPT/Uefi stuff at all, but could this be the problem?

Maybe? That number is the remainder of the disk that is not in a partition.
/ is on the 58 gib partition, and I assumed it would also use the EFI partition for grub.

[MrEen]

Gotcha. Was just a shot in the dark hoping to help resolve this.

One thing I don't remember seeing; in your previous successful installs, is it possible you installed in Legacy mode (not Uefi?)

[interdigitated]

The BIOS is set to UEFI and not Legacy mode (also not UEFI + CSM)

maybe I should enable compatibility mode? I don't know anything about it.

[MrEen]

Me neither. Wait for others to respond.