Cannot install linux mint

[beacon]

I post this reluctantly, given the response to an earlier post (viewtopic.php?f=48&t=258291) and have waited months to do so. However, I think there must be a solution. This is similar to the earlier post but quite separate I believe.
The problem is that after years of using Linux Mint, and installing one update after another, I had a problem with 18.3: essentially it does not perform properly. The earlier post concerned the inability to play videos from a specific site or those embedded in newspapers, for example. There is also a problem with downloading software. I did three clean installs from two different sources, and nothing helped. At the same time, the same updates on my partner's computers were successful. I might add that I also tried to revert to an earlier version which had worked, but it no longer did.

Consequently I decided there was something amiss with the hardware and had a new computer from the company with which I have dealt for years. They provided a machine with the following specs:

New Computer System
AMD Ryzen CPU Quad Core w/
Integrated Graphics
8GB DDR4 RAM
240GB SSD
Fractal Design Micro ATX Case
Optical Disk Drive
500W 80+ Power Supply

We cannot install Linux Mint, although we have used a download and two separate disks that I had used previously. We can only get a message that we are in software rendering mode, and that is it. After all attempts failed I agreed to an installation of Ubuntu, which worked until I tried the Mate desktop when the same problems recurred. It is impossible to download any of the software that I used previously, and of course there is no video play. They are now going to install the new version of Ubuntu, but I don't want that. I want Linux Mint which I have found great for so many years.

I'd be really grateful if someone can explain what is wrong and how I can correct it. If professional computer lads are having problems I don't think I can be entirely the blame, and surely someone else has had the same difficulties.

[deepakdeshp]

Please see if this works.
viewtopic.php?t=245442

[beacon]

Thank you very much for your quick reply. I sent the reference you mentioned to my computer people and had this reply: 'The Ryzen 7 1800 is an older chip from last year. Unfortunately that article does not help with the chip in your new machine as that is brand new'. They seem to be saying that I shall have to wait until Mint catches up. I am not profoundly technological, so I have to rely on what I am told but very much appreciate your help.

[ClixTrix]

From your initial post about integrated GPU and the last response, I'm guessing you have a Raven Ridge Ryzen, either the 2200G or 2400G. Those are 1st generation Ryzen with the integrated Vega GPU that was just released in February. The packaging for Mint 18.3 (with Ubuntu 16.04 base) was last December. Mint 18.3 came with Kernel 4.10.

Support for Raven Ridge Vega GPU was only recently added to Kernel 4.15. There is a long thread here discussing Raven Ridge and some early attempts.

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=264133&p=1456755&h ... G#p1456755

My best suggestions are to try install of the 4.15 kernel now available in Update Manager (under the View drop-down select Linux Kernels). Use of Ukuu shouldn't be necessary for that change since that release.

You also stated you tried Ubuntu. However, the latest 18.04 LTS was just released a few days ago and comes with the 4.15 kernel as base. You could also test Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.

Mint 19 should be out by end of June and the beta out in a few weeks for test. Mint 19 will base on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Hopefully, fingers crossed, that will give you full Raven Ridge support.

If you decide to try my suggestions, post back and let the Forum know how it goes.

[fabien85]

+1 on trying Ubuntu 18.04 that just came out
and/or waiting for Mint 19 in June.

[beacon]

Hello Clix Trix. Thank you for your response. I'm sorry that I haven't replied sooner, but I didn't receive notification and it came to my attention just now when I was searching for something else.
In the interval my designer installed another chip that is not as 'cutting edge' as the initial one, and things are functioning a bit better. I can play embedded videos but often not those from a particular site. MiniTube, e.g., refuses to work.

I am looking forward to Mint 19 and hope I don't spoil everything when I try to install it.

Regards

[beacon]

This is an addendum to my earlier post. I suggested there that I thought things had improved, but that is not the case. It would require an enormous amount of space to send all the messages I receive when trying to install or download. I can't get wireless connection, and even the helpful post I received a couple of years ago and have used several times in that respect has not done the job this time. I still have LM18.3, which is the same as on the new device, so I'm not certain why there is such a difference. I have decided to go back to my old computer, which despite all the problems with videos worked better, and hope that I have better luck when LM 19 arrives.
I appreciate the help I have been offered.

[fabien85]

If you have succesfully installed, then you can update to a new kernel and that should hopefully iron out many problems that you currently have.
In the update manager, go to View > Linux kernels, then in the left column you have kernel series. Click on 4.15, then on the latest version (4.15.0-20 at the moment I am writing) and click install. It will ask for your password and take a few minutes to install. Then reboot and you should now be using the new kernel. You can check this with uname -r in a terminal, which outputs the kernel version you are using.
With a 4.15 kernel, some things should hopefully go better (although for the wireless, the main thing is to find a good driver, try Menu > Administration > Driver Manager).

[beacon]

I'm sorry I have taken a while to get back to you, fabien85. I checked and learned that I was using the 4.15 kernel when the problems arose. I can't understand why after all these years using Mint, and more recently 18.3, there should be so many difficulties. Many thanks for your suggestions.

[fabien85]

Hi,
I'm not sure what to say if kernel 4.15 is not working. AMD CPUs are supposed to be well supported by linux usually, and the first Ryzens were supported by 4.10. I dont have an AMD to check and testify.
Maybe try an older kernel as test. To play with kernels, you will need to make the grub screen appear at boot (which is described below), and go to "Advanced options for Linux Mint ..." to select the kernel you want to boot.
If your CPU is bleeding edge, then maybe you will need to wait a bit before full support comes. Fedora 28 features kernel 4.16, so you could try that. Beyond that, I dont know personally.

To make the grub screen appear at boot :
edit the grub defaults with sudo xed /etc/default/grub, put a # before GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0 then run sudo update-grub

[beacon]

Thanks again for your help. I am not making much progress. I followed your instructions, but when I tried to update grub, I got the following: < /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 35: /etc/default/grub: Syntax error: EOF in backquote substitution>. I am not able to know what that means or what to do. Any suggestions are welcome.

[fabien85]

It means that you made a mistake (probably a small typo somewhere) when editing /etc/default/grub
The original file contains this :

Code: Select all

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
#   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

You just want to put a # in front of the seventh line, so that it looks like this :

Code: Select all

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
#   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

[beacon]

I truly appreciate your help, but I'm afraid trying the suggestion led to no improvement.