Install of Linux Mint Cinnamon Failed

[goodacreng]

I have tried and failed to install Linux Mint Cinnamon adjacent to Windows 8.1 in a dual install configuration. I think that the problem is related to the 3 recovery partitions that Windows 8 and higher put at the front of the disc and which are intended to contain a recovery program that is invokes when the user wants to save his system image, the idea being that he can restart from this point when all else fails after a crash. During the install the Linux installer noticed these partitions and asked if I wanted to dismount them ; I replied no as I was frightened that the EFI volume would become inaccessible. I noticed that the usual option to install Linux next to Windows was not offered and the 'install' the installer reported that there was no operating system om the disc; Windows or Linux.

Does anyone have any idea what happened.

[slipstick]

I don't know what happened, but this tutorial may be helpful:

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=163126

[michael louwe]

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The Win 8 partitions should be unmounted.

Mounted = is active.

[goodacreng]

I went through it again and dismounted the Windows partitions at the front of the disc, then I got into a morass where I had to specify what partition (in a partition table) Linux should be installed in and I took what seemed to be the obvious choice of sda4 , but just guessing really as it was the one following the windows partition, and got back a message saying that "No root file 'had been defined. I guess I shouldn't be messing around like this as I don't know Linux very well at all.

[michael louwe]

@ goodacreng, .......

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For some guidance on dual-booting LM alongside Win 10/8.1 in UEFI and GPT-disk mode, please refer to .......
viewtopic.php?f=42&t=163126 (Tutorial for dual-booting UEFI computers)
http://linuxmint-installation-guide.rea ... en/latest/
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... ct/windows
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... nt-install
https://www.tecmint.com/install-linux-m ... uefi-mode/ (note step 17 - if Win 8.x/10 could not boot, <sudo update-grub>)
viewtopic.php?f=42&t=122276 (manual partitioning Tutorial for Legacy BIOS mode and MBR/ms-dos disks)[use as a guide for UEFI mode install]

Ensure that Secure Boot, Fast Boot and CSM(or Legacy BIOS) are disabled in BIOS Setup, Fast Startup is disabled in Win 10/8.1(>Control Panel >Power options) and the Live LM media(DVD or USB-stick) is booted in UEFI mode from the Boot Menu in BIOS Setup.

To dual-boot, you only need to pre-shrink the Windows partition if you intend to use the manual "Something else" install method, ie no need to do so if you intend to use the automatic "install LM alongside Windows Boot Manager" method, which will be followed by the LM Installer auto-partitioning the disk and auto-installing the Linux Grub bootloader onto the Windows ESP. Only a root / and swap partition(or swap file for LM 19) will be auto-created with a total default size of about 20GB. The user will be given the option to increase this default size by moving a slider on the colored Partition table, subject to the maximum available free space in the Windows partition.

For the "Something else" install method, manually partition the pre-shrunk free space accordingly, eg 50GB for /, 1.5X RAM size for Swap(at the end of this space)[the Swap partition is no longer needed for LM 19] and 200GB for Home; and ensure that the "Device for boot loader installation" is the Windows EFI System Partition(= ESP = fat32/about 104MB/mount point is /boot/efi or flagged as boot,esp) which is usually dev/sda1.
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P S - Certain OEM Win 8.x/10 laptops, eg Acer, Asus and HP, have an obstructive or pro-M$ BIOS Setup setting for "select an UEFI file as trusted for executing",(= the Live Linux USB or just-installed Linux cannot boot). For the fix, please refer to ...
https://community.acer.com/en/discussio ... 15-51-78c6
https://itsfoss.com/no-bootable-device-found-ubuntu/
viewtopic.php?t=236560