[solved] how reinstall LM 19.2 on a dual boot

[Pepper-Mint-Patty]

On a dual boot with win10 we want to reinstall LM192.On sdb1 is the os and on sdb2 the data.
We find it confusing what to choose so ONLY sdb1 will be changed by the clean install.

https://linuxmint-installation-guide.re ... stall.html
Installation type
1- erase and reinstall
Warning: This will delete all your Linux Mint 19.2 Tina (19.2) programs, documents, photos, music, and any other files.

Will this delete sdb2 and its data? Or will the install just stick to sdb1?

Or should we go for 'something else'
Then what to choose at 'Device for boot loader installation:'

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Device        Size Type
/dev/sda1     100M EFI System
/dev/sda2     16M Microsoft reserved
/dev/sda3     68.2G Microsoft basic data
/dev/sda4    170.2G Microsoft basic data

Device     Boot     Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1  *       39.3G 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2          449.8G 83 Linux

[AndyMH]

Choose the 'something else' option, the next screen shows all your drives and partitions, you can select sdb1 and tell the installer to use it for / and reformat it. Copy any data you want off it first.

If sdb2 is just a data partition, ignore it. If that is your /home partition then you tell the installer to use it for /home and NOT reformat it.

Not clear from your output, but I think sdb has an msdos partition table and is probably booting in legacy mode. Not sure about sda as you have an EFI partition.

To check mint, in a terminal:

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andy@T432 ~ $ efibootmgr
EFI variables are not supported on this system.

this is booting in legacy mode, anything else is UEFI.

For windows:
https://www.addictivetips.com/windows-t ... indows-10/
The answers will determine where to put the bootloader.

[Pepper-Mint-Patty]

Hi AndyMH, the pc in question is now on usb live boot.

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efibootmgr

shows

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root@mint:/home/mint# efibootmgr
EFI variables are not supported on this system.
root@mint:/home/mint# 

But maybe you must boot normally to get right info?
I will just try to get on with the re-install...

[AndyMH]

you are booting in legacy mode, so at the bottom of the screen after choosing 'something else' there is a dropdown on where to put the bootloader, put it on sdb.

[Jo-con-Ël]

I don't want to disturb but

you are booting in legacy mode, so at the bottom of the screen after choosing 'something else' there is a dropdown on where to put the bootloader, put it on sdb.

Then you will get single boot ( i.e Linux in BIOS legacy mode will not boot Windows in UEFI mode from GRUB menu) not dual boot as Pepper-Mint-Patty say in subject ..

.Perhaps you are right and he/she is confusing those terms or looking at the last threads (still opened) maybe the problem is the way Pepper-Mint-Patty boots Linux Mint Live when installing or repairing . Never mind Linux Mint root partition is on a MBR disk if both (Windows and Mint ) are sharing EFI partition on SSD (so booting in UEFI mode) he/she needs to boot Linux Mint Installation media or any rescue media in such mode. Then installing with Something else.. option boot loader need to be placed in sda (SSD).

@Pepper-Mint-Patty
Do you see an Ubuntu option in your boot menu or in UEFI /BIOS settings?

[Pepper-Mint-Patty]

Hi Jo-con-Ël and AndyMH, we've just installed 192 and made a snapshot after every update. So there are 3 snapshots. It seems to work fine, but that was the case before too, till quickly some disaster took place.
Anyhow we will see where it will go from here.
thanks!

[AndyMH]

So, if you boot LM19.2 and run efibootmgr again, what do you get?

[Pepper-Mint-Patty]

I get this

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$ efibootmgr
EFI variables are not supported on this system.

[AndyMH]

So you have LM19.2 installed in legacy mode.

If you do a sudo update-grub and it doesn't find windows, then you have win installed in UEFI mode.

[Pepper-Mint-Patty]

No windows there.

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$ sudo update-grub
[sudo] password for XXX
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub.d/50_linuxmint.cfg'
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-151-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-151-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-54-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-54-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
done

[Jo-con-Ël]

You didn´t answer my last question about Ubuntu option in boot menu (see here) or in UEFI/BIOS settings. As it is now, it is not a dual boot system, it is a single boot.

If you´re sure It was always a single boot system (i.e. there isn't an old grub-efi loader ,Ubuntu, causing problems as grub> or grub-rescue> shells depending on the way you boot), It is OK. Good luck.

[Pepper-Mint-Patty]

@ AndyMH
I just booted in Win. You are right win is installed in UEFI mode. And LM in legacy mode

@ Jo-con-Ël. I what you are up to. I just booted this pc in win and now back in LM. That makes it a dual boot.

[AndyMH]

@ Jo-con-Ël. I what you are up to. I just booted this pc in win and now back in LM. That makes it a dual boot.

If you install win and mint in the same mode, i.e. both legacy or both UEFI, but not mixed, you will get a grub menu on boot giving you the choice of mint or win. Because you have mint in legacy and win in UEFI the only way you can boot win is by going into BIOS.

[Pepper-Mint-Patty]

@AndyMH: copy that. Thnxs