Hello, I'm Stacey and this is my issue. [SOLVED]

[StaceyLuster2400]

Greetings everyone, I'm Stacey. I'm trying out Linux for the first time. I use external drives for everything. I'm currently running Windows 10 via an external SSD to type into this forum. I want to try out Linux, but I have one problem. I'll post what I wrote before to a friend who uses Linux below:

I dunno if I'm doing something wrong or not...but I tried to get multiple Linux distros to install to an external SSD (I keep all my operating systems on external SSDs to keep them separate from each other). I've tried Linux Mint, Ubuntu MATE, and Fedora 27.

Every
single
time

After I install the OS and begin transferring my user data over, the system freezes or random programs crash...in each distro.

Am I doing something wrong, or is it that Linux prefers to be installed onto internal drives?

I'm confused and quite frustrated. I just wanna try out Linux on hardware but this brick wall is quite annoying.

My system specs are as follows:

ASUS X555LA (Bios X555LA.308, 14-Aug-14)
Main OS: Windows 10 via external Samsung T3 SSD (disconnected when running Linux)
Secondary Storage: LaCie Rugged USB3/FireWire 500GB drive for Windows 10 User Data (disconnected when running Linux)
Third Drive (Used for Linux OS): ADATA SU800 128GB external SSD
Fourth Drive (Used for Linux Home Partition and NTFS partition containing User Data to transfer to new Linux install): Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB external HDD
Processor: Intel Core i5-4210U @ 1.70Ghz Turbo Boost of 2.40 GHz
RAM: 12 GB
Graphics: Intel Haswell GT2 Integrated Graphics

If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated.

So that's the issue I'm having. If anyone could help me, I'd be very appreciative.

[trytip]

you need to display some basic system info by typing in terminal inxi -Fxz

[michael louwe]

@ StaceyLuster2400, .......

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Is the computer in UEFI or Legacy BIOS mode.?

Are you using the 3rd 1TB external USB HDD for both Win 10 and Linux but at different times.? If so, this may be the cause of the problem.

If in UEFI mode, I do not think you can use 2 external USB hard-drives to run an OS.

Please post the Terminal output for sudo parted -l

[StaceyLuster2400]

So I'm running Fedora now with that 1TB drive only having a Linux partition...and there's no freezes.

The main reason I didn't stick with Linux Mint is because it refused to install. It kept giving me an error about misaligned partitions on my external 128 GB SSD, however, Fedora didn't. Weird really.

Thanks so much for help, @michael louwe

[michael louwe]

@ StaceyLuster2400, .......

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The fix for the disk-not-aligned problem with LM is to use GParted to pre-partition the disk before doing the install.

[StaceyLuster2400]

@ Michael Louwe, I tried that...and it still didn't work.

I went to Fedora and didn't have that issue. I'm just gonna stick with what I got now.

Still, thanks for all your help, Michael.

[br1anstorm]

It may be too late or irrelevant.... but I'd simply recommend not to give up so easily.

I have run several different Linux distros from external drives. For some time I had Mint, Linux Lite and PClinuxOS all installed on an external drive, each in its own separate partition, with a shared Data partition and (here's the clever bit arranged with help from forum experts) the GRUB bootloader on its own partition on that external drive, from which I could choose which OS to launch. I did the partitioning using GParted before installing. It all worked like a charm.

Maybe I should add that this was a non-UEFI "legacy " setup, and I was using traditional hard disk drive, not SSD.

[Mute Ant]

"The fix for the disk-not-aligned problem..." is to simulate alert interest while the installer does it for you?

[michael louwe]

@ StaceyLuster2400, .......

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Please refer to ... https://lifehacker.com/5837769/make-sur ... erformance (Speed Up Your SSD By Correctly Aligning Your Partitions)
https://askubuntu.com/questions/156994/ ... r-boundary (Partition does not start on physical sector boundary?)

http://oostdam.info/index.php/sectie-bl ... aragontool (Disk alignment on W2K3, XP, USB-disks and SSD )

[Pierre]

Hi Stacey: you may have to elaborate on your system a little more:

I use external drives for everything.

- just how do you select each external drive, when you wish to boot from that drive?
- is there any Internal Drive, in use, at all ?

[StaceyLuster2400]

@ Pierre with my ASUS laptop I press and hold the escape key to choose the drive when the system boots. As of right now, I've got the system set in the BIOS to boot from my external SSD running Fedora Linux. There is an internal drive in my laptop but it's dead and I don't have the time for my system to be out of commission to shut it down completely, open it up, and install an SSD. That, and I don't have the money at the moment. I went the external route because I didn't want to take apart the system.

Also...as of right now my issues with Linux have been solved. Fedora works for what I need.

[vansloneker]

You can replace the internal hard disk yourself, but Asus didn't make it easy as this manual shows. With most laptops, only removing the bottom or even just one lid will let you access the internal hard disk drive.

[StaceyLuster2400]

@ vansloneker
I know. I'm looking at it now. sigh and this is why I opted to just use external drives. A lot easier than opening up the case and losing hours of computing time on replacing the hard drive with an SSD and reinstalling Fedora 27 and reinstalling everything back to normal...

I just don't want to deal with that at the moment as I'm doing my last semester in college and I need a computer.

My first system, an eight-year-old iMac was rendered useless by the Spectre and Meltdown patches and so..yeah. This is the only system I have. I'd have to wait until summer to undertake this...but...then what would I do with the external SSD?

[vansloneker]

It's a good approach keeping things separate as you do with the external drives. I recommend cloning and backing up any crucial data every day. Good luck with the semester!

[michael louwe]

@ StaceyLuster2400, .......

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The external USB hard-drives usually contain the 2.5" hard-drives inside, which are also commonly used as internal hard drives in laptops.(except for Apple's Macs) You can dismantle the external USB hard-drive to recover the 2.5" hard-drive and install it inside a laptop. ... https://www.google.com.my/search?tbm=is ... 3KwjoeLd_U

Like they say, "Do not fix what ain't broken".

[vansloneker]

Yes but...
also regular drives but without the regular sata connectors are being used in external drives.

[StaceyLuster2400]

It's a good approach keeping things separate as you do with the external drives. I recommend cloning and backing up any crucial data every day. Good luck with the semester!

Thanks @vansloneker And I do. Backintime backups every hour.