upgrading to 18.3 from 17.3 on dual boot dual hdd with win7

[Swiso]

Hello everyone,
I have a couple of questions regarding upgrading from 17.3 to 18.3 on a PC with dual boot on dual HDD's with Win7.
Right now I have LM 17.3 running on a SSD and W7 on another SSD.
When starting the PC it show Linux boot manager asking which partition I would like to start.
It work beautifully.

Now I would like to upgrade LM to 18.3.
Which way I should go ?
1)Upgrading like suggested here : https://www.tecmint.com/upgrade-linux-m ... x-mint-18/
2)Or do a clean install as suggested here : https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... pgrademint as suggested in this chapter: "From 17.x to 18.3: a clean upgrade is best, so avoid the upgrade option"

Going with version 2, formatting the partition where LM 17.3 is located and installing 18.3 in that partition, is how I should do it ?
Any suggestion or recomendation ?
Thank you very much.
Regards

[austin.texas]

This is the advice to follow: "From 17.x to 18.3: a clean upgrade is best, so avoid the upgrade option"

Going with version 2, formatting the partition where LM 17.3 is located and installing 18.3 in that partition, is how I should do it ?

This guide is very helpful: https://www.tecmint.com/linux-mint-18-i ... ion-guide/
Your root partition (17.3) is already there, so you don't have to create it. Chose the "Something Else" option. Click on the existing 17.2 root partition and "Mount Point: /" with format.

installScreenshot.png

Pay attention to the location where you want to install the bootloader (Grub) - sda or sdb

bootloader-sdb.png

[JerryF]

...
2)Or do a clean install as suggested here : https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... pgrademint as suggested in this chapter: "From 17.x to 18.3: a clean upgrade is best, so avoid the upgrade option"

Advice: backup your important files first! With the clean install, make sure you already have separate partitions for the '/' and '/home' partitions, otherwise if you format the '/' partition to install 18.3, your Home folder(s) and files will be gone.

[Swiso]

...
2)Or do a clean install as suggested here : https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... pgrademint as suggested in this chapter: "From 17.x to 18.3: a clean upgrade is best, so avoid the upgrade option"

Advice: backup your important files first! With the clean install, make sure you already have separate partitions for the '/' and '/home' partitions, otherwise if you format the '/' partition to install 18.3, your Home folder(s) and files will be gone.

Hello JerryF,
I have done a backup of the "home" folder on another drive, this way I am sure nothing will happen to that backup.

austin.texas , thank you very much for the explanation and the link !

[Swiso]

Pay attention to the location where you want to install the bootloader (Grub) - sda or sdb
bootloader-sdb.png

What is the difference between installing it in sda or sdb ?
I am right in assuming that I should install the bootloader on the same drive where LM 18.3 is installed ?
I am at that screen where I should choose where to install the bootloader...and I don't remember where it was with 17.3

[austin.texas]

Pay attention to the location where you want to install the bootloader (Grub) - sda or sdb
bootloader-sdb.png

What is the difference between installing it in sda or sdb ?
I am right in assuming that I should install the bootloader on the same drive where LM 18.3 is installed ?
I am at that screen where I should choose where to install the bootloader...and I don't remember where it was with 17.3

At the time I said that I was assuming that you had a Legacy/MBR installation. Then it would be /dev/sda or /dev/sdb
However, you do not have Legacy - you have UEFI - therefore the bootloader gets installed to the ESP (EFI System Partition). You say that is /dev/sda8. If that is accurate, that is where the bootloader is installed.

[austin.texas]

How about if we check to see if you have actually installed Mint 17.3 in Legacy or UEFI
Boot into 17.3 and run this command:

Code: Select all

[ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo "Currently in EFI mode" || echo "Currently in Legacy mode"

[Swiso]

unfortunately I have already formatted the partition where LM 17.3 was ( done the "Click on the existing 17.2 root partition and "Mount Point: /" with format." part )
I see the option to install later the bootloader...could this be an option ?

[Swiso]

Windows 7 is installed in sdc drive:
free space 1MB
/dev/sdc1 fat32 104MB 34MB
/dev/sdc2 134MB unknown
/dev/sdc3 ntfs 255820MB 225428MB
free space 0MB

Linux was ( 18.3 is) installed in sdd:
/dev/sdd1 fat32 649MB 33MB
/dev/sdd2 ext4 50000MB 6810MB Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia (18.3)
/dev/sdd3 swap 63999MB unknown
/dev/sdd4 ext4 141409MB 16787MB

[austin.texas]

I see the option to install later the bootloader...could this be an option ?

Yes,
How to re-install Grub on UEFI

[Swiso]

I was able to install both 18.3 and bootloader on sdd.
Now I have a problem with the bootloader...

Let me explain the situation...
sdc is the drive with W7 and it is a Samsung PRO 850 256GB:

sdc.png

sdd is the drive with LM 18.3 and it is a Samsung PRO 840 256GB:

sdd.png

On the BIOS, I see only these options as a bootable devices ( outside of DVD and USB..)
-ubuntu (P1:Samsung SSD 850 PRO 256GB)
-Windows Boot Manager (P1: Samsung SSD 850 PRO 256GB)

a.png

If I select ubuntu option at the end of loading process, I see a black screen with some GNU GRUB text and a cursor "grub> _


Basically is the same drive.....and no 840 PRO 256GB where LM is installed...
How I can solve this ?

[austin.texas]

I can't help you a lot with a UEFI system, since I would never use that protocol unless forced to...

• How to prepare for dual boot with Windows and Linux Mint
• [TUTORIAL] Installing Mint on a Windows 8/8.1 UEFI Computer - by gold_finger
• Dual boot: Windows 8 + Ubuntu 14.04 - dedoimedo
• How I Dual-booted Linux Mint alongside Windows 10 on a UEFI system
• How to dual-boot Linux Mint 17.2, Windows 10, Windows 8.1 on a PC with UEFI firmware
• Linux on UEFI: A Quick Installation Guide, by Roderick W. Smith

Check out the rEFInd boot manager

• rEFInd boot manager intro by srs5694
• rEFind for UEFI Windows dual boot by srs5694
• How to use rEFInd & Dual-boot With Windows 10 - by srs5694
• rEFInd tips

As for posting screenshots:
How to post a screenshot

[michael louwe]

@ Swiso, .......

...

.
Just follow austin.texas's link for "How to re-install Grub on UEFI", ie you need to boot the Live LM 18.3 USB/DVD, use the Terminal to mount the Root or / partition of the LM drive(= /sdd2.?) and reinstall efi-grub on the EFI System Partition(= fat32/104MB) of the Win 7 drive(= /sdc1)

If still unsuccessful, reinstall LM 18.3 and ensure that the "Device for boot loader installation" is the EFI System Partition of the Win 7 drive(= /sdc1)

About UEFI dual-drives install, please refer to ... https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
https://nwrickert2.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... and-linux/
https://askubuntu.com/questions/380447/ ... ew-machine

AFAIK, the LM Installer will automatically enter the efi-grub data on the BIOS firmware(= NVRAM) and on one EFI System Partition, and enter the Grub Menu data on the active LM Root partition. Active means the 1st hard-drive to be booted as set by UEFI/BIOS setup.
... And for a dual-boot system, Linux has to be installed after Windows because Windows does not know how to read Linux files. So, the Linux partition should be set as the active system during 1st boot.

[JerryF]

With that setup, I think the bootloader should have been place on the sdc EFI partition.

If by chance you plan on reinstalling Mint, I would suggest using the "Something else" option and create the following primary type partitions:

/ partition around 20 to 30 GB
/home partition - the remaining amount left over from creating the / and Swap
Swap (at least the amount of your RAM, preferably 1.5 times the amount)

The reason: in the future you can more easily upgrade the OS without wiping out /home.

[Swiso]

Thank you very much everyone for the help, very appreciated.

@JerryF
I am reinstalling LM...one question..
/ partition of 20-30GB is a primary partition right ?
/home should also be a primary partition or a logical drive ?
Thanks

[JerryF]

Thank you very much everyone for the help, very appreciated.

@JerryF
I am reinstalling LM...one question..
/ partition of 20-30GB is a primary partition right ?
/home should also be a primary partition or a logical drive ?
Thanks

Yes, / partition is a primary partition.

/home should also be a primary partition. The way you're set up, there is no need for logical partitions. An extended partition with logical partitions within it make it a little harder to repartition if you ever need to.

[Swiso]

Thank you.

Unfortunately when installing GRUB on sdc1 I receive a fatal error saying it is not possible.

[Sir Charles]

fwiw,

You could try making a separate partition of 512 MB, formated in fat32, right at the beginning of the drive you want to install Mint on, for the installation of the bootloader (sdd1). In the installers partition screen, mark that partition and click on change. In the dialogue box choose "use as EFI system partition" and as the mount point /boot/efi and flag it as "boot" and "esp". Proceed then with marking a partition for / (sdd2) and /home (sdd3) and swap (sdd4). Continue with the rest of the procedure as before. Don't forget to choose the sdd1 in the menu at the bottom of the partition screen for the installation of the bootloader.
Hope this works

[JerryF]

Thank you.

Unfortunately when installing GRUB on sdc1 I receive a fatal error saying it is not possible.

That sounds like the installation of Mint was in Legacy mode. Try installing Mint again, making sure you're booted in UEFI mode and try reviewing the links that austin posted.

[Swiso]

Thanks marziano and JerryF,
I will try and let you know.
Thanks