Cannot boot Linux Mint KDE [SOLVED]

[OrphenFire]

Hey guys. I have searched the internet for the past 6 hours straight, while also constantly attempting to install this distro to my laptop. I can get it installed into a partition but I can't figure out how to boot from the harddrive so I can boot my installed version of LM13, and not the test USB version.

I've tried EVERYTHING that everyone has suggested about grub and the grub-repair and all that. I just don't know what to do.

I have tried all of these tips:

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=113032

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=104600

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=113129

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=111578

http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/06/06/ho ... windows-7/

One last thing, I tried selecting "boot from local drive" in the Unet boot thing and it booted a text-only interface. I could use some commands like ls and I could even touch files, but nano was unrecognized, as well as a lot of other commands. What's going on???

I'm about ready to give up. I like doing linux scripts but it's no wonder Windows is so widely used over Linux. It's a freakin' nightmare trying to install the damn thing.

[wayne128]

I can get it installed into a partition but I can't figure out how to boot from the harddrive so I can boot my installed version of LM13, and not the test USB version.

If you already installed LM13 KDE on hard disk, and you cannot boot from hard drive, then it pointed towards some kind of boot loader issue , or, perhaps even hard disk format issue ( dynamic volume, raid, etc)

Lets see which is the issue, you can try the following steps to figure some more

1. boot laptop from Live DVD or Live USB

2. open a terminal ( hopefully you are OK to use a terminal )
type these command and post their output, this is to check hard disk format and some infos.

sudo fdisk -l

sudo os-prober

sudo parted -l print

that is for now, more help after looking at terminal output.

[OrphenFire]

I'm typing this from my other computer using Windows 7.

My laptop (which is booted into the USB linux right now) isn't connecting to the internet for some reason...

How can I get my results here?

Edit: Right off the bat, here's something that sounds strange. The first line after I do fdisk -l is:

Code: Select all

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on 'dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.

[OrphenFire]

sudo fdisk -l:

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WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sda: 750.2 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders, total 1465149168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa415c259

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1  1465149167   732574583+  ee  GPT
Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

Disk /dev/sdb: 4009 MB, 4009754624 bytes
93 heads, 8 sectors/track, 10526 cylinders, total 7831552 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc3072e18

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           8     7831551     3915772    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)

sudo parted -l print:

Code: Select all

 
Model: ATA Hitachi HTS54757 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 750GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt

Number  Start   End    Size    File system     Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  211MB  210MB   fat32           EFI system partition          boot
 2      211MB   345MB  134MB                   Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 3      345MB   300GB  300GB   ntfs            Basic data partition
 4      300GB   512GB  212GB   ntfs            Basic data partition
 6      512GB   512GB  1000kB                                                bios_grub
 7      512GB   717GB  205GB   ext4
 8      717GB   723GB  6321MB  linux-swap(v1)
 5      723GB   750GB  26.8GB  ntfs            Basic data partition          hidden, diag


Model: SMI USB DISK (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 4010MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start  End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 1      4096B  4010MB  4010MB  primary  fat32        boot, lba

sudo os-prober:

Code: Select all

/dev/sda3:Windows 7 (loader):Windows:chain
/dev/sda5:Windows Recovery Environment (loader):Windows1:chain
/dev/sda7:Linux Mint 13 Maya (13):LinuxMint:linux

[wayne128]

so your hard disk was formatted with GPT.

and thus you will have some steeper hill to climb,, too bad.

I do not run Linux on any GPT formatted hard disk, I simply avoid GPT since the basic format (MSDOS) works well with hard disk size less than 2TB (editted.. sorry)

You probably have generally two ways around

1. convert GPT to MSDOS,, well, that means lots of work to back up win7 OS, and data,
then reformat the hard disk to MSDOS, reinstall win7, copy backup data,
then you are going to be able to handle many (really many ) Linux OSes.

2. stay with GPT, need some work :
google GPT in this forum, and check how to handle boot loader on GPT hard disk.
a steeper learning curve.

[OrphenFire]

I just bought this laptop for college a few days ago. There isn't anything on it. So it won't be a problem remove Windows 7 (no files on here yet).

[wayne128]

I just bought this laptop for college a few days ago. There isn't anything on it. So it won't be a problem remove Windows 7 (no files on here yet).

I have several win7 original CD, so I do not have any problem installing win7 onto computers or laptop.

In your case, you must have Win7 original CD!!,
many laptop manufacturers stop providing Win7 CD just few months after Win7 introduction.

Make sure you either have original Win7 CD, or if you do not have, then use your laptop's manufacturer's utility to create system images onto DVD ( usually 3-4 DVD) plus all drivers. Once you have either of these done, you are in a better position to reformate your hard disk to old msdos format, reinstall win7, recreate partitions ( for enjoyment of linux os ) in multiboot environment.

[OrphenFire]

Could I not just format a partition in MSDOS instead?

[wayne128]

Here is what i think you could try ( just try!!) without changing GPT to msdos.

Since your win7 is running well.
and you can actually installed Linux OS in a partition.

Your issue is just try to boot the Linux OS installed in a partition..

Now, let try to use Win7 or windows version of boot manager/boot loader.
Run from win7
google easybcd, that is a nice software by NeoSmart.
or just use this link http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS- ... yBCD.shtml

then, download easybcd, install on Win7,
read their FAQ or manual.

After installing easybcd, add entry of grub2 onto easybcd, this would be used to boot your Linux OS upon rebooting laptop.

upon reboot, you should see two lines from the windows OS's boot menu.
first one is Win7 line
second is neosmart, or grub2, or whatever you have typed in when you add grub2 entry.

select this second line, hopefully it boots up Linux OS..

[OrphenFire]

Okay I just tried it. It seems promising, though I got a boot failure. It thinks it wants to boot Windows. I'm working with the easybcd program now. Stand by.

[OrphenFire]

Which partition do you think I should set it to boot? I tried 6 (the one with the grub bios flag) and it failed.

[wayne128]

Which partition do you think I should set it to boot? I tried 6 (the one with the grub bios flag) and it failed.

From your earlier info:
/dev/sda7:Linux Mint 13 Maya (13):LinuxMint:linux


Your mint 13 was installed on /dev/sda7

thus you should select /dev/sda7 or partition 7 of first disk, for booting LM13

[OrphenFire]

Hhhmmm. When I "View Settings" the Linux entries display Bootloader Path: \NST\AutoNeoGrub1.mbr

There is no such path, and I can't change it.

[wayne128]

Hmm, I normally do not edit those thing..

just in case your method of adding entry is difference,
this is how i add entry:

Once inside Windows 7,
run EasyBCD.
click "Add Entry,"
select Linux/BSD tab
on name, type what you want, such as LM13
on type, select Grub2
on Drive, select your partition Drive 0, partition 7

then click Add Entry
you should be done.
reboot , select LM13.. hope for the best..



if you still cannot boot LM13 ..

then, read some of those post on UEFI boot, GPT boot etc. I have no experience on GPT but these links explain how people solve them
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=97221&f=
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/23838 ... -with-home
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=107620
http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1002


good luck
don't give up

[OrphenFire]

Thanks for your help and patience, man.

EasyBCD doesn't work for me. I think I'm just going to format the drive to MBR and boot a dedicated Linux.

[telenux]

Do you have Windows on this drive as well?

Does it boot up Windows instead of something else?

Most of the time, the mistake is in the install process in which the user will choose installing Grub to a particular partition but maybe not the appropriate one. You have choices as far as I know of either your root partition or the MBR. Usually, the MBR is what you'd choose.

For e.g., say, your laptop drive shows 'sda' when you look at it from the gparted progarm. Windows -> sda1 .... anything else, sda2 and so on... so, if you installed Mint in sda7, you need to re-install grub to the MBR. If you have other Linux partitions and you want grub installed in another partition, then you have to do more configuring so that grub 'detects' the other operating systems.

Edit: You might try googling restore / repair grub 2 (to MBR) before re-installing. You might not have to re-install the OS.

Anyway, if I have any error in that explanation, I am pretty sure the gist of it is accurate enough.

[OrphenFire]

My laptop drive has only ONE hard drive, which is GPT.

Are you saying I can install grub to the pendrive (sbd) and have it detect the Linux os on my internal harddrive (sba)? That would be nice.

[OrphenFire]

Okay guys!

The solution was as wayne said. I formatted the entire hd to MBR and now I have a dedicated LM13kde machine. No windows at all (hehe So now I have another problem. Wireless isn't working.

I think I might need to connect via ethernet and then run an update of the wireless drivers??

Any additional help would be greatly appreciated.