[ SOLVED ] 2X LLOS 5 install failure

[LarryB1607]

This is not multiboot.  This is an external USB HDD.  I plug it into a shut down PC and when the PC boots, it uses the bootloader of the drive the BIOS has set to boot 1st.  As I have set the USB drive 1st to boot it should boot into linux if it can find Grub.  The rest of the drive is NTFS and is used for storage and has no other bootloader.  When I try this again, I will put it on /dev/sdb2 which is the EXT4 partition I set up for linux and contains the other EXT4 partitions.

[Şerban S.]

[...]The boot loader was on partition /.  This was on an external USB HDD that had EXT4 partitions set up for this. [...]

1. You are using an external device. Without a thorough experience, this is what happens. You need to read a lot about the boot process, before playing with bootloaders, external drives and multiboot.
2. Reinstall Linux Lite and when you reach the Partition Manager, choose "Something else".
3. Look very carefully at the bottom of the screen, where is a combobox, and change the intallation place for bootloader, to /dev/sdb. Never use a partition (you used /dev/sda1) to load the OS when you are aiming multiboot. The bootloader has to be at the beginning of the disk, first sector, when you use MSDOS partitioning.

Good luck!

[LarryB1607]

Here is output form sudo fdisk -1 for Ext HDD

Disk /dev/sdb: 931.5 GiB, 1000170586112 bytes, 1953458176 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
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x6416a379

Device     Boot     Start        End    Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sdb2  *         2046  172584959  172582914  82.3G  f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb3       172584960 1953458175 1780873216 849.2G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdb5        72589312  104042436   31453125    15G 83 Linux
/dev/sdb6       104042496  172584959   68542464  32.7G 83 Linux
/dev/sdb7            2048   72589311   72587264  34.6G 83 Linux

Do not remember putting boot on sdb2. 
sdb5 = backup place for timeshift
sdb6 = /
sdb7 = /home

Sometime within the last few weeks, I made a live USB of mint cinnamon 19.3 using Unetbootin.  I installed that entirely on the / partition and did not create a /home partition and had not yet created a backup partition.  I wanted to see if copying some of the files from my old home directory would work in the mint install home folder.  Did not seem to work, so I axed that project and timeshifted back to 4.8.  The mint install did not have any issues booting up.

[LarryB1607]

I decided to rimeshift back to 4.8 which was fairly easy and so far has worked.  I may play around with this sometime in the future, but have spent too much time messing with it for now.  I set aside 80 GB of a 1 TB Ex HDD for Linux.  The rest is NTFS.  I divided these into 2 partitions with gparted and formatted as EXT4.  I used a 32 GB USB stick to install 4.8 which I used Unetbootin to create the live USB and I installed from the live interface.  The only difference I see between the 2 installs is that I used Etcher to create the live USB  for 5.0.

I am in Windows 7 now so I cannot check the partition types.

[Şerban S.]

[...] The / partition is 35 GB and the /home partition is 37 GB. [...] Any suggestions? [...]

Hello!
You said nothing about the partition type.
According to behaviour, it looks like a GPT partition. Is it right?
If so, the installation process is different from the BIOS (MSDOS partition) type of installation.
Can you please be more specific on this matter?

Best regards!

[firenice03]

the boot loader was on partition /.

@LarryB1607

So for sake lets say "/" is /sdb1 and "/home" is /sdb2 - you're putting the bootloader on /sdb1 ??  Try on /sdb ...

Make sure in Bios secureboot is disabled

[LarryB1607]

I am installing into the 2 partitions which previously held LLOS 4.8.  The partitions were / and /home.  The boot loader was on partition /.  This was on an external USB HDD that had EXT4 partitions set up for this.  This worked perfectly when booted.  I do have an NTFS partition also on the same USB drive and these coexisted with no issues.

When doing the LLOS 5 install I chose the option "something else" and set the 2 partitions up the same as the previous install of LLOS 4.8.  I set the boot loader to install on the / partition.  Both times the install seemed to go without a hitch.  Both times when I tried to boot, I got an error that it could not find the necessary boot files.  It then went into boot rescue and did nothing for several minutes. 

Once it said I would have to install Grub manually.  Tried doing that while back in the live session, but it said it could not find the device.

I did do a timeshift of LLOS 4.8, but not sure it will work since the drive letters have changed from the new install attempts.

The / partition is 35 GN and the /home partition is 37 GB.

Any suggestions?  I used Etcher to do the live USB and it seems to work fine.