Failed Installation with Error Code 141

[alphagenius]

I have successfully installed Kubuntu on three Acer Aspire laptops using a USB stick. I tried to install it to an HP laptop using the same USB stick and Irun into a problem. After I tell it to download the third-party software and press continue, I get the following error:

ubi-partman failed with exit code 141. Further information may be found in /var/log/syslog.Do you want to try running this step again before continuing? If you do not, your installation may fail entirely or may be broken.

I went and looked at the syslog file and I noticed that for one, it was saying that the computer was an Acer Aspire when it is supposed to be an HP.Secondly, it says that secure boot is enable causing the kernel tolockdown. I do not understand that because I had already disabled secure boot in my BIOS. Just to make sure, I went and checked it and secure boot is still disabled. I even cleared the secure boot key history. My HP was setup as a Raid but I did change that to non-Raid.I really am lost at this point. I was hoping that someone could help me.

[jglen490]

That is strange.

So let's start from the beginning. Where did you download the Kubuntu ISO (i.e., Windows, Linux, what machine)? What did you use to burn the ISO to the USB drive?

[claydoh]

ubi-partman is the partitioning part of the installer, iirc, so this may be what sort of info to look for.

Did you create the installer with persistence? This is the only way I can think of that the installer could have info about previous systems in the syslog.
If you do have persistence, I wonder if using one without, or one that has not been used to install on another system might be a quick 'fix'.

[GreyGeek]

If you use the USB in the Live mode and then select the partition you are going to install on and format it with the file system you plan to use then start the installer and at the disk format stage just select the partition you formatted. No need to re-format.

https://superuser.com/questions/9067...-exit-code-141

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1040...ot-detect-my-d

https://askubuntu.com/questions/8173...om-usb-install

[alphagenius]

Sorry for taking so long to respond. I was not getting notified that I had replies. I used a Windows 10 computer to download the ISO from the Kubuntu website using the Chrome browser. I used balenaEtcher to burn the image.

[jglen490]

If you still have the Kubuntu ISO on the Windows 10 PC, can you re-burn the ISO to a fresh USB stick? Perhaps use a different burner, Rufus I think is native W10. It seems like claydoh is correct in that somehow the installer has retained information about previous installs. Other than persistence, I don't know of any way for the USB to retain that sort of info.

Also, with respect to the 141 error, GG's advice has lots of merit. Don't format the target drive first in the Live session, and then format it again in the Installer. I don't know that you did that, but it seems to be a possible point of failure.

[alphagenius]

I reformatted the USB stick and I re-burned the image to the stick. I restarted my computer and booted from the stick. I followed the same steps that I have always followed that have worked until now. These steps are that first, I selected Install Kubuntu and then I connected to WiFi. Then the next screen I left the default selections and just selected for it to install third-party software. On the next screen where you tell the installer about the partitions, I selected the option to use the entire disk. This is the screen that I never got to originally. Before, when I select to install the third-party software and click next, I would get the 141 error. Now I have made progress,so that is good.

Anyways, the installation then began. I watched it do its thing. I was presented with the screen to create my user account. I completed this step and click to continue. After sometime, I got the message that the installation has completed successfully and I need to restart the computer. As you could imagine, I was excited at this point. No more Windows! But it was short-lived. I clicked on OK, after a couple of minutes it asked me to remove the installation media and press enter. So that is what Idid.

To my horror, instead of booting into Kubuntu, I was booted to the Windows 10 login screen. I was and still am pretty pissed! That should not have happened. I have never had that happen and I have no idea why it happened and how to fix it. While I am happy that I made great progress, I am disheartened that now I have a new problem that does not make sense to me at this time.

I hope that someone has answers and a solution. As far as the persistence thing, I really do not understand what you are talking about to be able to answer that question. You guys have been great and I appreciate your help and patience. Oh, I am willing to try a new burner if someone would recommend one that they feel should work. I have been using Etcher for a while now and have never had any issues, but to be fair, I am not ruling out that it is Etcher. I will try something else and work with you guys.

[jglen490]

Is your goal to completely replace Windows? Or is your goal to dual boot with Windows?

I think what may have happened, is the installer assumed an install "alongside", looked for free space and found none. But there could be a deeper issue. I recommend to always use the "Something else" install option. You have positive control on how and where your Linux partitions are made, and you have a clear understanding of what the disk(s) actually look like.

For now, you may want to take a look at your disks via Windows and see if anything changed with respect to Linux. Then we can work with you from there.

Sorry for your horror!!

[alphagenius]

Yes, I am looking to completely replace Windows. I have looked at the disk management tool in Windows and all of the partition listed are for Windows. There is nothing for Linux.

[oshunluvr]

My guess is Intel RST is enabled on the HP machine, as it is on most new Dell an Lenovo (as well as others) machines. I haven't had my hands on a new Acer yet, but possible that they are not enabling RST to save the Intel licensing cost (just a guess).

If you're wiping the drive clean (no windows), disable RST in your BIOS, then re-run the installer. This should allow you unfettered access to the drive.

On a side-note it is possible to disable RST on a drive and keep Windows, but it's not trivial. I did that on my new Lenovo laptop to keep Windows on it for warranty service purposes.

[alphagenius]

When you say RST, do you mean RAID?

[jglen490]

For this discussion, RST is synonymous with RAID. So yes. Usually found as a SATA controller setting, and can be changed to AHCI. AHCI is a much better choice for Linux installs.

[alphagenius]

OK. I thought that I had already changed to AHCI. But I wanted to be sure, so I went into my BIOS setting and it does say that it is Non-RAID and is also AHCI. So that is fine. But I do have Optane memory and my BIOS has a setting to disable it. Should I do that? Also, I am using UEFI and not Legacy if that is something to factor in.

[oshunluvr]

AFAIK, Optane will be seen as a drive, not used as drive cache as intended. But I've not seen anything that says it's incompatible to the degree that it would block an installation. Maybe turning it off for install then re-enabling it afterward might help. UEFI is fine if you prep for it properly but unnecessary unless you're also booting to Windows. Use if you want to, but you don't need to.

[alphagenius]

I am sorry but I have just about had enough of this computer. I feel it is possessed by a demon. I have never had this much trouble. I am working on four other computers with this one and Kubuntu installed perfect on them and everything else is running wonderfully on them. This HP, not so much. It is one freaky thing after another. First I installed Kubuntu twice, I watched it install, but yet it booted into Windows with no trace of Linux. Then I try to boot from the USB to try it again, this time, manually setting up my partitions, but it would not boot from my drive. I had a copy of Kubuntu on DVD so I tried it, nothing. Both times it went straight to Windows.

I tried it once more from the USB and DVD but this time going through recovery. It gives me an error both times saying that the selected boot device failed. So then I boot back into Windows. Now there is no trace of my WiFi adapter and as such no Internet. I have to use a cable. So I got very upset and just left the computer. I then came back to it later after I cooled down and the trackpad does not work. I have had nothing but problems with this thing even before trying to install Kubuntu. It has all been freaky stuff. I just want Kubuntu on this computer and Windows gone but Windows refuses to go away without a fight.

I have no idea what to do at this point. I have not installed, uninstalled or changed any settings on this computer since coming to this forum except trying to install Kubuntu.