Fix non-booting Live USB on older PCs not supporting UEFI

[Snowhog]

So you downloaded and burned the latest *buntu ISO to a USB stick and plugged it into your 'old' PC. And guess what? While it boots, and you see the Grub Menu, when you select any entry you get nothing, just a blinking cursor. Congratulations. You've just discovered that these new *buntu ISOs are written to create a GPT master boot record, and older PCs that don't support UEFI can't boot from them; they need/expect a MBR boot record.

So you are screwed, yes? No. You can fix the Live USB you created to change it from GPT to MBR. Of course, you have to boot into another working Linux OS, or as I've had to do, a Live GParted USB.

Follow the instructions in this Bug Report: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...491/comments/8

[Schwarzer Kater]

Thank you very much for the link.

Of course you don't have to flash the USB with Startup Disk Creator before converting the partition table with gdisk as stated in the example ("[…] An alternative solution that works is to flash the ISO to the USB drive with Startup Disk Creator then convert it to MBR. […]").
To be sure I just tried it with balena Etcher 1.13.1 and this works too after additionally applying this fix for older computers with BIOS using gdisk, for example.

Another solution that has always worked for me to make a more recent "problematic" ISO bootable on some older computers with BIOS:
use Rufus under Windows and select the options "Partition scheme = MBR" and "Use fix for older BIOS (additional partition)".

[Snowhog]

To be sure I just tried it with balena Etcher 1.13.1 and this works too, for example.

I used balena Etcher (on my iMac) yesterday. The resulting LiveUSB of 23.04 and 22.10 both wouldn’t boot because they were written as GPT. I had to follow the steps to convert them to MBR.

[Schwarzer Kater]

This was a misunderstanding: I meant it also worked with balena Etcher (instead of Startup Disk Creator) after I additionally applied the fix for older BIOS using gdisk from your link.
Added this to my post to make it clear.

[oshunluvr]

IMO, you couldn't boot the USB devices because they were UEFI, not because they were GPT. This is because the installers *buntus are using are configured this way. You can (and I have) install Ubuntu Server Legacy Edition and boot it WITHOUT UEFI. Then install whatever desktop you want.

[Snowhog]

IMO, you couldn't boot the USB devices because they were UEFI, not because they were GPT.

But I was able to boot the created LiveUSB; I was presented with the Grub menu. But trying to start Kubuntu would fail, showing the brief message I’ve indicated in this thread, followed by a blinking cursor. The bug report I found and it’s cited fix; convert to MBR; worked.

[claydoh]

IMO, you couldn't boot the USB devices because they were UEFI, not because they were GPT. This is because the installers *buntus are using are configured this way. You can (and I have) install Ubuntu Server Legacy Edition and boot it WITHOUT UEFI. Then install whatever desktop you want.

\Waking up in a fog, and finally having my Diet Dr Pepper, I wonder why I didn't think of think of this?
Ubiquity is such an old installer, and sort of simple/dumb on purpose.
I've noticed Lubuntu has moved to Calamares. While this is also fairly simple/stupid too, it does seem to be a bit more configurable under the hood.
I wonder if Kubuntu will have to move to this, if Ubuntu doesn't 'port' their new one?

[oshunluvr]

But I was able to boot the created LiveUSB; I was presented with the Grub menu. But trying to start Kubuntu would fail, showing the brief message I’ve indicated in this thread, followed by a blinking cursor. The bug report I found and it’s cited fix; convert to MBR; worked.

OK then, well it seems you are correct - your PC won't read GPT. Seems odd tho unless its really old.