New PC build, UEFI, Kubuntu only, no windows

[Qqmike]

Messing with UEFI+GPT. For a Linux-only desktop PC. No Windows. For an ASUS UEFI motherboard. New PC build, then start from scratch setting up UEFI, installing Kubuntu in UEFI mode, and checking the UEFI installation (using Konsole). https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post368216

[vinnywright]

nice write up ,,,,,, one day (if I get a UEFI box) I may need to re-read this ......

but the $24,00.00 bonox8 I just got dose not have UEFI so I really hope not to need to re-read it for some time yet

by the way UEFI is not BIOS ,,,,,, it is the replacement for the old BIOS (and much better from what I read) ,,,,,,,,but I guess it is good that you describe it this way so some will get it quicker.

VINNY

[SteveRiley]

but the $24,00.00 bonox8 I just got dose not have UEFI

A new PC without UEFI? That's surprising.

[Qqmike]

by the way UEFI is not BIOS ,,,,,,

Yes, exactly. But still, this is how you often see it stated, even in ASUS documents. Or, like, "UEFU BIOS," or some such. I think it's for the reason you said, people know BIOS to be the configuring joint for some firmware, now "BIOS" is being used somewhat generically as a noun to mean that place, even though governed by proprietary UEFI principles.

Did you look up your mobo on the Net to see how it does actually come configured form the manufacturer? or did it come UEFI but configured to run in Legacy mode or some such deal (CSM, protective MBR, all that stuff)?

[Rod J]

Thanks for your write up Qqmike ... I've just recently been through much the same process myself. I, too used an old case (2007) which was still in mint condition. I also added 2 USB3 ports to the front with an adapter in a spare 3.5 inch external panel. I tried all the commands you explained in your write up and they all gave pretty much the same results as you (except for the drive differences, see my sig below).

I must say, I wasn't as thorough as you when installing Kubuntu on this new system, but the installer seemed to get it all right anyway. One thing I did get wrong was not knowing I needed to have a small ESP partition (I didn't realise Grub would go there). So I had to restart the Kubuntu install after creating a small (200Mb) partition on the 128Gb SSD. Everything is working as expected so far. I haven't been game to update the UEFI BIOS yet (I bricked an older ASUS BIOS motherboard some time ago doing this).

[Qqmike]

What a coincidence. Yes, we've got about the same system running 14.04 except for the storage and RAM (and 4570 vs 4670 CPU). Interesting parallels, down to reviving an old case. My case, at the time 2005, came with two Antec case fans that only plugged into the PSU to run at fixed speed; and one was on the skids (had to tap it with a knuckle now and then to keep it spinning).

For ESP, 200 MB is often quoted as an upper size; I only chose 500 MB as it is often mentioned as a safety level should you start storing a bunch of bootloaders there, maybe in discussions of the stub loader; and I had 500 GB HDD to use, way large for what I intend to do just running at most two versions of Kubuntu.

Imo, no need to update BIOS as long as yours isn't too terribly old and your CPU runs on the HP97-Plus motherboard. (the 4670 CPU probably doesn't call for much of a recent BIOS version, the latest being 2306, I think.) ASUS, as you know, does, though, have a nifty (and easy) BIOS update method, having that CAP file on a flash drive; and you could restore the previous version should there be a problem.

Thanks for your nice comments and for your feedback on running the UEFI checks.

[Qqmike]

Rod J, the Intel Core-i5-4670 requires only the minimum BIOS ver. 2001 on the H97-Plus mobo ATX.
http://processormatch.intel.com/Moth...ntName=i5-4670
Recent H97-Plus mobos have shipped with the 2306 BIOS.Of course, re-booting into UEFI-BIOS shows your BIOS version, as I'm sure you know.

[Rod J]

Thanks for that Mike. I was pretty sure there wouldn't be compatibility issues when I was working out what parts I wanted to use for this build because I was using this site to do that: https://pcpartpicker.com/

It's the first time I've used such a site (actually, it's also the first time I've done a complete build). They are supposed to show all compatible parts for a build ... you choose the CPU first and go from there ... really quite cool and pretty foolproof I think.

This is a link to show the parts I chose (most of them): https://nz.pcpartpicker.com/user/RodJLinux/saved/ I think this link will be publicly viewable.

[jlittle]

This is a link to show the parts I chose (most of them): https://nz.pcpartpicker.com/user/RodJLinux/saved/ I think this link will be publicly viewable.

That link crashes firefox for me, straight away. Just got a new version today, 36.0.1, from the moz-plasma PPA.

[Snowhog]

Accessing the link works fine here; Firefox Developer Edition 38.0a2 (2015-03-12).

[jlittle]

Well, I don't know. I disabled all add-ons, no crash. I re-enabled half of them, crash. Disabled half of those, no crash. Re-enable them one by one, restart firefox each time, no crash. Now they're all enabled, and there's no trouble.

RodJ, for the CPU, "Prices for this part are not available.", can you tell us what you're paying for that? And where are you getting, or will be getting the "parts"?

[Qqmike]

(jlittle, in my case, this time I got all parts from Amazon. In the past, I had used NewEgg. Both are reputable and trustworthy. A friend said he is having good luck with Tiger Direct (but that wasn't the case in the past).) Edit: Ah, NZ, I see, so there could be a shipping issue and costs.

Rod J, that's a neat site, pcpartpicker. Difficult to compare prices, but yours seems a bit high. E.g., the HP97-Pro motherboard, $175 NZ, is, I think, about $128 USD? I just paid $101 USD at Amazon. The Intel Core i5-4570 CPU was $204 USD.

This was my third build since 2005, and I started with the first ed. of this book:
Building the Perfect PC
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Perfe...the+perfect+PC
along with posting questions at this site:
http://hardwareguys2.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?

The work requiring careful attention is picking the parts so they are compatible and near-optimal (for the budget versus use). The compatibility tables and specs at the hardware vendor sites is the way to do it right. Actually assembling the PC components is, as I'm fond of saying and prone to criticism from hardware types, a matter of "connecting connectors." Yeah, there are some tricky tasks and some tasks you really got to get right, and a few problems to solve, but 90% of building is connecting the connectors together properly for power and data cables. And being able to see and handle small screws! Gets tougher with age.

[Rod J]

@Jlittle: I paid $NZ298 for the Core i5-4670 CPU. Not sure why it seems to be unavailable now ... it is still on the Intel Ark site as "launched" so it must still be available I guess: http://ark.intel.com/products/75047/...up-to-3_80-GHz. I have built this PC and is the one I am using now ... works great! The SSD really makes a difference to the overall speed of the PC, especially boot-up time. I bought most of the parts from PB Technologies online. Not sure what the problem with your Firefox could be ... I'm using 36.0.1 myself (installed from the repository and updated recently).

@Qqmike: Prices here in NZ have to some extent always been more than overseas (understandable I suppose because we are so far away from just about everywhere else ) ... and we pay GST tax (15%) on everything as well.

[jlittle]

... I bought most of the parts from PB Technologies online...

I've been a customer for years, and have bought lots from them. They let me replace a motherboard in their shop once, just to see if it would work. However, from time to time I like to check for alternatives. Too often a business grows with keen prices then gouges its customers.



Regards, John Little

[SteveRiley]

we are so far away from just about everywhere else )

But yet you're the first to see new malware. It never fails -- whenever I wake up to hear about yet another vulnerability in something I gotta take care of, my employer's support staff have already taken calls from customers in NZ and AU. I honestly don't know how anyone keeps computers running in Oceania.