Installing 21.04

[nodough]

It's been years since I've been here, and years since I installed anything. But I've got a new laptop with UEFI (which I've disabled), no OS, and limited boot options. The only two are
1)internal HDD and
2)onboard NIC.
So this is probably a Mickey Mouse question, but how do I install?

[claydoh]

• Put it back on UEFI - but disable secure boot, which you won't need
• Create a bootable USB drive
• insert it and reboot.

The USB will load, and you follow the prompts, possibly identical to the last time you installed
Your laptop will have an f-key to bring up boot device selections, if it does not boot the USB automatically, or look at your bios boot settings.


Use the automatic option, or you can do manual partitioning if you want, but on a single OS system, there is no need, unless you have something specific you want to do.

There surely will be people giving all sorts of advice on manual partitioning, using various different file systems, etc. You can ignore all of them unless you know that there is something about them you want or need.
But doing the automatic setup is the safe, quicker, easier method, and is also the least confusing.

[oshunluvr]

There surely will be people giving all sorts of advice on manual partitioning, using various different file systems, etc. You can ignore all of them unless you know that there is something about them you want or need.
But doing the automatic setup is the safe, quicker, easier method, and is also the least confusing.

Are you talking about me

[Snowhog]

"To btrfs, or not to btrfs? That is the question—Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them?" No. He wasn't talking 'bout you! hehehe

[claydoh]

Are you talking about me

No one in particular, really, but pretty much *everyone*, or at least most of the regulars

We kinda face the same dilemma as Linus Tech Tips saw with their Linux gaming challenges, where we as Linux users kinda assume things or forget to check for people's skill and experience levels. Or at least take things for granted, a little.

[nodough]

Thanks, Claydoh.

• Put it back on UEFI - but disable secure boot, which you won't need--done
• Create a bootable USB drive--done (I forgot about the bootable!)
• insert it and reboot.--Nope.

I'm getting something about a PXE2.1 controller not working. Anyway, it fails. I'm presuming that of the 2 options for boot, I take internal HDD?
It's a USB1 stick. Could it be too slow?

Regarding partitioning: I've always had a separate / partition, in case I wanted to install a different flavour. I have no idea what I'll encounter once/if I ever boot this, but I think I'd like the separate / partition.

[oshunluvr]

Regarding partitioning: I've always had a separate / partition, in case I wanted to install a different flavour. I have no idea what I'll encounter once/if I ever boot this, but I think I'd like the separate / partition.

You see this Clay and Paul? I'm being sucked in!



You should be able to disable PXE in your BIOS. It means "Preboot Execution Environment" and you're not using it. Basically, it's booting over a netwotk connection instead of a local (attached to your PC) device. Frankly, I'm surprised it's enabled at all. Probably is just ignored and not the source of your booting issue.

https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/what-is-pxe-boot/
http://www.pix.net/software/pxeboot/archive/pxespec.pdf

As far as the bootable USB - if you're getting errors or just not booting, the first steps are:
Confirm the ISO you downloaded matches it's checksum
Redo the ISO "burn" to the USB and try again.

There's more that can be done to verify the USB is good, but not usually needed.

If the USB is booting but you're getting some error message - post it.

[oshunluvr]

This command should verify your ISO against the USB stick:

cmp -n `stat -c '%s' your.iso` your.iso /dev/sdX

Substitute your actual iso for 'your.iso' and your USB device name for /dev/sdX

[nodough]

Success! I got too smart for my own good. I set the BIOS back to what it was (hit reset) and everything was fine!
I'll probably have more questions later. For now I'm taking a break.
Thanks to all.

[jlittle]

Success!

Always good to hear that.

Regarding partitioning: I've always had a separate / partition, in case I wanted to install a different flavour.

(To beat the drum, sorry.) I suggest considering btrfs, where / goes in a subvolume, separate to /home in another. Then you can install "different flavours" in that same fs; I sometimes have half a dozen or so, all bootable, no partitioning required.

[verndog]

• Put it back on UEFI - but disable secure boot, which you won't need
• Create a bootable USB drive
• insert it and reboot.

The USB will load, and you follow the prompts, possibly identical to the last time you installed
Your laptop will have an f-key to bring up boot device selections, if it does not boot the USB automatically, or look at your bios boot settings.

Use the automatic option, or you can do manual partitioning if you want, but on a single OS system, there is no need, unless you have something specific you want to do.

There surely will be people giving all sorts of advice on manual partitioning, using various different file systems, etc. You can ignore all of them unless you know that there is something about them you want or need.
But doing the automatic setup is the safe, quicker, easier method, and is also the least confusing.

The best advice I've ever read!
Asking how to partition my HD is akin to what political party do you recommend.

[MoonRise]

Asking how to partition my HD is akin to what political party do you recommend.

LOL!!!! Yes, that is. I have my preferences and why I've never chimed in on those discussions.