[Installation] Install Kubuntu on an external SSD

[Dantcho]

Hello everyone,

It's my first time installing Kubuntu, and also my first time installing an OS to an external hard drive (SSD). I currently have Windows 10 installed on an internal SSD. I also have an internal HDD that I use for my D: drive in Windows.

So what I want to do is have Kubuntu installed on the external SSD, and select what device to boot from in the BIOS. I don't really want to use the dual boot thing that I've seen on some videos.
I'm not sure if that's even possible, so that's why I'm asking for help.

The external SSD is:
Samsung T5
500 GB
I can connect it to a USB Type-C /Thunderbolt 3port or a USB 3 port if the Thunderbolt doesn't work for that purpose.

My laptop is:
Acer Predator G9-592

Also I don't have a flash drive so I use a DVD disk instead.

Yesterday I tried to install it and everything seemed fine until I needed to restart. After restarting Windows started not Kubuntu even though I moved the external SSD to the top of the boot devices in the BIOS. Also another thing that may be important is that the UEFI and secure boot are turned on in the BIOS.

Thank you

[Qqmike]

One way to do this might be this:

Install Kubuntu to the external drive.
BUT ... as an independent OS and in UEFI mode (since your firmware is booting in UEFI mode).

Installing the OS in UEFI mode

Use 64-bit Kubuntu
Configure your UEFI computer's firmware
Use GParted to do the partitioning and include an ESP (EFI System Partition)
Boot the Kubuntu installer in UEFI mode and install Kubuntu

--> (1) Must use the 64-bit Kubuntu; and (2) You must boot the Kubuntu DVD/USB installer in UEFI mode.

> Access your computer's UEFI firmware setup Learn the key to press during POST to open the computer's firmware setup, including its boot menu(s). (Example: ASUS may be F2) The UEFI firmware acts as a boot manager.

Configure your UEFI firmware This is up to you and depends on what you want or need. Do this before installing Kubuntu.
(Recent personal example, for easy UEFI booting: CSM (compatibility support module): set to Auto (default)--or just turn it OFF; Disable Secure Boot: Change to “Other O/S”, which disables Secure Boot for the ASUS UEFI; and Disable Fast Boot.)

Partition the HDD with GParted: GPT and include an ESP (EFI System Partition)
GParted version you'll need: "amd64 64-bit version runs on x86-64 based computers, with ability to access more than 4 gigabytes of memory, and supports use of multiple processor cores. For newer (>2010) computers with UEFI instead of legacy BIOS try this one."

Prior to installing Kubuntu, partition the drive using GParted Live CD/USB. Do this as you normally do, note two things: (1) Make a new partition table, type GPT (Device > Create Partition Table: gpt); and (2) Make a special partition for the ESP (EFI System Partition: it will contain boot loaders for the computer). It may be anywhere, but keep it simple/standard and, if possible, use the first partition sda1; 100-512 MB (recommended at least 200 MB); FAT 32; in GParted set the boot flag on it (this marks it as the ESP or type EF00); and optionally you may set a label to recognize it (Partition > Label).

Boot the Kubuntu installer in UEFI mode: With the DVD/USB installer, reboot the PC, enter the computer's UEFI setup by pressing the correct key for your computer. Find the boot menu (or boot override menu) where the bootable devices are listed. Choose the one that corresponds to the Kubuntu UEFI DVD or USB (it may also show up as a "normal" DVD/USB choice). Look for UEFI /(FAT) or a reference to UEFI. (Example: a DVD may appear as "UEFI (FAT) TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-224DB (1028 MB)") Select the UEFI DVD or USB option from the firmware boot menu and boot up with it. Now proceed as you usually do to install Kubuntu. If asked where to install GRUB boot-loader, simply choose sda (it won't really matter as the installer will automatically identify and use the proper ESP (EFI System Partition)).

(from:

UEFI Simplified, a quicker version

https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post379977 )


Also, though, since you have two ESPs (one set up by Windows on your Windows drive and one that you set up on your external Kubuntu drive), when you install Kubuntu to the external drive to use its own ESP, you should (temporarily) turn off the Windows ESP (by temporarily removing the boot flag on the Windows ESP partition) ... as explained here:

Dual-booting: How to Use Multiple ESPs
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post376040

[Dantcho]

First of all I want to thank you for the help. So thank you.

I followed the instructions that Qqmike gave me. The installation wasn't successful the first time as the installer crashed. The second time Kubuntu installed correctly, but I still couldn't boot from it.
It took some tries and about 4 hours until I changed "Device for boot loader installation" to the EFI partition that I made with GParted. After that the external SSD showed up in the BIOS, but I still coudn't boot from it. If I choose to boot from the external SSD it looked like it tired to boot from it, but then Windows starts again.

So I found an article that had some instructions on installing Linux with Windows. It said that some file had to be added as a UEFI file trusted for executing. I did that in the BIOS and Kubuntu booted without any issues. I'm not sure, but was this because I didn't disable secure boot?
After that the file that I added a trusted for executing appeared in the devices to boot from. I moved it to the top and the windows boot manager after it. Now when I turn on my laptop if the external SSD is not plugged in Windows will boot if it's plugged in Kubuntu will boot.

Thanks again for the help.

[Qqmike]

Everything you say makes sense. Except, why didn't the Kubuntu installer take care of that "trusted" boot program for you. That trusted program is the shim loader, which your UEFI recognizes as an "efi executable" and so lists it in the Boot Order, as you found out. That shim loader is called shimx64.efi. What's the difference between that shim loader and GRUB? Basically, not much, except with Secure Boot on, shim is "trusted" (by Microsoft. In Rod Smith's own words:

Typically, EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi on the EFI System Partition (ESP) is the GRUB binary, and EFI/ubuntu/shimx64.efi is the binary for shim. The latter is a relatively simple program that provides a way to boot on a computer with Secure Boot active. On such a computer, an unsigned version of GRUB won't launch, and signing GRUB with Microsoft's keys is impossible, so shim bridges the gap and adds its own security tools that parallel those of Secure Boot. In practice, shim registers itself with the firmware and then launches a program called grubx64.efi in the directory from which it was launched, so on a computer without Secure Boot (such as a Mac), launching shimx64.efi is just like launching grubx64.efi. On a computer with Secure Boot active, launching shimx64.efi should result in GRUB starting up, whereas launching grubx64.efi directly probably won't work.

Note that there's some ambiguity possible. In particular, if you want to use a boot manager or boot loader other than GRUB in a Secure Boot environment with shim, you must call that program grubx64.efi, even though it's not GRUB. Thus, if you were to install rEFInd on a Secure Boot-enabled computer, grubx64.efi could be the rEFInd binary. This binary would probably not reside in EFI/ubuntu, though; both it and a shim binary would probably go in EFI/refind. Also, as you've got a Mac (which doesn't support Secure Boot), there's no need to install rEFInd in this way; it makes much more sense to install rEFInd as EFI/refind/refind_x64.efi (its default location and name).
Note that the rEFInd documentation includes a whole page on Secure Boot. Chances are you won't benefit from reading it, user190735, since you're using a Mac. I mention it only in case some other reader comes along who's trying to use rEFInd in conjunction with Secure Boot.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/3423...64-and-shimx64