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Celine Manekis avatar Ubuntu

Dual boot Lubuntu and Windows on laptop with VGA screen - can not get the computer to start with Lubuntu

jp flag
Celine Manekis

Having already several computers running Ubuntu/Lubuntu, I am not new to the installation of Lubuntu alongside with Windows, but still beginer! Today, I am stuck and would love the advice of the community!

I am trying to have Lubuntu alongside Windows 8.1 on a laptop with no native screen (broken a few years ago and completely removed), for which I use a VGA screen.

  • Laptop : HP QCWB335 Notebook 650 PC (2017)
  • Runs Win 8.1 fine with display on external VGA. The original screen is removed and the cable as well.
  • I use my Live USB with Lubuntu 20.04 for the installation (have used it for other installation)

What I have done so far :

  • prepared and shrinked Windows : OK
  • used the available space to install Lubuntu. Since it is EFI, it seems that I did not have to create a separate partition for boot. I am unsure about this, so great if someone can confirm!
  • installed Lubuntu : everything went smoothly. No errors, it seems installed OK.

My issue is that it always start Windows. I have no screen until Windows is started, so :

  • I can not see the BIOS
  • I can not see if Windows boot manager displays or not

What I have done so far :

  • tried to force the BIOS to use my external display (so I could at least view something and work from there!). None of the tricks I came across worked to force the display on the VGA screen. I tested the Fn key alons, Win key + P, Fn Key + all F keys.
  • ran grub-repair. There was a message mentioning that "Secure boot" was enabled. I forced the update of the BIOS and it seems to have disabled the secure mode.
  • ran a second time grub-repair to get the report.

I paste here :

I am reaching the limit of my knowledge on this topic and would like your help if possible.

What I would wish ideally : being able to choose between Lubuntu and Windows, with Lubuntu as default.

Thank you!

Céline

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MaestroGlanz avatar
in flag
MaestroGlanz
Can you disable the internal screen in the bios, as it doesn't exist any more?
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guiverc avatar
cn flag
guiverc
I too would disable the internal display; almost all enterprise geared laptops provide the functionality via Fn key as well (it varies by make, but many include BIOS setup). I QA-tested Lubuntu releases up to 19.04 with a laptop with dead screen without issues (*stopped when I re-cycled the box*) but I wasn't dual-booting except with another GNU/Linux (so dual-boot config works from the Lubuntu side in my opinion). Were the two OSes (windows, lubuntu) installed in the same mode?? (if separate install modes were used; re-install maybe necessary)
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Celine Manekis avatar
jp flag
Celine Manekis
@MaestroGlanz I can not disable the internal screen in the bios since I can not see the bios. Only after Windows is started, I can see something on the VGA screen.
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Celine Manekis avatar
jp flag
Celine Manekis
@guiverc I have tried all Fn keys as well as Win key + P. Nothing is displayed in the VGA screen until Windows is started. Lubuntu installed in EFI mode, as mentioned in original question. Windows Os and Lubuntu in EFI.
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sudodus avatar
jp flag
sudodus
When running from Lubuntu live (or Windows), you can try to manage where to send the video: There is often a key (maybe combined with the Fn key) to switch between internal screen, external screen or both. When/if you find out how it works, try if it works also at boot, so that you can see the UEFI/BIOS menus (and also the temporary boot menu (often at F9 in HP computers)). I have an old HP Elitebook (older than your computer) with broken internal graphics, that I can use via an external monitor to test new versions of Lubuntu, so I think it is possible.
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sudodus avatar
jp flag
sudodus
An alternative is to install Ubuntu Server. Since you want dual boot, I suggest that you use the [old version iso file with the debian installer `ubuntu-20.04.1-legacy-server-amd64.iso`](http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-legacy-server/releases/20.04/release/) and install the ssh server. That means that you can connect to it via the network from another computer and need not see anything on the computer's own screen. Later on, when you know how to manage booting and the graphics, you can install the meta package `lubuntu-desktop` and get Lubuntu.
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MaestroGlanz avatar
in flag
MaestroGlanz
@sudodus You should write this as a solution and it should be marked as such.
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sudodus avatar
jp flag
sudodus
@MaestroGlanz, I am not sure what you want or needed. If you used part of what I suggested, please describe what you did and how it works in an answer. After that, please write a comment to me, and I will upvote your answer.
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MaestroGlanz avatar
in flag
MaestroGlanz
@sudodus I'm not the OP. I just wanted to say, that your answer shouldn't be only a comment, but an actual answer.
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