Score:0

Ubuntu

Which partitions should I used for which mounts?

rabbit Withers

11/4/23, 8:57 PM

My MBR or some boot kernel sector got blown on my Ubuntu 22 install.

Only solution I could think of is reinstall Ubuntu, leaving my home/ intact. I went to do so: (boot of USB, decline WiFi network, click Install) and during Ubuntu install I get to the step 5 window (from the Ubuntu Install tutorial) [10].

Updates and other software

and select normal install, no updates, no third party drivers. Click continue…

I expect the detection of my current Ubuntu installed or no OS detected, due to boot sector corruption , and the display of “Installation type”, as per these 2 images from the install tutorial [11] and this dual-boot install guide [12]. I do not get this window…

Installation type with no detected OS

Installation type with Windows 10 detected

What I do get on clicking continue from “Updates and other software” is the partition table assignment screen…

partition table

I assign /dev/sdb4, which is ext4, to mount root ‘/‘. Click ‘Install Now’ and get this dialog warning of bad install.

No EFI System Partition found

I don’t know which is my EFI, probably due to the original boot sector corruption.

I removed partitions /dev/sdb1 - /dev/sdb3 then created a new sdb1 marked as EFI. Then got this error…

EFI failure

I’m thinking a bad disk…so what? Get a new disk added to preserve /dev/sdb4?

How did my disk get corrupted??? I am shocked. That’s a first since I got started with Slackware 0.96 back in the day, you feel me?

Any tips and guidance welcome! I appreciate you! - rabbit

Further investigations ———-

I did not encrypt boot when I originally installed Ubuntu Jammy.

When I F12 into boot partition selection I select UEFI USB Disk, but that’s not the hard disk boot partition. MBR/LegacyBIOS Vs GPT/UEFI? No idea. When I boot after the first image in my OP, I get to a Grub (I think) Boot screen and select Ubuntu. I’ll reconfirm that. I’ve no idea the details of my partitioning. It seems a serious i issue that I delete all those partitions (except sdb4) & recreate a single partition (sdb1 from sdb1-sdb3) & it fails writing EFS. Seems totally separate from previous formatting. I’ve probably destroyed previous boot.

Gnu grub version 2.06 with a selection available for UEFI Firmware Settings, made me think it’s UEFI on the original install, which I saw then. Since I’ve reinstalled but still had the EFS failure. My home/rabbit/ directory is gone so I’ll reinstall from scratch with full erase…perhaps I’ll avoid the EFS error and just let a fully fresh install determine partitions.

Why am I not getting the first Installation type screen?

My box is completely f*caked up now. I can no longer boot off my hard disk nor my USB ISO. Crap. It’s all crap.

How did my disk’s boot sector get corrupted? Surely Ubuntu isn’t writing to that sector during normal operations, correct? Therefore, I must have a hardware failure.

I’ve bought a reconditioned HP 8100 i7, 8GB RAM from Walmart for $110!! I’ll swap in my current RAM, is possible. I’m going back to HP after trying Lenovo once again. IBM FAIL! Think ‘bout it!

Thursday! Dual-boot with Windows.

———- References ———- Nota nene: (I’m limited to number of links allowed…)

<10> : Ubuntu install step 5 : ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-desktop#5-installation-setup

<11> : Ubuntu install step 6 : ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-desktop#6-drive-management

<12> : dual-boot install guide : medium.com/linuxforeveryone/how-to-install-ubuntu-20-04-and-dual-boot-alongside-windows-10-323a85271a73

0 + 8

partitioning

boot

22.04

oldfred

11/4/23, 10:35 PM

Was old install LVM with encryption? You would have to mount & decrypt that first. Better to copy & paste terminal output in question rather than screen shots.

user68186

11/4/23, 10:45 PM

It is not clear if the old system had dual boot with Windows. It is not clear if the old system had MBR and old legacy BIOS or GPT and UEFI. It is not clear if you set the new EFI System Partition (ESP) as fat32 format. Please [edit your question](https://askubuntu.com/posts/1439134/edit) and add these information.

rabbit Withers

11/4/23, 11:01 PM

@oldfred I did not encrypt boot when I originally installed Ubuntu Jammy..

rabbit Withers

11/4/23, 11:01 PM

@user68186 When I F12 into boot partition selection I select UEFI USB Disk, but that’s not the hard disk boot partition. MBR/LegacyBIOS Vs GPT/UEFI? No idea. When I boot after the first image in my OP, I get to a Grub (I think) Boot screen and select Ubuntu. I’ll reconfirm that. I’ve no idea the details of my partitioning. It seems a serious i issue that I delete all those partitions (except sdb4) & recreate a single partition (sdb1 from sdb1-sdb3) & it fails writing EFS. Seems totally separate from previous formatting. I’ve probably destroyed previous boot. I’ll investigate & report back

user68186

11/5/23, 1:22 AM

You should be able to boot from USB even if your disk is broken. So, boot from USB and try again. The comments are our channel to ask you for clarification. You should edit your question and add all the new information **in your question**.

rabbit Withers

11/5/23, 2:28 PM

@user68186 RGR. WILCO. ACK.

Matias N Goldberg

11/5/23, 2:56 PM

sdb is your thumbdrive. Your main disk should be in sda. If the system can't recognize it, your fisk may be in a worse shape than you think. The picture you uploaded is already telling you sdb is `PNY USB 2.0 FD (15.6 GB)`. Perhaps your disk shows up in GParted.

rabbit Withers

11/6/23, 3:21 PM

I appreciate you for this explanation. Which picture contains reference to sdb being the PNY USB 2.0 FD? Im lost. I can no longer boot off my thumb drive so no access to GParted. My new HP box arrives Wednesday…

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Which partitions should I used for which mounts?

Post an answer

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