Ubuntu Live will not recognize internal SSD

ean

11/17/23, 7:56 PM

I am running Ubuntu 20.04. Machine is an ASUS VivoBook with 12G Ram, 500G SSD, and Intel CORE i3. The Ubuntu install is on an external 256G SSD. The installation started life as Ubuntu 16.04. Old computer died of wine exposure, so I bought this one and rescued the SSD. It now lives in a M2 case beside my new computer. I know, Too Much Information.

I was out of space in the Ubuntu partition. In order to increase its size, I needed to move it. One cannot move a partition that is in use, so I created a Ubuntu Live stick from a Ubuntu 22.04 iso using balena etcher, changed boot preferences in BIOS, rebooted and ran Ubuntu from the stick. Gparted did its magic, but I noticed that the only drives available to it were the USB stick and the external SSD. The internal drive was nowhere to be found.

I rebooted to the stick again and it would not load.

Without details, then created another Ubuntu live from a 20.04 iso. Same results. First use, fine, but no internal (nvme) drive in Gparted or Disks.

I have never had this experience with a live version in the past, and I do not know if it is Ubuntu or a coincidental hardware failure at a very inconvenient time.

If more info is needed, I will be happy to provide it, but the problem seems to before the creation of /var/log/boot.log.

0 + 10

boot

ssd

oldfred

11/17/23, 9:16 PM

Do you have Windows on internal drive? Is bitlocker on, or fast start up in Windows? A Windows update may have reset to defaults with those on. Windows may also update UEFI resetting UEFI to defaults. Check UEFI settings.

ean

11/17/23, 9:54 PM

@oldfred There is a windows install on both SSDs. I never use them. BTW, my Ubuntu (20.24 on the external drive works fine and can see/access the internal SSD. Each drive has UEFI partition and in bios I select the boot order. I assume the Live stick does not have a UEFI partition. But recognizing hardware devices has never been an issue for me in the past.

oldfred

11/18/23, 3:34 AM

Ubuntu's standard installer is either a hybrid DVD/flash drive made by dd or a FAT32 partition with esp,boot flags so entire installer is in a ESP - efi system partition. Even is not a boot issue, this may show some details: Please copy & paste the pastebin link to the BootInfo summary report ( do not post report), do not run the auto fix till reviewed.Lets see details, use ppa version with your USB installer (2nd option) or any working install, not Boot-Repair ISO https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

ean

11/18/23, 7:42 PM

@oldfred I have not been ignoring you, and I think you are on the right track. Thanks for your help so far. My delay is related to a catch 22 with Ubuntu One, Launchpad, and google password manager.

ean

11/18/23, 7:56 PM

@oldfred I have installed and run boot-repair, and uploaded the results to pastebin. Here is the link: [link](https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/xrmx75xzn7/) I can't view it myself because of my catch 22 login snafu.

oldfred

11/18/23, 8:33 PM

I use a M.2 SATA to USB adapter to boot Ubuntu as a fast external drive. You show old BIOS boot loaders, but UEFI installs in both NVMe drive and sda. Is sda the external drive? Windows will not boot from external drives. Your fstab in sda6 shows that is is trying to mount several partitions by UUID that do not seem to exist. Those have to time out as not found. I prefer to label all partitions so default mount is by label. and permanent mounts using a name/label so not using UUID which I do not know which is which. Labels make it a lot clearer. Does external boot from UEFI boot menu?

ean

11/18/23, 11:00 PM

@oldfred No sir, sda is the external m.2 256G SSD connected via USB C type USB. When inserted, sdb is the USB flash (sd card) drive. I do not remember what they call the new BIOS setup. By new, meaning it works with full color and mouse. This is the first computer I have had with it. When in it, you drag and drop a list of all inserted media. If no sdb, then the BIOS auto removes it from the list, if it is there, it puts it back in the list at the previous location in the list. I have only messed with computers since 1966, but from what I can see, it IS booting from the external SSD.

ean

11/18/23, 11:04 PM

@oldfred It is telling me to not make more comments but move it to chat. I have no idea how to do that, so I will stop typing now.

ean

11/18/23, 11:17 PM

@oldfred if you have time/willingness, tell me how to do this chat thing and I will tell you what I THINK is happening any why, and what I learned from running boot-repair. I will check back about hourly.

oldfred

11/19/23, 3:37 AM

I am not available for chat. And will be traveling Saturday local time. This site is ok for a question and then an answer. But I find forums better for more complicated issues that are not one question. The UEFI entry using nvme0n1p1 boots the install in p4. External drives typically all boot from /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi which is same name as installer and full install, but different configuration. UEFI normally finds that entry to boot when an external drive is plugged in. Internal drive normally boot /EFI/ubuntu, but also can use the fallback drive entry /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi.

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