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Can't install Ubuntu 18 on my station (Dell precision 3650)

lu flag

So, I have this workstation at work, Dell Precision 3650 with a Nvidia RTXA4000 on it and we usually use these machines to work with some robots here etc.

One of the robots needs to be operated using ROS Melodic (Ubuntu 18) and this is where the problem is happening.

There are 2 SSDs installed on the computer, one with Ubuntu 20, which works perfectly (even though it was hard on the beginning to make it work Nvidia + Ubuntu, now it is stable) and the second one is supposed to have Ubuntu 18.

The problem is that after inserting the bootable usb key and clicking on "Install Ubuntu" the computer shuts down just after. The only way possible to make it work (so far) is adding the "nomodeset" option, but the issue is that after doing that I have no internet connection after and because of that nothing is -really- installed.

So far I've tried:

  • Updating BIOS
  • Downgrading BIOS
  • Secure boot ON/OFF
  • AHCI Mode
  • UEFI/Legacy Mode
  • Installing connected to the on-board video
  • Installing connected to the nvidia card
  • Removing the nvidia card
  • Changing the USB key
  • Changing the USB port where the USB key is connected
  • Changing the SSD
  • Removing the other SSD
  • and many other solutions, some of them even proposed here on ask ubuntu but for older versions.

And so far I have no success.

On older machines, the installation works just fine, but for the purpose we need it needs to be installed on this dell workstation, unfortunately.

I don't know if there is a way of downloading all of the drivers and kernels and whatever necessary somewhere and then just installing after with a USB key, I searched but I couldn't really find it.

I have also looked for the possible causes, and I found it (also here on ask ubuntu) that it can be many things that goes from bad power supply until to just accept it because it is not compatible. So I don't really know what I can do. Any help is immensely appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

us flag
Usually, old versions of Ubuntu have trouble supporting new hardware. You can use Ubuntu 18.04 in a VM
Fábio Ribeio avatar
lu flag
@ArchismanPanigrahi Hey Archisman thanks for the quick answer! That what was I was really thinking, but as a last resource. But it seems that I am running out of options anyways! Thanks!
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