UEFI Motherboard dual boot/dual HDD

[tdm]

I have a UEFI motherboard (Gigabyte GA Z77MX-D3H) and a 120GB SSD and 2TB HDD.

Here is my current config:
sda 120GB SSD
sda1 ntfs 100MB Windows boot partition
sda2 ntfs 70GB Windows partition
sda3 ext4 40GB Xubuntu / partition
sdb 2TB HDD
sdb1 ntfs 1500GB Storage partition
sdb2 swap 10GB Linux-swap
sdb3 ext2 500MB Xubuntu /boot partition
sdb4 ext4 300GB Xubuntu /home partition
Bootloader installed to sdb in Xubuntu installer

However, I cannot boot Xubuntu. Only the windows BCD bootloader ever appears. Even leaving default option and installing bootloader to sda doesn't work. Its always the Windows bootloader appearing.

I have tried booting from the 2TB HDD where I expect the MBR for GRUB2 will be installed from the installer but it just goes on to the Windows bootloader as if it couldn't find GRUB.

I have tried adding Xubuntu to the Windows BCD to chainload with EasyBCD but it just reverts straight to Grub4Dos prompt.

I think my motherboard being UEFI is relevant somewhere. I am unsure of what UEFI is in comparison to BIOS.



What configuration do I take to get this dual-boot up and running? I would prefer Xubuntu OS to be on the SSD and /home to be on the HDD.

Thanks

[101kitty]

I don't know what UEFI is but, you should see look at your HHD and see if the one is set to master and the other one slave, or they could both be set to master, not sure if this is the problem but it would not hurt to see if this could be the problem.
If this is the problem check this it, it will tell you were to put the pins on your HHD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master/slave_(technology)

[tdm]

I don't know what UEFI is but, you should see look at your HHD and see if the one is set to master and the other one slave, or they could both be set to master, not sure if this is the problem but it would not hurt to see if this could be the problem.
If this is the problem check this it, it will tell you were to put the pins on your HHD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master/slave_(technology)

With SATA hard disks there is no master/slave afaik.

UEFI is some new replacement for BIOS that released last year. It allows faster booting and Windows 8 requires it but it has booting complications.

[james2b]

UEFI has a feature known as "secure boot" which blocks out any other boot loaders or operating systems. So try to hit your F key to enter that EFI set up screen to find and disable secure boot if that is available as an option. Here are some UEFI web sites links here; http://www.uefi.org/about/,and here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified...ware_Interface , and this one too; http://www.extremetech.com/computing...os-replacement

[tdm]

UEFI has a feature known as "secure boot" which blocks out any other boot loaders or operating systems. So try to hit your F key to enter that EFI set up screen to find and disable secure boot if that is available as an option. Here are some UEFI web sites links here; http://www.uefi.org/about/,and here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified...ware_Interface , and this one too; http://www.extremetech.com/computing...os-replacement

My MB manual doesn't document anything like this. I did however find an more than 4 options under "CSM Support" that could be "Legacy only", "UEFI only", "UEFI and Legacy". One of those options called "Boot mode support". Is this relevant?

I set CSM Support to Never instead of Always as an experiment and the computer did long beep and no response. Had to reset CMOS. So that isn't the option obviously...


Now, do you have any answers to the OP's question?

[james2b]

Search that Gigabyte motherboard web site for more specific information such as CSM, this motherboard here may be yours; http://www.gigabyte.us/products/prod...px?pid=4145#ov , and here; http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/347038-28-support Did that computer come with Windows 8 originally, and what brand PC ?

[tdm]

Search that Gigabyte motherboard web site for more specific information such as CSM, this motherboard here may be yours; http://www.gigabyte.us/products/prod...px?pid=4145#ov , and here; http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/347038-28-support Did that computer come with Windows 8 originally, and what brand PC ?

Thanks for the help but if you read the OP you would see that I know what motherboard I have. Because I built the PC from new parts (i5 3570K, GTX 670 etc.). And there is nothing to do with Windows 8, this is for trying to get to Xubuntu's GRUB menu (I have Windows 7 btw).

Thanks

[oldfred]

I think CSM is another name for BIOS or legacy boot. But to see where everything is installed in detail.

Post the link to the BootInfo report that this creates. Is part of Boot-Repair:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Info
Boot Repair -Also handles LVM, GPT, separate /boot and UEFI dual boot.:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
You can repair many boot issues with this or 'Create BootInfo' report (Other Options) & post the link it creates, so we can see your exact configuration and diagnose advanced problems.
Install in Ubuntu liveCD or USB or Full RepairCD with Boot-Repair (for newer computers)
http://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair/home/Home/
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuSecureRemix

[tdm]

I think CSM is another name for BIOS or legacy boot. But to see where everything is installed in detail.

Post the link to the BootInfo report that this creates. Is part of Boot-Repair:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Info
Boot Repair -Also handles LVM, GPT, separate /boot and UEFI dual boot.:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
You can repair many boot issues with this or 'Create BootInfo' report (Other Options) & post the link it creates, so we can see your exact configuration and diagnose advanced problems.
Install in Ubuntu liveCD or USB or Full RepairCD with Boot-Repair (for newer computers)
http://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair/home/Home/
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuSecureRemix

Here is the boot-info I took in a Live-USB:

http://paste.ubuntu.com/1529128/

The thing is, I have even tried default options. (replacing windows bootloader on sda (via ubiquity) MBR and booting from sda and the Windows bootloader remains!

[tdm]

I have gotten further. I was able to boot further by using Grub4Dos command-line with EasyBCD's NeoGrub.

I typed:
set --root (hd1,1)
kernel (hd1,1)/linux-3.5.0-17-generic (or something similar [used "ls" to find its name])
initrd (hd1,1)/initrd.img-3.5.0-17-generic
boot

And it just stopped here after about 10 seconds of loading text on the screen:




I also tried not using separate /boot partition on 2TB HDD. I just let it be in / like I usually would. Same situation as above happens.

NOTE:
Since the bootloader is installed to PARTITION and not DEVICE, I tried chainloading in GRUB like so:
set --root (hd0,3)
chainloader +1
boot

It notes the partition as ext2fs instead of ext4 (might be normal)
Then it says "Unsupported executable format..."