How do I install 14.04 in EFI along with Windows 8?

[davy jones]

I added each of the options after the end of all the text, but in the same line, this time changing 1280x1024 to 1366x768, my screen resolution. Zilch. The exact same blank screen every time. I also tried to boot in recovery mode, but even that got stuck on this screen -

20141014_133024.jpg

I don't know much about this, but I'm beginning to think that unchecking the 'Separate /boot partition' option has made a change. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Just to be clear, I did shrink the Windows partition on my laptop from Windows only, but created the Ubuntu and another data partition using GParted from the Ubuntu LiveDVD when I installed 12.04 a year ago. So does http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...0#post12611710 apply to me? If I back up Windows using Macrium Reflect, will I be able to restore everything in the Windows partition in case anything goes wrong? And does "Linux Boot CD" mean an Ubuntu LiveCD or USB?

How do I backup /etc? Will backing it up mean that I can restore the different apps I installed? Or can that be done by backing up the hidden files and folders of the various apps in /home?

Lastly, do I need to worry about whatever Boot Repair has done until now? Looking at the last bootinfo in #10, can I just go ahead with installing 14.04 or do I need to do something else? And do you think that getting different results after unchecking the 'Separate /boot partition' option in Boot Repair the last time is anything significant?

[oldfred]

I have not used Macrim, have not had Windows for a couple of years. But I believe it creates a boot disk to restore Windows and it uses Linux?

You should use Something Else to reinstall. You chose existing partition with change button on partition screen. Just reuse existing partitions. I do not recommend the separate /boot for most systems.

The tick & untick of separate /boot determines whether the kernels & grub in /boot partition or in /boot folder in / (root) partition are used. And it seems like you did the total reinstall with both so they should be the same. But it seems the grub.cfg is not updated so it may be always using one version? If you have re-run Boot-Repair since post #10 then it may have changed.

The settings for all your apps are in /home, so backing that up includes your user settings & your files. I do prefer a separate /home or data partition(s), so user data is separate. A separate /home is easier for a newer user as you just create and configure during Something Else manual install.

Data partitions are more advanced as you have to separately create a partition, format it either NTFS if using Windows or ext4. And if a Linux format you have to set ownership & permissions. And you have to manually mount in fstab so it can easily be used. Not really difficult if used to terminal and somewhat familiar with Linux. But not really for a new user who is not familiar with partitions, mount & terminal use.

If you have installed a lot of applications, you need to export list. This list is very long as it also includes all the dependencies. You will not be reinstalling anything already installed by default. It is just a text file.

from lovinglinux - use dpkg to list installed apps
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...75&postcount=5
http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net/techbl...selectupgrade/
From old install
dpkg --get-selections > ~/my-packages
From New install
sudo dpkg --set-selections < my-packages
sudo apt-get -y update
sudo apt-get dselect-upgrade

My rsync backup includes an export of packages and save into /home. Then my backup of /home has a current copy of all installed apps.
If you have manually modified any system settings like Ethernet, grub, Network or others those would be in /etc and maybe that should be backed up. I edit grub manually and try to remember to just copy those files into /home so my default backup of /home includes that without full backup of /etc.

[davy jones]

The data partition I currently have is NTFS. Should I back up all the data on that as well? Also, I have a Cryptkeeper encrypted folder in /home. If I just copy it, can I access it after I install Cryptkeeper on 14.04? Or is there a way to decrypt it using the Live DVD?

I really appreciate the effort you're putting in. I owe you big time already. I'll probably owe you more by the time this thing gets done

[oldfred]

It never hurts to have too many backups.

Even those of us who know better get caught. Systems internally know if we have backed up or think since we are just making a quick easy change do not make the backup.
If system knows we did backup it always works to make changes. But if we did not do backup, it makes our fingers type the wrong thing and destroy system.

[davy jones]

I tried to boot using the Live DVD, just to back up my data this time. It just would not boot in UEFI. However, it wasn't like it just didn't detect a bootable disc and moved on. It just froze on the Dell screen on which you can hit F2 to enter setup and F12 for boot options. I then changed the boot mode to Legacy and selected the DVD drive in boot options. Now the disc has booted, but it still won't let me access my data on /home. It opens /home, and even displays the hidden files and folders of all the apps, but when I go to Documents and click on a subfolder inside it that has all my data, it says that I do not have permission to access it.

[oldfred]

Does gksudo nautilus from terminal work?
Even though live installer does not have an admin user or password?

[davy jones]

It says that gksudo is not installed when I run the command.

Also, I was able to access the boot folder in the / partition and it turns out that there is no file in the efi folder in it. But the efi folder in the /boot partition has a Boot folder that has a bootx264.efi file and a bootx264.efi.grb file. There's also an Ubuntu folder which has a grubx64.efi file.

[oldfred]

Install gksudo, even with live installer you can add just about anything. It just will not be saved and if you reboot you have to add it again.

sudo apt-get install gksudo

Are you sure the efi partition you are looking at is not the live installer's partition?

Post this:
sudo parted -l

[davy jones]

Something weird is happening when I run gksudo nautilus. The first time I ran it gave me this -

(nautilus:9070): GLib-GIO-WARNING **: Missing callback called fullpath = /root/.config/user-dirs.dirs


(nautilus:9070): GLib-CRITICAL **: Source ID 169 was not found when attempting to remove it

(nautilus:9070): GLib-CRITICAL **: Source ID 170 was not found when attempting to remove it

(nautilus:9070): GLib-CRITICAL **: Source ID 171 was not found when attempting to remove it

It said that a /root/.config/nautilus directory had to be created by me or I should give permissions to do so. But the second time I ran the same command, I was able to access the subfolder I needed to in /home/Documents, but I cannot seem to copy it to anything. It says I don't have the permission to do it. And the second I try to view the properties of this subfolder, a window saying that I don't have permissions appears momentarily and the whole Files window closes down. It gives the following output in the terminal -

Nautilus-Share-Message: Called "net usershare info" but it failed: 'net usershare' returned error 255: net usershare: cannot open usershare directory /var/lib/samba/usershares. Error No such file or directory
Please ask your system administrator to enable user sharing.

**
ERROR:nautilus-properties-window.c:1839:schedule_owner_change_timeout: assertion failed: (NAUTILUS_IS_FILE (file))
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ gksudo nautilus
**
ERROR:nautilus-properties-window.c:1839:schedule_owner_change_timeout: assertion failed: (NAUTILUS_IS_FILE (file))
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ gksudo nautilus
**
ERROR:nautilus-properties-window.c:1839:schedule_owner_change_timeout: assertion failed: (NAUTILUS_IS_FILE (file))

Output of sudo parted -l -

Model: ATA ST1000LM024 HN-M (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number  Start   End     Size    File system     Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  525MB   524MB   fat32           EFI system partition          boot
 2      525MB   567MB   41.9MB  fat32           Basic data partition          hidden
 3      567MB   701MB   134MB                   Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 4      701MB   1226MB  524MB   ntfs            Basic data partition          hidden, diag
 5      1226MB  109GB   108GB   ntfs            Basic data partition          msftdata
 7      109GB   130GB   21.0GB  ext4                                          msftdata
 8      130GB   131GB   512MB   ext4                                          msftdata
 9      131GB   152GB   21.0GB  ext4                                          msftdata
10      152GB   157GB   5000MB  linux-swap(v1)
11      157GB   157GB   1049kB                                                bios_grub
12      157GB   990GB   833GB   ntfs                                          msftdata
 6      990GB   1000GB  10.3GB  ntfs            Microsoft recovery partition  hidden, diag


Model: PLDS DVD+-RW DU-8A5HH (scsi)
Disk /dev/sr0: 4700MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 2048B/2048B
Partition Table: mac

Number  Start   End     Size    File system  Name   Flags
 1      8192B   24.6kB  16.4kB               Apple
 2      3979MB  3989MB  9568kB               EFI

sda8 is the /boot partition.

[oldfred]

I know one of the complaints was that it was too easy to just boot a live installer and destroy a system. So maybe they have changed things.
But you can run repairs and fix a system from a live installer, so not sure why you have issues.

I am sure you can chroot into your system as that is how we fix it if need be. Boot-Repair also uses chroot to to a full uninstall of grub.

If you have a separate /boot partition or any other system partitions as separate partitions you must also mount those. Some instructions on chroot leave that out as most Desktop installs do not have more than / & possibly /home as separate partitions.

UEFI chroot
http://askubuntu.com/questions/53578...er/57380#57380
To chroot, you need the same 32bit or 64 bit kernel. Best to use same version.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BasicChroot

Some other examples

drs305 chroot to purge & reinstall grub2
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1581099
kansasnoob- full chroot one line version with &&---- change sda3 to your install
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...2&postcount=10
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1470597