Ubuntu not booting from USB

[tantocibo]

Hi,
I have an Asus A55DR-SX138H (UEFI bios, AMD x64 CPU), with secure boot disabled in the bios settings. However, I'm not able to boot Ubuntu from USB stick: Grub succesfully loads but then, if I select 'Try' or 'Install' I always get a black screen. I tried both Ubuntu 12.04 and 13.04 AMD x64 images, all installed with Universal USB Installer 1.9.3.6. Thanks in advance.

[sudodus]

We don't know yet, if it is a problem with graphics or a general problem with booting.

- What graphics chip/card is it? You can try some boot option, start with nomodeset

- Did you check with md5sum, that the download of the Ubuntu iso file was successful?

- Cloning with dd has a high success rate making boot USB drives. So if you try that method, and it still does not work, there is some other problem.To make it safer, see Howto make USB boot drives
(http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1958073)

[Bucky Ball]

You can try some boot option, start with nomodeset



How?

When you get to the Try or Install screen hit F6. You should have some options pop-up. Choose 'nomodset', as suggested.

Try that first.

[oldfred]

If booting install in UEFI mode to install in UEFI mode you cannot use f6, that is BIOS.
But you add nomodeset just like you do with first boot, by editing grub.
At grub menu, use e to edit, scroll down to linux line and replace quiet splash with nomodeset.

Screen shot here but as first boot with grub after install, but editing grub is the same.
How to set NOMODESET and other kernel boot options in grub2 - both liveCD & first boot, but different
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1613132
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

[tantocibo]

Thank you all, but nomodeset did not work for me...

[sudodus]

Please let us know about the graphics chip/card! This makes it easier for us the give advice.

And please continue to test some other boot options too (maybe more than one at a time).

Edit: You can enter the boot option text (just to find out if you come a prompt to enter user name and password) and you can remove the standard boot options quiet and splash. This would help finding if there are some specific problem (other than the graphics).

[tantocibo]

Please let us know about the graphics chip/card! This makes it easier for us the give advice.

And please continue to test some other boot options too (maybe more than one at a time).

Edit: You can enter the boot option text (just to find out if you come a prompt to enter user name and password) and you can remove the standard boot options quiet and splash. This would help finding if there are some specific problem (other than the graphics).

Yes: AMD Radeon HD 7470M, you can gather it from the laptop model in the first post :)

[sudodus]

Some of the Radeon chips/cards are poorly supported by the built in drivers. In some (but not all) of those cases, there is a proprietary driver, that works better.

In this case you might succeed by booting in text mode: use the boot option 'text' (without quotes). And then in text mode, you can install the proprietary driver, like you install another program package in the newest version of Ubuntu. In older versions (I think 12.04 LTS) you can use jockey-text, or in some cases you download a deb package from the manufacturer's web-site and install it according to the instructions within that package. See these links

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RadeonDriver
(https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RadeonDriver)

[tantocibo]

Some of the Radeon chips/cards are poorly supported by the built in drivers. In some (but not all) of those cases, there is a proprietary driver, that works better.

In this case you might succeed by booting in text mode: use the boot option 'text' (without quotes). And then in text mode, you can install the proprietary driver, like you install another program package in the newest version of Ubuntu. In older versions (I think 12.04 LTS) you can use jockey-text, or in some cases you download a deb package from the manufacturer's web-site and install it according to the instructions within that package. See these links

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RadeonDriver
(https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RadeonDriver)
I tried with both 'text' and 'nomodeset' options (together), with the same result. If I enable secure boot from bios , I get 'Binary is whitelisted' (I don't know if this can be useful for you). I also found the proprietary driver for my gpu, but how can I boot the live distro or install it with *that* driver?

[sudodus]

I still know too little about your problem to really help.

Please describe what you have done and what you get! What same result?

Did you try another method to make a boot USB drive (other than Universal USB Installer)?

Please try the USB drive in another computer!

I guess it is a new computer, so you have better chances to get working drivers with a new version of Ubuntu (13.04) or you might even test the not yet released version 13.10. It is still in alpha stage, and there will be a rough ride (with crashes) before it will be released in October, but you can try the daily build, and hope there will be working drivers for your computer. See this link

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/

[tantocibo]

I still know too little about your problem to really help.

Please describe what you have done and what you get! What same result?

Did you try another method to make a boot USB drive (other than Universal USB Installer)?

Please try the USB drive in another computer!

I guess it is a new computer, so you have better chances to get working drivers with a new version of Ubuntu (13.04) or you might even test the not yet released version 13.10. It is still in alpha stage, and there will be a rough ride (with crashes) before it will be released in October, but you can try the daily build, and hope there will be working drivers for your computer. See this link

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/


What I have done: I booted from USB stick; on GRUB screen I hit the 'e' key and I edited the specific line adding 'text' and 'nomodeset' as boot options, and then I booted the live system by pressing 'F10' (CTRL+X does not work). I only tried the USB Universal Installer+Ubuntu 13.04 AMD6/12.04 AMD64 combination, because the other 'immediate' solution (LinuxLive USB Creator) does not support Ubuntu 13.04 (maybe I can try with the Ubuntu 12.04 image now...);

What I get: Black screen (see the first post... that is the 'same result');

The USB drive is tested on other computers.

[DeathByDenim]

Actually, I had the same problem with my new Acer laptop that I bought last month. The trick for me was to just use the "Increase brightness" key on your keyboard. Probably something like <Fn> + <F6> or <Fn> + <Arrow up> or something like that.

[Bucky Ball]

The trick for me was to just use the "Increase brightness" key on your keyboard.

How did you discover that? :-k ... but glad you did. Worth a try.

[DeathByDenim]

Heh, I stumbled upon it, while researching the linux compatibility for various laptops I was interested in.

[sudodus]

What I have done: I booted from USB stick; on GRUB screen I hit the 'e' key and I edited the specific line adding 'text' and 'nomodeset' as boot options, and then I booted the live system by pressing 'F10' (CTRL+X does not work). I only tried the USB Universal Installer+Ubuntu 13.04 AMD6/12.04 AMD64 combination, because the other 'immediate' solution (LinuxLive USB Creator) does not support Ubuntu 13.04 (maybe I can try with the Ubuntu 12.04 image now...);

What I get: Black screen (see the first post... that is the 'same result');

The USB drive is tested on other computers.

1. Try the tip by DeathByDenim.

2. If still no go

I understand that the USB drive works in (can boot) other computers

- Try to add the boot option text, and to remove the standard boot options quiet splash

- Select the recovery mode and try the different options in the menu

[tantocibo]

1. Try the tip by DeathByDenim.

2. If still no go

I understand that the USB drive works in (can boot) other computers

- Try to add the boot option text, and to remove the standard boot options quiet splash

- Select the recovery mode and try the different options in the menu
1. Did not work;
2. Did not work;
There isn't any recovery boot option on grub...Is it accesible in another way?

[sudodus]

Some of these new computers are made in such a way, that it should be hard or impossible to boot other operating systems than the one installed. The best thing for you would be if someone has succeeded with that brand and model, and shares her/his method to do it. Maybe you can find something on the internet browsing for linux dual boot and {the brand and model of your computer}.

[Bucky Ball]

Yes. I'd start investigating UEFI boots perhaps to see if that's the issue. That would prevent it booting.

Also, how many partitions are on the drive already?

[slooksterpsv]

For OS mode in your BIOS is it set to UEFI or do you have one that is like a UEFI/Custom/Legacy option - mine had a triple option which I selected that would do all 3. Otherwise, where the nomodeset didn't work, how did you make the USB via unetbootin? If so what version 583 failed miserably for me all the time. Finally 584 worked, but only in Windows.

Can you get to another TTY after you start having it boot via CTLR+ALT+F1 see if it gives you an error, or you can remove the quiet item in the grub area and see what's failing.

[tantocibo]

Some of these new computers are made in such a way, that it should be hard or impossible to boot other operating systems than the one installed. The best thing for you would be if someone has succeeded with that brand and model, and shares her/his method to do it. Maybe you can find something on the internet browsing for linux dual boot and {the brand and model of your computer}.

Thank you sudodus! I found the solution on the official Italian Ubuntu forum (here is the translated page): http://goo.gl/JBEoB. Hope this will help all ASUS A55DR users ;)

[Bucky Ball]

Good news. Please mark as solved to help others by following the link in my signature. Thanks.

[sudodus]

Thank you sudodus! I found the solution on the official Italian Ubuntu forum (here is the translated page): http://goo.gl/JBEoB. Hope this will help all ASUS A55DR users ;)
I'm glad I could help you finding the solution :-)