Impossibilty to install Ubuntu / sda is not detected

[belouga18]

Hello from France,
I try to install Ubuntu on some computers without success... And I don't understand why.

I want to install Ubuntu (seul) on 15 computers which have Windows 10 (Old computer Windows 7 upgraded to Windows 10)
On 8 computers : All was OK, and I have install Ubuntu with success.
On 7 computers : It is impossible.

Computers are :
AMD Athlon II X2 255 Processor x2 / DD 320 Go / Mémoire 2Go

I have a USB key with Ubuntu 16.04.3
When I launch installation, I have :
1) The welcome screen, with the language choice (of course, I take French)
2) The screen of installation preparation (update and others software)
3) The screen with the installation type ... but sda is not detected... (only sdb is detected, corresponding to USB Key LiveCD)

https://framapic.org/ufKNlWIJLO37/3n9W6CoRPLBQ.jpeg

I try to erase completely the hard disk with Gparted, créé un table de partition GPT et créé un partition unique en ext4

This is "sudo fdisk -l"


Disque /dev/loop0 : 1,5 GiB, 1561751552 octets, 3050296 secteurs
Unités : sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 octets
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disque /dev/sda : 298,1 GiB, 320072933376 octets, 625142448 secteurs
Unités : sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 octets
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: F5A4A07F-F8C5-4091-BD99-C8E4BC129DD4
Périphérique Start Fin Secteurs Size Type
/dev/sda1 2048 625141759 625139712 298,1G Linux filesystem


This is "sudo parted -l"


Modèle: ATA ST3320418AS (scsi)
Disque /dev/sda : 320GB
Taille des secteurs (logiques/physiques): 512B/512B
Table de partitions : gpt
Disk Flags:
Numéro Début Fin Taille Système de fichiers Nom Fanions
1 1049kB 320GB 320GB ext4
Modèle: General UDisk (scsi)
Disque /dev/sdb : 1992MB
Taille des secteurs (logiques/physiques): 512B/512B
Table de partitions : msdos
Disk Flags:
Numéro Début Fin Taille Type Système de fichiers Fanions
1 32,8kB 1607MB 1607MB primary démarrage, caché


So, sda is correctly detected. So I don't understand why sda is not detected during installation. So, why installation is impossible ? have Somebody an idea about this ?
And I don't uderstand with it was OK on 8 computers and impossible on 7. I have compare BIOS on 1 impossible and 1 OK and I don't found any difference.

remark : I try to install again Windows 10 and networked perfectly :-(

Thanks in advance for your help.

[ajgreeny]

I suspect this may be a BIOS vs UEFI problem.

Did you boot the USB in BIOS or UEFI mode? Is the problem machine using BIOS or UEFI?

See http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295 and https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI

[belouga18]

Did you boot the USB in BIOS or UEFI mode? Is the problem machine using BIOS or UEFI?
The USB start in BIOS mode.
All the machine are using BIOS (as you can see in my first post, the partition table is GPT)
(But I will verify tonight directly )

[oldfred]

Having Windows convert a drive from gpt to MBR causes issues as it does not do conversion correctly.
So if any drives were gpt which Windows requires for UEFI, but then Windows installer booted in BIOS mode, Windows converts drive to MBR(msdos) but leaves the backup gpt partition table.

Linux tools see MBR & backup gpt and in effect do not know what to do, so only offer to erase drive or do nothing.
If that is issue you can use fixparts to remove backup gpt data or gdisk to correctly fully convert to gpt.

FixParts is the easiest way to remove the stray GPT data. GPT fdisk (gdisk or sgdisk) can do it, but the procedure's a bit more involved.
http://www.rodsbooks.com/fixparts/
sudo fixparts /dev/sda

Converting to or from GPT
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html
gdisk to convert from gpt to MBR
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html#gpt2mbr

If installing in UEFI boot mode, you need to boot installer in UEFI boot mode & drive should be gpt. Windows requires it to be gpt partitioned. You have to have an ESP - efi system partition.
If installing BIOS boot mode you can still use gpt if only booting Linux. Windows requires MBR for BIOS boot, but Ubuntu will boot in BIOS mode from gpt but needs a bios_grub partition.

It is recommended to use always GPT for UEFI boot as some UEFI firmwares do not allow UEFI-MBR boot.
For the Total space you want for Ubuntu:
Ubuntu's standard install is just / (root) & swap(prior to 17.10), but it is better to add another partition for /home if allocating over 30GB.:
Only if gpt - all partitions in gpt are primary (no logicals):
gpt: 300-500 MB efi FAT32 w/boot flag (ESP for UEFI boot or future use for UEFI, you only can have one per drive, so if already existing do not attempt another)
gpt: 1 or 2 MB No Format w/bios_grub flag (for BIOS boot not required for UEFI)
for gpt(GUID) or MBR(msdos) partitioning
Ubuntu partitions - smaller root only where hard drive space is limited.
If total space less than about 30 to 50GB just use / not separate /home or standard install.



20-25+ GB Mountpoint / primary or logical beginning ext4
all but 2 GB Mountpoint /home logical beginning ext4
2 GB Mountpoint swap logical (17.04 or later uses swap file if no swap partition)

Depending on how much memory you have you may not absolutely need swap but having some is still recommended. I do not hibernate (boots fast enough for me) but if hibernating then you need swap equal to RAM in GiB not GB. And if dual booting with windows a shared NTFS partition is also recommended. But you usually cannot create that as part of the install, just leave some space. Or partition in advance (recommended).
One advantage of partitioning in advance is that the installer will use the swap space to speed up the install. Thanks Herman for the tip.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DiskSpace

[belouga18]

My Windows start in Bios mode. Look hereafter.


PS C:\Windows\system32> bcdedit
Gestionnaire de démarrage Windows
---------------------------------
identificateur {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1
description Windows Boot Manager
locale fr-FR
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {70390bf7-887b-11e7-be1d-b20c42c5110d}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
Chargeur de démarrage Windows
-----------------------------
identificateur {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 10
locale fr-FR
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {70390bf9-887b-11e7-be1d-b20c42c5110d}
displaymessageoverride Recovery
recoveryenabled Yes
allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {70390bf7-887b-11e7-be1d-b20c42c5110d}
nx OptIn
bootmenupolicy Standard


and fixparts don't detect MBR partition.

PS C:\Windows> fixparts32 0:
FixParts 1.0.1
Loading MBR data from 0:
MBR command (? for help): p
** NOTE: Partition numbers do NOT indicate final primary/logical status,
** unlike in most MBR partitioning tools!
** Extended partitions are not displayed, but will be generated as required.
Disk size is 488397168 sectors (232.9 GiB)
MBR disk identifier: 0x4B636A12
MBR partitions:
Can Be Can Be
Number Boot Start Sector End Sector Status Logical Primary Code
1 * 2048 1026047 primary Y Y 0x07
2 1026048 205826047 primary Y 0x07
3 205826048 488396799 primary Y 0x83




Do I have to do Something else ?

[oldfred]

That says it is MBR(msdos), and then you should install in BIOS boot mode.

I prefer to partition in advance with gparted and use Something Else to choose the partition(s) I have created.

But with Windows 10 whether BIOS or UEFI, you must make sure fast start up is off.

Fast Start up off (always on hibernation)
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2324331&p=13488472#post13488472
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4189-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-10-a.html
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2859-hibernate-enable-disable-windows-10-a.html

[belouga18]

I dont uderstand why you speak about windows... My problem is that device sda is not recognize during installation.

News explanations
I have erase all the sda device with
- one partition for swap
- one partition for /
- one partition for /home
I used for that a USB key with Ubuntu 16.04.3


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted -l
Modèle: ATA ST3250312AS (scsi)
Disque /dev/sda : 250GB
Taille des secteurs (logiques/physiques): 512B/512B
Table de partitions : msdos
Disk Flags:

Numéro Début Fin Taille Type Système de fichiers Fanions
1 1049kB 4195MB 4194MB primary linux-swap(v1)
2 4195MB 56,6GB 52,4GB primary ext4
3 56,6GB 250GB 193GB primary ext4


Modèle: General UDisk (scsi)
Disque /dev/sdb : 1992MB
Taille des secteurs (logiques/physiques): 512B/512B
Table de partitions : msdos
Disk Flags:

Numéro Début Fin Taille Type Système de fichiers Fanions
1 32,8kB 1607MB 1607MB primary démarrage, caché



ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l
Disque /dev/loop0 : 1,5 GiB, 1561751552 octets, 3050296 secteurs
Unités : sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 octets
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes


Disque /dev/sda : 232,9 GiB, 250059350016 octets, 488397168 secteurs
Unités : sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 octets
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x4b636a12

Périphérique Amorçage Start Fin Secteurs Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 2048 8194047 8192000 3,9G 82 partition d'échang
/dev/sda2 8194048 110594047 102400000 48,8G 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 110594048 488396799 377802752 180,2G 83 Linux




Disque /dev/sdb : 1,9 GiB, 1992294400 octets, 3891200 secteurs
Unités : sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 octets
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x0d998be5

Périphérique Amorçage Start Fin Secteurs Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 * 64 3139583 3139520 1,5G 17 HPFS/NTFS masquée


So you can see that I have no windows installed

But the situation are always the same - installation is not possible because sda dont appaired during device installation type

https://framapic.org/ufKNlWIJLO37/3n9W6CoRPLBQ.jpeg

So . what can I do ?

[oldfred]

Was drive ever RAID or RAID setting on in UEFI/BIOS?
Or Intel SRT which looks like RAID to Linux.
Make sure drive is set to AHCI, not RAID nor IDE.

If it was RAID.
Presence1960 on remove old raid setting from HD
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1325650
Even if raid not used BIOS may have set parameters, Also check BIOS settings should be AHCI
sudo dmraid -E -r /dev/sda

[belouga18]

Drive is setting on AHCI in the BIOS

[oldfred]

Did you try running the dmraid command. It not actually RAID, then it will not hurt anything.

[belouga18]

YES

I have do your raid instruction :
sudo dmraid -E -r /dev/sda

And it's worked...

So, As I want to understand what I do :
I suppose that first installation (Windows 7) was install with raid system.
Then, when somebody have update to windows 10, he put UEFI mode, but some files linked to RAID was still in the hard disk.
So, when I try to install Ubuntu, he was lost.
The instruction sudo dmraid -E -r /dev/sda erase the files linked to Raid, and it's work.

Is that the explanation ?

If yes : I am very surprised that, with the same configuration, Windows 10 installation was possible but not Ubuntu installation.

[oldfred]

For whatever reason Windows seems to ignore some extraneous data on hard drive. Linux is more particular.
But if drive really was RAID, then Windows would have just overwritten it without warning.