18.04 LTS Win 7 dual-boot install issue

[sks24]

The machine is a 4gb HP p2-1120 PC running Win7 Home premium, and the distribution I'm trying to install is Lubuntu 18.04 LTS

When I run through the install and get the notification that the OS installed succcessfully and restart, there's no GRUB and it boots straight to Windows. I tried the SGD boot disk and it said "file not found" when I tried to fix the Linux boot. I deleted the restore partition, and here's what I have after the installation: https://photos.app.goo.gl/U3HviagxXDNWDTATA I think it's interesting that it didn't create a swap partition. My image link isn't posting. https://photos.app.goo.gl/U3HviagxXDNWDTATA. OK, well, here's the link to my image: https://photos.app.goo.gl/U3HviagxXDNWDTATA

[oldfred]

Ubuntu now uses swap file. It will only use a swap partition if you already have one.

Most Windows 7 installs were BIOS, only a few were UEFI.
But you are showing an ESP - efi system partition for UEFI boot.

HP is not particularly dual boot friendly.
Can you manually select from HP's UEFI boot menu to boot Ubuntu?

May be best to see details, you can run from your Ubuntu live installer or any working install, use ppa version not older Boot-Repair ISO:
Post the link to the Create BootInfo summary report. Is part of Boot-Repair:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Info and:
https://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair/home/Home/

[sks24]

thanks oldfred,

Here's the link, and I have photos of the BIOS UEFI screen if those might be useful: http://paste.ubuntu.com/p/hrH8h5FCzz/

[oldfred]

You have Windows in UEFI boot mode on gpt partitioned drive.

But you installed Lubuntu in BIOS boot mode using bios_grub partition for part of grub and grub in gpt's protective MBR.

You can easily convert your install to UEFI by un-installing grub-pc and installing grub-efi-amd64. If you boot Ubuntu installer in UEFI mode and run Boot-Repair from that, in its advanced options is the full uninstall and reinstall of grub. You may in UEFI have to turn on allow USB boot or allow full USB access.

You should be able to boot from your UEFI boot menu, but to boot in legacy/BIOS/CSM mode you must have Secure Boot off (Windows 7 in UEFI also requires secure boot off). And you will not be able to use grub to boot Windows as it is UEFI. UEFI and BIOS are not compatible and once you start booting in one mode cannot switch. Some systems may require you to turn on/off legacy/UEFI to match install before switching boot.
If only switching occasionally some live with that.

HP typically is not UEFI friendly. Although some newer HP systems do seem to work, now.
Many work arounds to make systems that do not dual boot easily, depending on configuration.

[sks24]

Is the bottom line here that there's no easy way to have a choice between Windows and Lubuntu on startup? I'm pretty sure the person I'm doing this for won't tolerate anything more complex than a GRUB boot menu or similar. Is there any way to get from where we are now to GRUB or the like? I'm willing to delete this install and start over. Secure Boot is not a priority, as the goal here is to migrate from Windows to the Chrome browser/ChromeOS while retaining the ability to print locally from the Lubuntu partition. He already has a Chromebook, but he's also got old printers he doesn't want to replace.

[yancek]

Read the Ubuntu documentation page at the link below. Scroll down toward the bottom of the page where it says Converting Ubuntu into UEFI mode. Might be useful to read the entire page.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI

[sks24]

Thanks. Since this isn't my machine and I don't have any previous experience with this issue I just (ugg) got his Windows installation patched up and re-installed his printers.