booting problems with Ubuntu 12.04

[tedr108]

I have installed Ubuntu several times without issue. Just built a new computer with an Asus P8Z77M Pro mother board with EFI. I am trying to use EFI for booting, but my computer only boots every third or fourth time, usually locking up at a purple screen.

My partitions:
/EFI partition -- 258MB
/swap -- 20480MB
/(root) -- 25600MB
/home -- rest of disk

Here is a link to boot-repair output ... boot-repair claimed to be successful: http://paste.ubuntu.com/1354688

It's a little confusing because the boot does work on occasion. When it does not work, besides the purple screen lock, I also can get a notice to go in and change CSM settings under Boot Info in the BIOS. I've tried every CSM setting under the sun, but may have missed something.

If it is a valid option, I am happy to go "Legacy" and avoid EFI altogether ... this has been rather frustrating.

[ercherramon]

tries to do an update-grub to update your GRUB. it may have altered the order of your partitions.

[oldfred]

I think Boot-Repair tried fixing your install, but you have mixed UEFI files & MBR(msdos) partitions.

With UEFI you have to use gpt partitions, so the efi partition has the correct gpt code, which is set with the boot flag in gparted. It really is a gpt code of ef00.

You can boot Ubuntu in BIOS mode with gpt partitions or with MBR partitions. But if also installing Windows, you can only use UEFI with gpt or BIOS with MBR.

Your old efi partition shows Windows efi files. Did boot repair add those or did you have a Windows install? Are you installing Windows? And in UEFI? Then you would have to reformat hard drive to gpt.

There may be other UEFI/BIOS settings that make a difference on booting.

So right now it looks like you are in BIOS mode. Have you turned off UEFI in UEFI menu? That may be part of the issue.

[tedr108]

I think Boot-Repair tried fixing your install, but you have mixed UEFI files & MBR(msdos) partitions.

With UEFI you have to use gpt partitions, so the efi partition has the correct gpt code, which is set with the boot flag in gparted. It really is a gpt code of ef00.

You can boot Ubuntu in BIOS mode with gpt partitions or with MBR partitions. But if also installing Windows, you can only use UEFI with gpt or BIOS with MBR.

Your old efi partition shows Windows efi files. Did boot repair add those or did you have a Windows install? Are you installing Windows? And in UEFI? Then you would have to reformat hard drive to gpt.

There may be other UEFI/BIOS settings that make a difference on booting.

So right now it looks like you are in BIOS mode. Have you turned off UEFI in UEFI menu? That may be part of the issue.

Thanks, Fred ... I'll do my best to answer your questions:

I have not installed Windows on this disk ... may have been boot-repair. I have, however, run Windows 7 on this machine on a totally separate disk. I typically install Windows and Ubuntu on separate disks, so I don't have to worry about a Windows update trashing my MBR and Windows/Ubuntu fighting for control over the bootloader. When I am installing my OSs, I never leave both disks plugged in at the same time. My machine either defaults to Ubuntu or Windows disk, and I F8 when I want to go to the non-default OS disk.

I get the feeling that, even with separate disks, I have to be careful with the UEFI/Bios settings.

UEFI is on right now, I believe ... this BIOS interface is rather confusing, I must say, but the CSM parameters are on Auto at this time. I know that I did not consciously turn it off.

You given me some food for thought. I think that I will be able to do better research now that you have told me some of my issues.

I had been reading up on gpt partititions. Don't quite understand all of these concepts, but will see if I can figure this out. Thank you for your answer ... it taught me a lot.

[YannBuntu]

Hello

In the B-R log, we see that the BIOS is correctly setup to boot the HDD in UEFI mode:

=================== UEFI/Legacy mode :
BIOS is EFI-compatible, and is setup in EFI-mode for this installed-session.

We also see:

/EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi.grb 
                       /EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi 
                       /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi 
                       /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi.grb 
                       /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootx64.efi 
                       /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootx64.efi.grb

The presence of /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi.grb means that Boot-Repair copied /EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi to /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi (in case the BIOS is hard-coded to boot into /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi).
Same for bootmgfw.efi and bootx64.efi.

The fact that partitioning is MsDos (not GPT) should not be a problem, as the UEFI specs don't require GPT (@Fred: i sent you a PDF with recent UEFI official specifications). And your case shows us that it is possible to use UEFI on MsDos.
However, UEFI on MsDos is not common (it is the first time I see it), and may not be reliable. This would explain why it sometimes fails to boot in your case, but the problem may be something else.

If i were you, i would format the disk GPT via Gparted, then reinstall Ubuntu, and see if this solves the problem.

[tedr108]

If i were you, i would format the disk GPT via Gparted, then reinstall Ubuntu, and see if this solves the problem.

Thanks, I will do this.

Since Gparted is not a part of the Ubuntu 12.04 bootable install CD (I tried), do I install Gparted on a USB stick and run it from there while the CD is actively running on my desktop? Then, I assume that I still use "Something Else" as the install option, but when I go into it, the partitions will already be set up nicely. Is that correct?

Out of curiosity, if I install Ubuntu from a CD-Rom and choose "Something else" and do the partitions as shown in the OP, is that GPT or not? If it is, then I can only assume that the install of 12.04 does not reformat the boot sector to protect Legacy setups ... it is not even possible to "Format" in the EFI partition area of the install. I always remove all partitions and recreate them, but when I do this, some of the boot sector is still "used"...not a good sign, probably.

Sorry if I am using the wrong terminology above ... all of my Ubuntu installs over the last couple of years (mostly for Android development) have run so smoothly, that I am still a noob when it comes to much of this. Everything worked, so I stayed ignorant of what was going on behind the scenes.

Really appreciate you responding here...

[tedr108]

tries to do an update-grub to update your GRUB. it may have altered the order of your partitions.

Thanks for the advice. I did try this and it seemed to update, but still the same issues. Mostly getting the CSM parameters warning message now when I try to boot. About the only way for me to get into Ubuntu is to go into the CSM parms, change something unimportant, then F10 to Save and reset. This must attack the bootloader from a different angle and slip in there!

I'll keep trying things...and reading dozens of internet advice pages!