Can not get GRUB or EFI to install and work

[Jonners59]

Many systems have "Windows UEFI" as Secure Boot. My system is older from when Windows 7 was still available and it said if installing Windows 7 you have to use "Other" in UEFI settings as Windows 7 did not support UEFI Secure Boot.
And then when Secure Boot is on, if you need proprietary drivers like nVidia, it will require you to provide your own key for secure boot. Neither nVidia can give a key, nor Ubuntu as it is a proprietary blob and it cannot verify it. A user who believes code is ok, can provide his own key using MOKmanager. Easier just to turn UEFI Secure Boot off, or change from "Windows" to "Other".

This machine has nothing else on it. Fortunately, it is not used a great deal so not causing me pain, just a lot of wasted time and frustration. Anyway. tried CSM on and off, Security on and off, and UEFI on and also both and none have worked. A clean install, bar the directories with docs in and it still does not install.

I have shared screen images of the options, if you want to take a gander and make suggestions, please feel free. At the moment security is off and CMS...

Personally, I am at a complete loss. Tomorrow marks day 7!

[oldfred]

If you did a new install with UEFI on, CSM off and booted Ubuntu live installer in UEFI boot mode, and it does not work, post a new link to a Summary Report from Boot-Repair.
What video card/chip?

Or because you were originally BIOS/MBR, it may be better just to revert to that. Then you have to have UEFI off, CSM on and boot installer in CSM/Legacy/BIOS boot mode.

[Jonners59]

If you did a new install with UEFI on, CSM off and booted Ubuntu live installer in UEFI boot mode, and it does not work, post a new link to a Summary Report from Boot-Repair

If CSM is off, then I get no options for the bootloader. I can not choose whether legacy or UIEF. See below images. As you can see the options are below the CSM and disappear. This I have done as per below. The install said that it failed with a GRUB error, unable to install and no further information, and the Boot-Repair error was that the options to confirm removing GRUB for reinstall did not appear and so it wouldn't progress as it kept saying GRUB was still installed. It was some of the attempts to do the other installs via cmd that gave the message that directories were full so no room for config file. On rebooting the BIOS failure message was that the VGA was incompatible with the BIOS setting using UEFI as per screenshots.

What video card/chip?

NVIDIA, but can't recall. I should get the new one today, ASUS TUF Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650, just hope no major jigging to get it fitted. Seems no point looking at the old one now.

Or because you were originally BIOS/MBR, it may be better just to revert to that. Then you have to have UEFI off, CSM on and boot installer in CSM/Legacy/BIOS boot mode.

Well, the thing is that is how I started. I changed nothing when I updated, but it failed. After that everything was tried over and over. I think at this stage should see what the new card has to offer. I have just checked my main PC and it is running Legacy. I hope I don't have all this hassle on that one too, later on, if I need to rebuild. What a pain. Would have thought by now that installs would be straight forward.

[oldfred]

Did you say what model motherboard this is?

I have not done an upgrade since 2009. Before that every upgrade was a huge hassle.
Now I do a new install into a 30GB / (root) partition. I have all data in separate data partition(s).
And I still have multiple old installs that still work. I only use LTS versions as main working install, but regularly install the interim releases, just to see what is different & coming up on next LTS.

I think your issue started with using the now 30 year old BIOS/MBR configuration with your system. I started converting to the better gpt partitioning in 2010, and then had first UEFI build in 2014.
Then now trying to use UEFI when you originally had BIOS/MBR. Not sure why update failed, usually issue is system is not fully updated and you have proprietary drivers. You have to uninstall proprietary drivers & then reinstall after update.

[Jonners59]

Did you say what model motherboard this is?

No, hadn't got that far. But new board arrived and installed so got the old out. It was a GXT 430. The new is in but still the same issues.
I tried with CSM - off
paste.ubuntu.com/p/mp2qQRK46C/

Now trying with it on and looking at the various boot options.
I am getting beyond fedup and may just delete the whole HD sda and start over. Will be extremely p155ed off though as will lose so much, films and pics and videos. This shouldn't be so difficult.

Not sure what to make of Storage and PCIe. I assume PCIe will be video board and another... and Storage would be Live Boot CD and also HDDs, etc. Not 100% sure.

I have not done an upgrade since 2009. Before that every upgrade was a huge hassle.
Now I do a new install into a 30GB / (root) partition. I have all data in separate data partition(s).
And I still have multiple old installs that still work. I only use LTS versions as main working install, but regularly install the interim releases, just to see what is different & coming up on next LTS.

Lucky you. When you do the separate data partition, I assume just like my Documents partition and also when I used to have a separate Home partition (which you introduced me to and showed me how), I assume a new build does not recognise them and so the build needs repointing after as in fstab and mount points, etc. Always was disappointed in that... Would have thought by now it would have been in the build to look for existing partitions.

I think your issue started with using the now 30 year old BIOS/MBR configuration with your system. I started converting to the better gpt partitioning in 2010, and then had first UEFI build in 2014.
Then now trying to use UEFI when you originally had BIOS/MBR. Not sure why update failed, usually issue is system is not fully updated and you have proprietary drivers. You have to uninstall proprietary drivers & then reinstall after update.

No idea, but given I have done a fresh build after wiping the / and UEFI partitions, I am not sure how. As above I am staggered that after all these years that we get this on such a basic aspect. Whether legacy (30 years old) or UEFI (15 years old) or something newer, they are all standard.

In the meantime all my other chores, stuff also that went wrong and needs fixing, the kids, inc their home tutoring and the SWMBO are getting ignored.

[oldfred]

New board will be UEFI, but have CSM.
CSM is now being obsoleted, starting this year. Some vendors already announced no more CSM/BIOS mode.
https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/sol...-2020-products

Do you not have backup?
That is one thing we always are suggesting.

If new motherboard in UEFI mode, you have to add a new entry into motherboard's UEFI to have it know where to boot.
You can use efibootmgr, but most just reinstall grub in UEFI mode from live installer or use Boot-Repair.
If nVidia, you may need nomodeset.

I would suggest also converting to gpt, it can be done without data loss, but backup still required just in case.
And using gparted to make a drive gpt erases it, you have to use gdisk to convert it.

Bit surprised you are doing new motherboard & video card, but not new drives. Adding an SSD in 2011 was one of the best things I did. It was very small as then expensive, so just a 60GB for booting.

I typically do new drive with every new build and often replace main working drive inbetween new builds.
Just do not trust drives as they have failed. And I have multiple back ups. Old drives become backup drives, so used less, but many still functional (for now).

Another user who started upgrade and now needed backup.
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread....3#post14019693

[Jonners59]

New board will be UEFI, but have CSM.
CSM is now being obsoleted, starting this year. Some vendors already announced no more CSM/BIOS mode.
https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/sol...-2020-products

Do you not have backup?
That is one thing we always are suggesting.

If new motherboard in UEFI mode, you have to add a new entry into motherboard's UEFI to have it know where to boot.
You can use efibootmgr, but most just reinstall grub in UEFI mode from live installer or use Boot-Repair.
If nVidia, you may need nomodeset.

I would suggest also converting to gpt, it can be done without data loss, but backup still required just in case.
And using gparted to make a drive gpt erases it, you have to use gdisk to convert it.

Bit surprised you are doing new motherboard & video card, but not new drives. Adding an SSD in 2011 was one of the best things I did. It was very small as then expensive, so just a 60GB for booting.

I typically do new drive with every new build and often replace main working drive inbetween new builds.
Just do not trust drives as they have failed. And I have multiple back ups. Old drives become backup drives, so used less, but many still functional (for now).

Another user who started upgrade and now needed backup.
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread....3#post14019693

No, only video board. The HDDs and motherboard, etc were installed, I think 2014ish.

I have been in a conf call and come down with a to hell with it.... I have just booted into Live CD and used gParted -> Device -> Create new partition -> Select new partition table = gpt. THAT deleted the whole HDD.

Now installing the 20.10 and as there are many reported bugs with 'install 3rd party software', so I have not ticked that... Now just waiting to see if GRUB fails yet again. Oh and BIOS has fast boot, security turned off CSM on and UEFI on

[Jonners59]

OK. That worked, BUT I have to start from scratch and I do not know if it was the gpt, the wiped HDD which came with the change to gpt, or the not include 3rd party SW...

So a new issue, besides setting up again... The mouse and keyboard suddenly become unresponsive...

[oldfred]

Motherboard my have setting for USB. Full USB support or just a USB keyboard & mouse enable type setting.
Or you may need some boot parameter in grub.

What motherboard?

[Jonners59]

Maybe. I was wondering if something was going on in the background or it does not like the mouse and keyboard for some reason....

Because you said "If new motherboard in UEFI mode," so wondered if I had changed both mother and video... That's all. Anyway, at the moment this is frustrating. I can't do anything with it, so going to just leave it on for a tad incase it is settling down and address tomorrow.

PS: Is it best to use the X-org or nvidia driver?

DON'T BELIEVE THIS!!!!!!!!! Just rebooted and now I just get "system bootorder missing loading default"
I then get the login page
Add my pw
and then get a purple screen. Been into BIOS and there are about 6 entries, one being the CD/DVD drive which just gives the old error message, but the others all do as above, error message and purple screen after login