Trying to make my new Acer Aspire laptop dual boot with windows 8.1.

[geezer]

Definitely need a Windows boot "helper" here! Sounds like your goal is to let the Windows boot manager boot both Windows and Kubuntu? The other way, as we know, is to let the GRUB boot loader from Kubuntu take over the boot show and boot Windows and Kubuntu.

The strange thing is that usually, when you have Windows already installed, and then you install Kubuntu and its GRUB, that GRUB aggressively takes over the show! It installs itself in place so it boots both Windows and Kubuntu. In UEFI, that GRUB would set itself as first in the UEFI BootOrder, whether you like it or not. In your case, it clearly is not doing that; in fact, it is not clear what is going on with your GRUB, why it is not working.

If you could, by hook or by crook, boot into Kubuntu, then you could re-install GRUB by
sudo grub-install
sudo update-grub
--as you know.

Or, re-install GRUB from your Live Kubuntu DVD/USB,
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post374017

Another option here is to install the very good boot manager rEFInd! Let it run your boot show, let it get Kubuntu booted, and Windows, too.
http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/getting.html

FWIW, I have both GRUB and rEFInd working for me on this PC -- It is almost impossible for me to end up unable to boot what needs to be booted!

I'll continue to think about this, but am limited by my limited knowledge of Windows (beyond XP!).

I did the re-install of GRUB from the LiveDVD - no change.

Until the boot loader or boot manager or whatever is working here is working I have no way to get the installed Kubuntu to boot.

I would like to try rEFInd, but from I have read thus far I have to install that from (K)Ubuntu, which I have not been able to boot. Catch 21.

Is it possible to install rEFInd from the LiveDVD?

The last time this morning that I booted the laptop, I took a good hard look at the selection screen. Across the top it states quite clearly that it is the "Windows Boot Manager". Now that puzzles me even more since I thought that the Windows Boot Manager read the BCD and took it's directions therefrom. So it would seem that either: 1) the BCD entry for the Kubuntu installation that Boot-Repair suggested is incorrect and thus ignored, or 2) the boot loader in the /efi/ubuntu/shim64.efi file is not recognized by the Windows Boot Manager. Or maybe something else entirely?

I downloaded Resctux and loaded onto a USB drive. Iw would not boot. Read their web site a little more - it doesn't work with UEFI computers.

Still reading and trying at this point.

Also, I'm not really committed to any particular boot manager/loader. Just something that works reliably.

From what I read in your discussion with SteveRiley, rEFInd sounds like the best of breed now.

I booted the LiveDVD and installed gdisk and ran it as you suggested - here are the results:

kubuntu@kubuntu:"$ sudo gdisk —l /dev/sda
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.8.10
Partition table scan:
MBR: protective
BSD: not present
APM: not present
GPT: present
Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev/sda: 976773168 sectors, 465.8 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): A2D4B2A0—5971—47EE—B7BE-D5220B2FF5l1
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 976773134
Partitions will be aligned on 2048—sector boundaries
Total free space is 4291 sectors (2.1 MiB)
Number Start (sector) End (sector) Size Code Name
1
2
\-|O~U1-PUJ
2048 1230847 600.0 MiB 2700 Basic data partition
1230848 1845247 300.0 MiB EF00 EFI system partition
1845248 2107391 128.0 MiB 0C01 Microsoft reserved .
2107392 332085033 157.3 GiB 0700 Basic data partition - The Windows 8.1 partition
332085248 343803903 5.6 GiB 8200 - Linux swap space partition
343803904 384763903 19.5 GiB 0700 Basic data partition - Linux '/' partition
384763904 941058047 265.3 GiB 0700 Basic data partition - Linux '/home' partition
941060096 976773119 17.0 GiB 2700 Basic data partition
8
kubuntu@kubuntu="$

I have annotated the various partitions.

[Qqmike]

I do realize you are comfortable with the Windows disk manager-partitioner. I hope that is not causing the problem here! If you were to use GParted Live CD/USB to make your partitions for Kubuntu, I just can't imagine that you'd be having this problem, unable to get GRUB installed properly.

I wonder, did I forget that you did this?, what the picture of your partitions look like on that disk? If you were to boot your Live Kubuntu DVD/USB, then install gdisk in that live session (using Muon or at Konsole using the command: sudo apt-get install gdisk), then run this command at Konsole:
sudo gdisk -l /dev/sda
I wonder how we'd see your partitions (and your partition table, which we hope is GPT, and we hope your EFI System Partition is OK), in Linux terms ...

[Qqmike]

Definitely need a Windows boot "helper" here! Sounds like your goal is to let the Windows boot manager boot both Windows and Kubuntu? The other way, as we know, is to let the GRUB boot loader from Kubuntu take over the boot show and boot Windows and Kubuntu.

The strange thing is that usually, when you have Windows already installed, and then you install Kubuntu and its GRUB, that GRUB aggressively takes over the show! It installs itself in place so it boots both Windows and Kubuntu. In UEFI, that GRUB would set itself as first in the UEFI BootOrder, whether you like it or not. In your case, it clearly is not doing that; in fact, it is not clear what is going on with your GRUB, why it is not working.

If you could, by hook or by crook, boot into Kubuntu, then you could re-install GRUB by
sudo grub-install
sudo update-grub
--as you know.

Or, re-install GRUB from your Live Kubuntu DVD/USB,
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post374017

Another option here is to install the very good boot manager rEFInd! Let it run your boot show, let it get Kubuntu booted, and Windows, too.
http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/getting.html

FWIW, I have both GRUB and rEFInd working for me on this PC -- It is almost impossible for me to end up unable to boot what needs to be booted!

I'll continue to think about this, but am limited by my limited knowledge of Windows (beyond XP!).

[geezer]

I have been learning more. I repartitioned using the Windows disk manager and installed Kubuntu again. This time from a USB liveKubuntu. Much faster.

Still could not get Kubuntu listed on the boot screen. Ran Boot-Repair again and then in windows 8.1 ran the command that the Boot-Repir suggested:

bcdedit set {bootmgr} path \EFI\ubuntu\shim64.efi (I might have that a little - writing it from memory).

Booted again and still only windows. So in windows I ran 'bcdedit' and gort the following output:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.3.9600]
(c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>bcdedit

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
path \EFI\ubuntu\shim64.efi
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {globalsettings}
default {default}
resumeobject {6243f353-cfe6-11e4-a06e-f0761c807fe8}
displayorder {7457b8d1-1b94-11e5-826b-806e6f6e6963}
{7457b8d2-1b94-11e5-826b-806e6f6e6963}
{7457b8d3-1b94-11e5-826b-806e6f6e6963}
{current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
displaybootmenu Yes

Firmware Application (101fffff)
-------------------------------
identifier {7457b8d1-1b94-11e5-826b-806e6f6e6963}
description EFI USB Device

Firmware Application (101fffff)
-------------------------------
identifier {7457b8d2-1b94-11e5-826b-806e6f6e6963}
description EFI DVD/CDROM

Firmware Application (101fffff)
-------------------------------
identifier {7457b8d3-1b94-11e5-826b-806e6f6e6963}
description EFI Network

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.efi
description Windows 8.1
locale en-US
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {6243f355-cfe6-11e4-a06e-f0761c807fe8}
recoveryenabled Yes
isolatedcontext Yes
allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {6243f353-cfe6-11e4-a06e-f0761c807fe8}
nx OptIn
numproc 2
bootmenupolicy Standard
detecthal Yes
usefirmwarepcisettings No

C:\Windows\system32>

So that tells me that the Boot-Repair suggested command has enetered the Kubuntu OS into the boot manager, but I still have no way to load the OS. Now I have to learn how to specify the Boot Loader and maybe then Kubuntu will be listed on the boot screen options.

One thing still bothers me about the bot manager entry that I created with the bcedit command. It lists

device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2

windows thinks the '/' directory partition is 'F:'. So shouldn't that line be instead:

device partition=F:

mimicing the windows 8.1 entry?

[geezer]

Quick thoughts ...


I would not allow the Kubuntu installer to do any partitioning for me.

I have started doing all of the (re)partitioning in windows 8.1. I get a more stable partitioning that way.

/ root partition for Kubuntu: you're right, even 30 GB should be more than enough for most people. (I use just 6 GB, many people use up to 15 GB.) Yes, having a separate /home partition is nice/useful.

I have resized. On my desktop I use the SSD for the '/' directory. It is 120 GB and uses all of 11 GB :-). So far I am too lazy to rearrange things and have just let it slide since the 2 hdd's are 2 TB each. I have allocated the fourth hdd to Windows 8.1 entirely 500 GB since in the past i have found that windows is very wasteful of disk space and complains bitterly and slows down to a crawl.

If you are installing in UEFI mode on a GPT, you should not be getting an error message like that at all.

Sorry - I wasn't very clear. I had done som work in the BIOS and changed from UEFI boot to Legacy boot. The legacy boot process then did something and displayed a progression of dots and a rotating bar to indicate that it was busy. That took about 3 to 4 minutes. I waited through that process twice and changed the BIOS back to UEFI.

Now, the fact is, Boot Repair should fix this. But it does sound like you are missing some subtle detail. For example, There should be no mention of any "MBR."

When you run the Kubuntu installer DVD, you do make sure that your computer is booting that DVD in UEFI mode, right?

Yes I see the UEFI selection screen when booting the LiveDVD

[geezer]

Quick thoughts ...



You should not have to specify the mount point for the efi partition -- the Kubuntu installer will detect it and list it with no problem.



I would not allow the Kubuntu installer to do any partitioning for me.

/ root partition for Kubuntu: you're right, even 30 GB should be more than enough for most people. (I use just 6 GB, many people use up to 15 GB.) Yes, having a separate /home partition is nice/useful.

If you are installing in UEFI mode on a GPT, you should not be getting an error message like that at all.

Now, the fact is, Boot Repair should fix this. But it does sound like you are missing some subtle detail. For example, There should be no mention of any "MBR."

When you run the Kubuntu installer DVD, you do make sure that your computer is booting that DVD in UEFI mode, right?


My spiel on installing Kubuntu, FWIW:

It is worth a LOT. More detail than I have seen anywhere else and more insight. Now to read it thoroughly and try to understand what is going on with my system and why my laptop consistently refuses to list the Kubuntu install at boot time.

[Qqmike]

Quick thoughts ...

First it refused to let me specify the mount point for the efi partition.

You should not have to specify the mount point for the efi partition -- the Kubuntu installer will detect it and list it with no problem.

Used th einstallation to divide that into 3 partitions: 1)swap 6GB, 2) root partition (I like to have my '\' directory on a separate partitio - probably just inertiua oin my part, this is the way I have done for many years now. Probably wastes a lot of storage space since I specify 100 GB for it and it only uses about 11 GB. 3) a separate partition for '/home'.

I would not allow the Kubuntu installer to do any partitioning for me.

/ root partition for Kubuntu: you're right, even 30 GB should be more than enough for most people. (I use just 6 GB, many people use up to 15 GB.) Yes, having a separate /home partition is nice/useful.

Then it informs me that there is no MBR.

If you are installing in UEFI mode on a GPT, you should not be getting an error message like that at all.

Now, the fact is, Boot Repair should fix this. But it does sound like you are missing some subtle detail. For example, There should be no mention of any "MBR."

When you run the Kubuntu installer DVD, you do make sure that your computer is booting that DVD in UEFI mode, right?


My spiel on installing Kubuntu, FWIW:

Installing Kubuntu -- Using the "Manual" Installation Type

Two steps:
-- First, set up your partitions for Kubuntu.
-- Then install Kubuntu using the "Manual" method of installation.


Step 1:
Partitioning for Kubuntu

Many long-time users of Kubuntu prefer to do their own partitioning using GParted (or other similar programs) instead of doing allowing the Kubuntu installer to do the partitioning.

So, use GParted to partition your drive for Kubuntu, making partitions for root /, and /home (if you use a separate home partition), and swap. If you already have swap partition set up for another K(Ubuntu) OS, you do not need to create another swap partiton for the Kubuntu version you are installing now.

You can use GParted from another installed Linux OS on your computer, or you can use GParted Live CD/USB. In Kubuntu, you can install gparted using Muon. After doing so, you will probably find it here: K > Applications > System > Partition Editor (GParted).

GParted Live CD:
http://gparted.org/livecd.php
The Manual shows you how to do parttioning operations:
http://gparted.org/display-doc.php?n...ed-live-manual
Make sure you choose the right version of GParted, read the Note:
http://gparted.org/download.php


Step 2:
Install Kubuntu using the "Manual" method of installation

Download Kubuntu, check it, and make the installer medium
Download the correct version of Kubuntu (use 64-bit for newer UEFI+GPT systems). Run checks on it (MD5 or Shasums).
Burn the iso image to DVD (using K3b or similar), or make a live USB flash drive
( https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...aller-using-dd ).

Boot your computer with the Live Kubuntu medium
Reboot your computer with the DVD or flash drive installed.
At the computer's POST screen, hit the proper key to enter the firmware ("BIOS") setup.
Locate the boot or boot override menu.
Select the DVD or USB flash drive to boot from.
(If you are installing in UEFI mode: Your DVD or flash drive may have more than one boot menu entry; choose the entry that says UEFI or EFI.)
--> Thus, boot your PC with the DVD/USB Kubuntu installer medium.
Get to the Kubuntu welcome page and select Install Kubuntu (your other choice will be to Try Kubuntu [without installing]).

Installation Type screen: Select Manual.

Prepare Partition screen (the left side bar may say "Disk Setup"):

You will see a list of all your partitions, including those you created in GParted for Kubuntu.
Highlight a partition you want to use (for example, for root / or for /home or for swap).
Hit the Change button.
You will see a menu called Edit Partition.
New size: do not change what you did in Gparted, leave it as it is.
Use as:
Format partition: No, do not check this box -- leave the format as you did it in GParted.
Mount point: Drop-down list: you will see /, /home, etc. If in GParted, you formatted it as swap, you will also see that choice here. Choose one.
Hit the OK button.
Repeat this by highlighting another partition you wish to use for Kubuntu (/, /home, swap).
Bootloader:
When you are done you may also see a choice where to install the bootloader (GRUB2). You can say sdX, where X is the drive you wish GRUB to go on; if you are using UEFI mode, it doesn't matter what you say here: GRUB will go to the ESP, usually sda1, automatically; thus, you can say sda, if you wish.

Finally, click Install Now.
(Or, you can click Back; or Quit if you wish to NOT install Kubuntu at this time.)

Note:
Since you did your partitioning ahead of time using GParted (or similar), there are other options you will see that you will NOT use, like these: new partition table, Add, Delete. If you make any mistakes or are not sure about what you did, there is a button called "Undo all changes."

[geezer]

Okay - was able to do another install. First it refused to let me specify the mount point for the efi partition. So I just went ahead with the installation anyway. I had used the windows disk manager to shrink the windows partition and left empty space. Used th einstallation to divide that into 3 partitions: 1)swap 6GB, 2) root partition (I like to have my '\' directory on a separate partitio - probably just inertiua oin my part, this is the way I have done for many years now. Probably wastes a lot of storage space since I specify 100 GB for it and it only uses about 11 GB. 3) a separate partition for '/home'.

The installation went to completion. I rebooted and nothing in the list - for Kubuntu. Just windows 8.1. Tried rebooting in legacy mode that takes about 3 minutes while it is doing something to do with the GUID and DHCP

Then it informs me that there is no MBR. Okay - that's reasonable since I installed with the UEFI mode. Rebooted and turned on UEFI mode again and boot the Kubuntu Live DVD and clicked on Run Kubuntu. boot Dolphin there and looked at the partitions for '/' and '/home' that the installation should have populated. The '\boot' directory had a mount point for 'efi'. Then I looked at what should have been my 'home' directory, '\home\terry' Nothing there. Totally empty.

I appears that the installation is not really completing. Maybe since the installtion doesn't really run to completion, the Kubuntu boot files don't really get setup to use, even though I peeked in the 'efi' partition and the files seem to be there.

Something weird is going on. I had checked the sha256sum after downloading the ISO file. I just checked it again and it matches what the download site specifies.

Weird.

[Qqmike]

and THAT explains the syslinux boot thing ...

[Qqmike]

sdb1 is the USB drive that I installed Boot-Repair on.

Ha! Sorry, I missed that or wasn't thinking. That makes things much more clear and easy! One HDD, with UEFI.
(I spent the morning out on a HOT desert area, looking at old Indian ruins ... maybe getting too old for that heat!)

[geezer]

I wonder how you got syslinux installed on sdb1?

sdb1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       vfat
    Boot sector type:  SYSLINUX 6.03 20150318..................................................2....0............A20 gate n
    Boot sector info:  Syslinux looks at sector 1327562 of /dev/sdb1 for its 
                       second stage. SYSLINUX is installed in the  directory. 
                       No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        /boot/grub/grub.cfg /syslinux.cfg /casper/vmlinuz.efi 
                       /EFI/BOOT/grubx64.efi /ldlinux.sys

Then I notice that while sda is a GPT, sdb looks like a standard, legacy MBR. I guess that's OK, but why is it not a also a GPT? I have to think about this. Also, I really don't have much experience with syslinux, except to know that, imo, you don't need it, or shouldn't need it.

sdb1 is the USB drive that I installed Boot-Repair on.

[Qqmike]

Btw, even though you have two hard drives, sda and sdb, all your OSs can and will share the same ESP at sda2: they can put thir bootloader files in sda2 and boot from those files using UEFI mode.

Your sda drive is partitioned as a GPT (GUID Partition Table), which goes along nicely with a UEFI setup (like you have). Personally, if it were me, unless you have some special, technical reason to use an older, legacy MBR partition table for sdb, I would prefer to partition sdb as a GPT, especially since you seem committed to using the newer UEFI boot mode. That is, I would not try experimenting with "hybrid" systems, where you are using UEFI to boot an MBR disk. Although ... I'm sure you can do it! People do, I think (and they configure a BIOS Boot Partition and possibly use so-called CSM & etc.). Windows is funny about this, it doesn't like hybrid setups. For Windows, use UEFI+GPT or use BIOS+MBR, but don't mix and match in a hybrid configuration.

[Qqmike]

OK, so you are waiting for the check disk thing, then you will re-partition for Kubuntu, then you will try to install Kubuntu again. Your Kubuntu (64-bit) and your GRUB(-EFI) are both UEFI-aware. In theory, the installation should go fine, and they will locate and see and use your ESP partition sda2 (which, I assume was set up by Windows). For most standard installations of OSs, they can and usually will all use and share the same ESP partition, btw; in this case sda2.

[Qqmike]

See my Edit to #7 above.

[Qqmike]

Sorry to post again, but I just caught this, too, in the ESP sda2:

/EFI/ubuntu/MokManager.efi /EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi
/EFI/ubuntu/shimx64.efi

I think that's good -- those are the files you need to boot Kubuntu: /EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi and
/EFI/ubuntu/shimx64.efi.