Problem installing 24.04 LTS

[stuarte]

Hi,

Yesterday I tried to install 24.04 LTS. Everything seemed to go fine. I was able to reboot the system and reach the KDE desktop. However, when I tried to boot up the system today, I was only partially successful. At first, I was again able to reach the desktop. Once there I started up KDE Partition Manager which showed me that all my partitions had a "locked padlock" icon next to them. On rebooting the system I was not able to reach the desktop. Against a black screen I had a succession of small dialog boxes which, in turn, told me that the system could not access certain files. Another dialog box stated that it could not access $HOME. I now realise that the closed padlock icon must mean that the corresponding partition must have been set as read-only.

I am trying to install 24.04 LTS on an old Toshiba Satellite L870-18v [Intel Core I3, 500GB HDD, 8 GB RAM] laptop that has its legacy BIOS (InsideH20) set to CSM mode. Is it possible to to install 24.04 LTS on such a system in legacy BIOS mode ? I tried to do this but ended up with a non-booting system, as alluded to above. On a subsequent install I even tried setting up an unallocated 8 MB partition (as the first partition) and set its flag to bios-grub as per installer instructions but no go. So, how do I get 24.04 LTS to install successfully(!) on the system described previously ?

[Schwarzer Kater]

The "locked padlock" symbol in KDE Partition Manager means that the partition is mounted and possibly in use (not that it is "read only").

It should be possible to install Kubuntu 24.04 LTS on your Toshiba laptop. If your UEFI/BIOS has CSM support it shoud be UEFI and not "legacy" BIOS - so why not disable CSM and install with an EFI system partition (and GPT partition table)? Or do you use other systems that are already installed on this laptop?

After installation it could be worth reading this post:
Essential and strongly recommended things to do directly after a Kubuntu 24.04 LTS installation

[stuarte]

Good morning Schwarzer Kater,

Thank you for such a swift reply. The reason that I still use the "legacy" BIOS / CSM mode is that I have zero experience doing things the (U)EFI / GPT way. Yes, the laptop firmware can be set to UEFI but sometimes it is safer to stick with what one knows. However, I do concede that the days of doing things the "legacy" BIOS way are probably drawing to a close. Maybe I will go online and see if I can find an idiots guide to performing a (U)EFI / GPT installation of Linux. Another reason that I still use the "legacy" BIOS way is that I have a /home partition the contents of which I would like to keep. Sadly, I do not have the equipment that I could use to perform a backup. Whenever I perform a new installation, I usually mount but do not(!!) format this partition. All other partitions are formatted.

Other systems ? No, this is strictly(!) a Linux only laptop. Finally, I have just lightly "scanned" the web page for which you provided a link (for which, BTW, thank you). From this it would seem that I might be a wee bit "out of my depth" making those changes. So it might be worthwhile to just wait for the first point release, whenever that will be.

Thank you again for your help and advice.

Stuart

[Schwarzer Kater]

[…] Another reason that I still use the "legacy" BIOS way is that I have a /home partition the contents of which I would like to keep. Sadly, I do not have the equipment that I could use to perform a backup.
[…] Finally, I have just lightly "scanned" the web page for which you provided a link (for which, BTW, thank you). From this it would seem that I might be a wee bit "out of my depth" making those changes. So it might be worthwhile to just wait for the first point release, whenever that will be.

Well, that is a very good reason!

So your first try sounds either like something went wrong when you selected the details within the manual partitioning or like something in your old /home directory caused this behaviour…
Just try again if you can spare the time and perhaps write down the single steps to post them here in case it will not work the second time.

And the first point release of 24.04 will probably come out in August.
Perhaps the Kubuntu Team will correct the possible installer bug (step 1. from my link) in 24.04.1 - they will quite certainly not improve the release for desktop usage regarding steps 2.-6. (7.) or the "bonus steps"! They could have included steps 2.-6. at least partially for years now (and I have been doing most of these steps after any Kubuntu desktop installation for years now…).


If you are successful -> for afterwards:

One doesn't have to understand the technical side of things of the linked post, if one trusts the alert-eyed members and the good moderation here in this forum.
There is often a (hopefully understandable) explanation given within the brackets beneath the headings. I just coloured them so one can better see/find them.

Simply Copy, Paste and Enter the commands from top to bottom, step 1 to 6 (or 7). You will be fine if you choose 1.a. and 4.a for your use case - the other sections have nothing to choose from.

It is really just "mark the whole command with the mouse" -> right click -> Copy -> and right click in Konsole -> Paste -> press [Return]-> next command (repeat Copy, Paste, press Return) and so on…
or
just "mark the whole command with the mouse" -> press "[Ctrl] [c]" to Copy -> and in Konsole press "[Ctrl] [Shift] [v]" to Paste -> press [Return] -> next command (repeat Copy, Paste, press Return) and so on…
After entering the very first command you will have to type in your password.

[stuarte]

Hi again Scwarzer Kater,

Thanks for another swift reply. I will make another installation attempt on Friday this week. I will be busy before then. The first thing I will have to do is (actually) write down the steps mentioned in that linked post. Then follow them precisely!!

Here's hoping for a more successful outcome on Friday.

Stuart

[Schwarzer Kater]

Good luck!

But why write the 6 (7) steps down at all? You can leave the web browser window with the post open and do all the steps and then reboot after step 6 (7).
Just install K24.04 and afterwards open Firefox and go to the linked thread in our forum and Copy/Paste --> "the directly after installation" is meant as: next time it fits (I would do "step 1." immediately, but the rest can also wait for some hours or a day if need be…).

[stuarte]

Good afternoon Schwarzer Kater,

Thank you for another swift reply.

But why write the 6 (7) steps down at all? You can leave the web browser window with the post open and do all the steps and then reboot after step 6 (7).

I will be trying my next install at home and I don't have i-net access there. Hence the need to actually write down the steps.

Just install K24.04 and afterwards open Firefox and go to the linked thread in our forum and Copy/Paste --> "the directly after installation" is meant as: next time it fits (I would do "step 1." immediately, but the rest can also wait for some hours or a day if need be…).

Understood. Thank you again for all the help so far. It is very much appreciated.

Stuart

[Schwarzer Kater]

[…]
I will be trying my next install at home and I don't have i-net access there. Hence the need to actually write down the steps. […]

Hm, I can't recommend to write the commands of the steps down(!), due to preventing typing errors…
If you are in e.g. an Internet Café perhaps you can at least print the post from the website there.

And be aware that there are spaces and special characters at certain positions within the whole commands (and if the whole command is longer than one line, some of the spaces may only be displayed when you mark the whole command with the mouse before!).
And that it is important to enter commands (also in general) exactly as displayed - especially in combination with sudo (which is used in every of the post's whole commands).

[stuarte]

Good afternoon Schwarzr Kater,

Hm, I can't recommend to write the commands of the steps down(!), due to preventing typing errors…
If you are in e.g. an Internet Café perhaps you can at least print the post from the website there.

No, I am in "my" Central Library. I need to write down the commands because I don't have any money to pay for printouts.

Anyway, it is beginning to look like the installer wont allow a straight "legacy" BIOS install. I found some time over lunchtime to make another try at installing 24.04. Everything goes fine up to and including manually(!) setting up the partitions. When I click "next" a dialog box called "Option to use GPT on BIOS" appears containing the following text.

"A GPT partition table is the best option for all systems. This installer supports such a setup for BIOS systems too.

To configure a GPT partition table on BIOS, (if not done so already) go back and set the partition table to GPT, next create a 8 MB unformatted partition with the bios-grub flag enabled.

An unformatted 8 MB partition is necessary to start Kubuntu on a BIOS system with GPT."

It is not possible to somehow bypass this dialog. So, from this it would appear that the Kubuntu Devs are trying to ease old recalcitrant BIOS users (I wonder who ? 😊) over to the more modern (U)EFI / GPT way of doing things. Oh well, I guess that I will stick with Debian bookworm, at least for now.

Thank you for all your help with this. Take care,

Stuart

[Schwarzer Kater]

Well, why not simply do as the installer says:

In Manual partitioning

• click on [New Partition Table] --> select GPT --> [OK] (ATTENTION: this will erase all data on the drive!)
• click on Free Space --> [Create] --> enter 8 MiB in Space --> select unformatted in File System --> select bios-grub in Flags --> [OK]
• click on Free Space --> [Create] --> check: Space = rest, File System = ext4, Flags = none selected --> select / in Mount Point --> enter e.g. Kubuntu in FS Label --> [OK]
• click [Next]
• proceed with user creation and installation and at least correct the possible installer bug with ext4 file systems afterwards.

This will work just fine - at least it did in all of my tests on systems with "legacy" BIOS and without UEFI…

[stuarte]

Good evening Schwarzer Kater,

click on [New Partition Table] --> select GPT --> [OK] (ATTENTION: this will erase all data on the drive!)

Remember, I'm trying to retain the contents of my /home partition.

This will work just fine - at least it did in all of my tests on systems with "legacy" BIOS and without UEFI…

Yes, I also have installed several(!) previous versions of Kubuntu. Unlike the present installer, those previous installers easily(!) allowed a straight "legacy" BIOS install. It seems obvious to me that this new installer has been coded up with a bias to moving users on to performing a (U)EFI / GPT install. This is something that I would like to put off for a while yet, if possible. Perhaps now is the time to move across to an RPM distro.

Thanks again for all the help.

Stuart

[Schwarzer Kater]

OK, I did not have in mind that you wanted to retain the partitioning scheme (is the partition table GPT already or still MBR?) and your /home …

And semi-OT:

Otherwise, IMHO Debian 12 with Plasma is a fine choice, of course, and will run great on older computers.
openSUSE Leap 15.6 with Plasma could also be one when it has been released in June - if you want to go RPM…
I run Leap and Tumbleweed on several of my computers and Debian 12 is one of my main systems anyway.
Be aware that both will install the KDE PIM (and therefore the Akonadi server) by default.
You can deselect and block both KDE PIM and Akonadi server during openSUSE's installation process in the Software selection if you want to (openSUSE's is one of the - if not the - most versatile installers anyway).
If you want to read some thoughts about a Debian 12 installation with KDE Plasma you could see this suggestion.

[stuarte]

Good afternoon Schwarzer Kater,

is the partition table GPT already or still MBR?

The laptop BIOS is set to CSM mode. The Kubuntu installer partition table is left set to MBR / BIOS mode and not(!) GPT mode.

openSUSE Leap 15.6 with Plasma could also be one when it has been released in June - if you want to go RPM…

Yes, I will keep that very much in mind. OpenSUSE was one of the distros that I ran (and liked) back in the first decade when I was doing a bit of distro hopping. This was (probably) well before there was a Leap or Tumbleweed. My concern with going back to OpenSUSE lies with the OpenSUSE repos. I do not know how well populated the OpenSUSE repos are compared to the Kubuntu or Debian repos. Would I be able to get the same (versions of) packages with the OpenSUSE repos as I can with Kubuntu or Debian repos ?

If you want to read some thoughts about a Debian 12 installation with KDE Plasma you could see this suggestion.

That suggestion looks very interesting. I think some of it may not apply in my case though since I already have Plasma "up and running". However, I will(!) give it a serious read through, consideration, and apply what seems appropriate. Thank you very much for this and for all your help.

Time for lunch! Take care,

Stuart