[SOLVED]Bootloader on jessie-hybrid drive installation

[gonzalob]

Hi,

I have just installed debian jessie on my laptop, an HP with a hybrid drive (32gb SSD + 500gb HDD). It had windows 7 preinstalled. I used to have Mint installed on it, using the SSD for /, and aproximately 400 gb for /home and swap. I have installed debian jessie, following the exact same scheme:

HDD sda (partition, file system and size)
-system, ntfs, 208mb (primary)
-C:, ntfs, 100gb (primary)
-HP utils, fat32, around 2gb (primary)
- /home, ext3, almost 400gb, (logical)
-swap area, 8gb (logical)
-around 64mb of empty space

SSD sdb
-/, 32gb, primary

(I do not have the laptop now, but I can include a detailed output with the partitions, if needed)

When I started the installation, it was the UEFI version of the installer. I continued normally. When I finished partitioning, the installer gave a warning, saying that there was no EFI partition. I wasn't sure on what was this (I was expecting to get the GRUB installation dialog at the end of the installation as usual), so I just continued. The installation finishes and everything goes fine. But after rebooting I cannot boot into my new system normally, unless using the systemrescue cd. The installation works just fine, but I cannot boot into it normally. Also I cannot boot into windows

How can I fix this?

Thank you very much for your help!

Gonzalob

[sunrat]

You need an EFI boot partition if you are using UEFI boot.

[gonzalob]

Hi,


I've been looking into this. I have an EFI partition, but I don't know how to "tell the installer" which one is it. Also the official documentation on the installation process doesn't seem to be available for my architecture https://www.debian.org/releases/jessie/amd64/.

Could you tell me how to do this?

Thanks!

[wayne128]

Hi,

I have just installed debian jessie on my laptop, an HP with a hybrid drive (32gb SSD + 500gb HDD). It had windows 7 preinstalled. I used to have Mint installed on it, using the SSD for /, and aproximately 400 gb for /home and swap. I have installed debian jessie, following the exact same scheme:

HDD sda (partition, file system and size)
-system, ntfs, 208mb (primary)
-C:, ntfs, 100gb (primary)
-HP utils, fat32, around 2gb (primary)
- /home, ext3, almost 400gb, (logical)
-swap area, 8gb (logical)
-around 64mb of empty space

SSD sdb
-/, 32gb, primary

(I do not have the laptop now, but I can include a detailed output with the partitions, if needed)

These information said that your hard disk is msdos-partition /MBR type.
UEFI mode will need hard disk to be in GPT, and GPT does not have entended and logica partitions.

Thus your Windows was installed in MBR / bios-mode, eventhough your firmware can be UEFI.

When I started the installation, it was the UEFI version of the installer. I continued normally. When I finished partitioning, the installer gave a warning, saying that there was no EFI partition. I wasn't sure on what was this (I was expecting to get the GRUB installation dialog at the end of the installation as usual), so I just continued. The installation finishes and everything goes fine. But after rebooting I cannot boot into my new system normally, unless using the systemrescue cd. The installation works just fine, but I cannot boot into it normally. Also I cannot boot into windows

How can I fix this?

You attempted to have a mixed mode installation where Debian was booted in UEFI mode.
It is more tricky to boot a mixed mode installation.

I suggest you keep thing simple, as Windows is already in biod-mode, you can just boot Debian in bios-mode, then proceed with installation, Debian installer should not ask you about ESP or EFI boot partition.

[kiyop]

I've been looking into this. I have an EFI partition, but I don't know how to "tell the installer" which one is it.

I am not so familiar with UEFI. But how about reading http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 15#p545630 ?

And I know that some documentations on UEFI tell that UEFI can work on msdos partition table. For example,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Ex ... patibility

But after rebooting I cannot boot into my new system normally, unless using the systemrescue cd.

If you can boot the installed debian (with the help of system rescue cd), maybe you can fix the issue on debian.

You can analyze the cause of the issue by boot info script (which is available on boot-repair).
I heard that boot-repair sometimes corrupts the boot process. Use boot-repair at your own risk.

But ... jessie is jessie (current testing).

[gonzalob]

Hi,

Here's part of a boot info script form boot repair:

Code: Select all

============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================
    => Testdisk is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
    => Testdisk is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb.
    sda1: __________________________________________________________________________
    File system: ntfs
    Boot sector type: Windows 7/2008: NTFS
    Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:
    Boot files: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD
    sda2: __________________________________________________________________________
    File system: ntfs
    Boot sector type: Windows 7/2008: NTFS
    Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System: Windows 7
    Boot files: /bootmgr /boot/BCD /Windows/System32/winload.exe
    sda3: __________________________________________________________________________
    File system: vfat
    Boot sector type: Windows 7/2008: FAT32
    Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:
    Boot files: /Hewlett-Packard/BIOSUpdate/CryptRSA.efi
    /Hewlett-Packard/BIOSUpdate/CryptRSA32.efi
    /Hewlett-Packard/BIOSUpdate/HpBiosUpdate.efi
    /Hewlett-Packard/BIOSUpdate/HpBiosUpdate32.efi
    /Hewlett-Packard/SystemDiags/CryptRSA.efi
    /Hewlett-Packard/SystemDiags/CryptRSA32.efi
    /Hewlett-Packard/SystemDiags/SystemDiags.efi
    /Hewlett-Packard/SystemDiags/SystemDiags32.efi
    sda4: __________________________________________________________________________
    File system: Extended Partition
    Boot sector type: Unknown
    Boot sector info:
    sda5: __________________________________________________________________________
    File system: ext4
    Boot sector type: -
    Boot sector info:
    Operating System:
    Boot files:
    sda6: __________________________________________________________________________
    File system: swap
    Boot sector type: -
    Boot sector info:
    sdb1: __________________________________________________________________________
    File system: ext4
    Boot sector type: -
    Boot sector info:
    Operating System: Debian GNU/Linux jessie/sid
    Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab

   ============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================
    Drive: sda _____________________________________________________________________
    Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
    Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
    Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System
    /dev/sda1 * 2,048 409,599 407,552 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
    /dev/sda2 409,600 194,980,904 194,571,305 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
    /dev/sda3 194,980,905 195,205,814 224,910 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
    /dev/sda4 195,209,214 976,642,047 781,432,834 f W95 Extended (LBA)
    /dev/sda5 195,209,216 961,017,855 765,808,640 83 Linux
    /dev/sda6 961,019,904 976,642,047 15,622,144 82 Linux swap / Solaris
    Drive: sdb _____________________________________________________________________
    Disk /dev/sdb: 32.0 GB, 32017047552 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3892 cylinders, total 62533296 sectors
    Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
    Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System
    /dev/sdb1 * 2,048 62,531,583 62,529,536 83 Linux

Device UUID TYPE LABEL
    /dev/loop0 squashfs
    /dev/sda1 C01CFB941CFB83A6 ntfs SYSTEM
    /dev/sda2 5E40097040095067 ntfs
    /dev/sda3 E023-2C53 vfat HP_TOOLS
    /dev/sda5 f0a72782-6e2b-445b-a002-ad462016b877 ext4
    /dev/sda6 5264676c-a770-432e-b22d-34c1f2f4c325 swap
    /dev/sdb1 02ea0659-73d1-4715-b09b-93751e954b96 ext4

    ================================ Mount points: =================================
    Device Mount_Point Type Options
    /dev /mnt/boot-sav/sdb1/dev none (rw,bind)
    /dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)
    /dev/pts /mnt/boot-sav/sdb1/dev/pts none (rw,bind)
    /dev/sdb1 /mnt/boot-sav/sdb1 ext4 (rw)
   

Thank you for the links kiyop. That was exactly what it's needed to tell the installer where is the EFI partition.

Wayne128, how can I boot debian in BIOS-mode? Do I need to reinstall?

[wayne128]

In the UEFI firmware, after power up computer, pressing the boot menu key ( F9 for my HP desktop), the boot menu would have appear like this image:


Note that the same USB (SanDisk) that was prepared by dd Debian iso , appear twice in the boot menu, one inside EFI Boot Sources, another inside Legacy Boot Sources/Hard Drive

You may have chosen the USB or DVD inside the EFI Boot Sources , thus Debian booted in UEFI mode, and on installer screen, it had additional information,
Debian GNU/Linux UEFI Installer Menu
like in this image
and it installed in UEFI mode and flagged out error when you did not choose the FAT32 ESP partition for the grub-efi boot loader installation.

and by the way UEFI installation would also need hard disk to be in GPT formatted.
Yours is a msdos-partition format!! not for UEFI.


What you need to do is choose the one (DVD or USB ) inside the Legacy Boot Sources, it will boot in bios-mode and install in bios-mode.

Do you need to reinstall?

Yes, it is easier that way to boot BOTH windows and debian.

[sunrat]

You could try installing grub to the first HD.
Boot Debian with the SystemRescueCD. Do this from Debian as root:

Code: Select all

grub-install /dev/sda
update-grub

I'm assuming you want the boot loader on the first HD (usually preferred). Check your BIOS/UEFI settings to make sure.
The worst that could happen is lose ability to boot Windows, but that is easy to recover with the Rescue CD anyway.

[gonzalob]

Hello everyone,

Wayne128, so right. The USB was booting in UEFI mode. As I had preconfigured to boot from the USB when present, I hadn't seen this. I am reinstalling now, I will let you all know the outcome!

Thank you all for the wonderfull tips!

[gonzalob]

It works!!

Windows it is still not booting, but debian is up and running!

[kiyop]

Congratulations on your success on booting the installed debian

Windows it is still not booting, but debian is up and running!

I am not familiar with UEFI version of Grub2 (grub-efi).

Does grub2 menu appear at boot time?
If not, press shift key at boot time.
Can you get into command line of grub2 (prompt is like "grub>") by pressing "c" key in grub2 menu?
If you can, post the output of the following

Code: Select all

ls
insmod ntfs
insmod ntldr
set root=(hd0,msdos2)
ntldr /bootmgr
boot

[gonzalob]

Hi again,

kiyop, thanks for the info on my problem with windows. I was getting the typical windows booting options on the grub2 menu, but windows was throwing an error like "windows cannot acces a boot file" or something like that, together with an error status 0xc000000f, if anyone is interested. I tryied boot-repair (which made the windows entry dissapear from the menu) and than reinstalling grub from my new debian partition. I tried then the "start windows normally", which hadn't worked before, and... voilá! everything works! No more error messages.

Thanks for the comments guys. It's nice to be in the debian community!

Gonzalob