Debian won't boot, probably missing grub

[blackfromabove]

Hi guys,

I'm struggling to use Debian in my desktop. Cause my system is a bit old (intel p55, 2010) with only bios, I installed an nvme with proper adaptor but this nvme can't boot (the guilty is bios). So I use clover installed in another of hard drive in my system and I can boot freely with any os, straight from nvme.
To this point, I just installed Debian several time and I haven't any problems during installation, but when I leave installer and reboot, clover boot and I can't see any Debian or Linux entry.
On the last step when I need to install grub I tried to Install on the nvme and can't boot. I also tried to install in the same place of clover (EFI partition) on /dev/sda1 in my case but this one fails every time.

In my mind I just want to install also windows in another partition. Sometimes I also used 3 os on same hard drive, but I was using Chameleon (ex Clover) in a hard drive.
I can't figure out where I'm doing the wrong step.

Hope someone can help me,
Thanks Gabriele.

[p.H]

I do not know Clover, but it seems to be a UEFI boot loader. Why on earth do you want to use a UEFI boot loader on a BIOS machine ?
Why don't you just set up a /boot partition on the hard drive and install GRUB in the hard drive boot sector (NOT the partition) ?

I need to install grub I tried to Install on the nvme and can't boot. I also tried to install in the same place of clover (EFI partition) on /dev/sda1 in my case but this one fails every time.

You cannot install GRUB for BIOS in the MBR of a GPT-partitioned drive other than the one which contains /boot without a "BIOS boot" partition, nor in a FAT (like EFI) partition located in a drive other than the one which contains /boot.

[blackfromabove]

Thanks for help. I need clover because before this upgrade with nvme I was stucked with an ssd on sata2.

So if I got it, I need to create a partition /boot in the disk where I installed clover? Right? And then install grub there? That disk is gpt cause I use it on a Mac OS.

Btw this is no the first distro Linux I use but I haven’t never seen this boot bios sector the installer create if I use automatically partition in method.

[p.H]

I installed an nvme with proper adaptor

Proper for what ? A proper NVMe adapter would contain a BIOS option ROM providing NVMe boot capability, like some RAID or SCSI controllers.

I need clover because before this upgrade with nvme I was stucked with an ssd on sata2.

Sorry but I do not understand. What do you mean by "stuck" ? What is that SATA SSD ? Is it the "hard drive" you mentioned earlier or is it yet another (third) drive ? What does clover have to do with it ?

So if I got it, I need to create a partition /boot in the disk where I installed clover? Right? And then install grub there?

You do not need clover to boot Debian on this computer.

That disk is gpt cause I use it on a Mac OS.

What do you mean ? Are you using this disk with another computer (Mac) ? Is it a removable disk ?

Please explain and describe the current full setup.

[blackfromabove]

Ok, I'm sorry to haven't provide so many details.

I have an old desktop of 2010 based on bios. The better of my i/o subsystem can supply is sata2, and I used in this years without problems, both with hdd or ssd.
Now, the day before this, for achieve better performance I installed an nvme with a proper adaptor to get the maximum of performance possible for my system. So I put this adapter in the pci video slot. Cause my system is based on bios and this nvme obviously can't boot, cause is recognized by system, but it won't show on bios or boot, I need to use a bootloader like clover that make possible this booting, making my system a (fake) uefi system.

Clover works great with both Mac OS (hackintosh), windows 10, arch or other distro based on arch. Some years ago, when I have just hard drive I can boot freely with clover and this 3 os. Same drive.

Now my specs are this:

---Intel i7 860, socket 1156
---Biostar i55 with intel p55 chipset, controller sata2 jmicron and intel, those intel support also raid
---XFX Ati 5770 1 gb
---4 gigs mushkin memories for ram

Storage present on this system:
---Fresh nvme samsung 870 plus 250 gb (gpt partition), contains now: Mac OS high Sierra, win 10. Both works without problems and I can boot this os from clover installed in the Toshiba drive. This drive contains also debian but I can't figure how to boot it.
---Toshiba 2 tb for storage with gpt style table. On this drive I have 2 partition: the first is HFS+ and the second is the EFI partition (fat32) where I installed clover to make the nvme drive bootable (mechanical)
---Another drive 2 tb storage NTFS (mechanical)
---Another drive 2 tb storage NTFS (mechanical)
---Another ssd I have to detach because is small and I have replaced with nvme.

This is my full specification.

[p.H]

Cause my system is based on bios and this nvme obviously can't boot, cause is recognized by system, but it won't show on bios or boot, I need to use a bootloader like clover that make possible this booting, making my system a (fake) uefi system.

The capability to boot from NVMe has nothing to do with BIOS or UEFI. Your BIOS cannot boot from NVMe because 1) it is too old and predates NVMe implementations, and 2) the motherboard has no M.2 slot, so even if it has a recent UEFI firmware, it may still lack NVMe support. So you do not need UEFI emulation. All you need is to install a boot loader and all boot-related material (i.e. /boot for a Linux system) on a drive which the BIOS can boot from.

If Linux was the only system running on this machine, I would confirm my suggestion to get rid of clover and just install a /boot partition and GRUB on any SATA drive, or even a USB drive. But you already have Windows and Mac OS booting in UEFI mode through clover. I guess you also booted the Mac OS and Windows installation media through clover. Did you do so when installing Debian ?

If yes, the Debian installer booted in EFI mode ; guided partitioning would then use or create an EFI partition on the NVMe SSD. I don't know clover, so I don't know if it can chainload an EFI bootloader on the NVMe SSD. If it cannot, then you must select manual partitioning and use the existing EFI partition on the SATA drive.

If not, the Debian installer booted directly from BIOS in legacy mode and wanted to install GRUB for BIOS. Again, I don't know if clover can chainload a BIOS boot loader (boot sector) on the NVMe SSD.

[blackfromabove]

So, in your opinion it isn’t a thing of uefi or bios boot loader? I have some doubt on this.

By the way you give me a nice advice cause I boot from clover just to install Mac OS. For install windows I used a pen drive made with rufus using uefi and gpt and booted straight from that pen drive.

I have latest Debian net install iso bootable in another pen drive and I boot straight from there to install and every time I see that partition bios and I never seen (in other distro Linux I used in past) before installing Debian.

After your advice, I’ll try to boot from clover and try to boot Debian installer to use EFI mode.

I’ll report later this night. Thanks for support. Very appreciated.

[blackfromabove]

Ok, so finally after booting the installer in the usb stick through clover I was able to install latest Debian stable. No question to install grub or anything like other times. No errors on installer and after reboot clover recognized Debian automatically.

After some other minor problems like sudo and ati drivers I was finally able to boot into my fresh desktop on gnome.

Thanks again for patience and support.
Gabriele

[p.H]

I am surprised that you installed Windows in EFI mode without booting the Windows installer through clover.
A legacy BIOS is not able to boot a pendrive prepared for EFI boot.