[SOLVED]ESP partition

[eriefisher]

Hey folks,

I'm going to install MX18 on a Acer Aspire ES 15. This will be the first time installing on an efi machine. I have booted the usb without issue but I was curious about the partitions. I show a ESP, Windows reserved partition, Win10 and a 1g recovery. Not planning on dual boot but is there anything I need to keep in this line up? I would assume just the ESP/EFI partition but I thought I would check first.

eriefisher

[fehlix]

I'm going to install MX18 on a Acer Aspire ES 15. This will be the first time installing on an efi machine. I have booted the usb without issue but I was curious about the partitions. I show a ESP, Windows reserved partition, Win10 and a 1g recovery. Not planning on dual boot but is there anything I need to keep in this line up? I would assume just the ESP/EFI partition but I thought I would check first.

If you going to wipe winOS, simplest is to choose entire disk (autoinstall).
The lastest installer is made such that it shall automatically boot into MX Linux after installation, as the installer
populates the default fallback bootloader at /EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI, which Aspire will recognize to boot from.
If not booting, you might go into the UEFI-firmware setup and manually select the efi-bootlaoder
from /EFI/MX18.3/grubx64.efi. But this might not need within a singel install.
Note: Better turn of secure boot.

[eriefisher]

Well I tried the install. Manually partitioned and installed to those partitions but It locks up during the grub install. I even killed it and rebooted the usb and tried to install grub with the tools but same result, lock up. I will try an auto install. Doesn't appear to have secure boot on. No passwords set or anything.

[fehlix]

Well I tried the install. Manually partitioned and installed to those partitions but It locks up during the grub install. I even killed it and rebooted the usb and tried to install grub with the tools but same result, lock up. I will try an auto install. Doesn't appear to have secure boot on. No passwords set or anything.

Seems the last step writing NVRAMentries locks.
Sugggest you try again. and if still not solved we can manually re-install GRUB's efi like this:

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sudo chroot-rescue-scan

Seelct the found MX18.3 entry
now within chroot run:

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mount -a

and

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grub-install --no-nvram --force-extra-removable --bootloader-id=MX18.3 

If this succeccfully.
Now try the reboot, if still not booting automatically,
do go into UEFI-system (Press F2 at boot POST))
-> give you dummy password, reboot enter dummy password
-> change to secure boot (we turn it back later)
and
-> select EFI from file -> choose @ESP : /EFI/MX18.3/grubx64.efi
-> turn of secure boot
-> remove you dummy password
-> reboot
EDIT: -> Press F12 to select from EFI-bootmenu MX18.3

EDIT:
Please post "Quick System Info" (from the menu), as there might be another show stopper to be identified.

[eriefisher]

Ok, I realizes I was using MX18.2 so I tried MX18.3 and started over. Everything seems to move along but it still freezes at the grub install. I force a reboot and get to a grub prompt. I will try the chroot method from above.

[fehlix]

Ok, I realizes I was using MX18.2 so I tried MX18.3 and started over. Everything seems to move along but it still freezes at the grub install. I force a reboot and get to a grub prompt. I will try the chroot method from above.

EDIT: Oops, just realized: This comment below is in the wrong thread :lipsrsealed:
But I leave it here anyway, just ignore it..

Note: Better boot and install in BIOS mode, do not mix those UEFI boot and BIOS install.
Normaly you would get answer you must always boot with the same UEFI or BIOS mode to install,
but it is not strictly required, as you have seen with the fix we've done with chroot-rescue-scan,
... it reduces at least confusion caused by booting in UEFI and than installing in BIOS.

[eriefisher]

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System:    Host: mx1 Kernel: 4.19.0-5-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 6.3.0 
           Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 Distro: MX-18.3_x64 Continuum May 26  2019 
           base: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch) 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Acer product: Aspire ES1-533 v: V1.08 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: Acer model: Stego_AP v: V1.08 serial: <filter> UEFI: Insyde v: 1.08 
           date: 01/20/2017 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT1 charge: 34.8 Wh condition: 34.8/36.7 Wh (95%) 
           model: COMPAL 0038314234314341 status: Full 
CPU:       Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Celeron N3350 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Goldmont 
           rev: 9 L2 cache: 1024 KiB 
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 4377 
           Speed: 1270 MHz min/max: 800/2400 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1262 2: 1204 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
           resolution: 1366x768~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 500 (Broxton 2x6) v: 4.5 Mesa 18.2.6 
           direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel Atom/Celeron/Pentium Processor N4200/N3350/E3900 Series Audio Cluster 
           vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:0e.0 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.19.0-5-amd64 
Network:   Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
           vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 1000 bus ID: 01:00.0 
           IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter> 
           Device-2: Intel driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 1000 bus ID: 02:00.0 
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 480.72 GiB used: 278.3 MiB (0.1%) 
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD5000LPCX-21VHAT0 size: 465.76 GiB 
           ID-2: /dev/sdb type: USB model: USB Flash Memory size: 14.96 GiB 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 2.90 GiB used: 278.3 MiB (9.4%) fs: overlay source: ERR-102 
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 3.91 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda3 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 42.0 C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/antix.list 
           1: deb http://iso.mxrepo.com/antix/stretch stretch main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list 
           1: deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list 
           1: deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free
           2: deb http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list 
           1: deb http://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ stretch main non-free
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/various.list 
Info:      Processes: 196 Uptime: 9m Memory: 3.68 GiB used: 936.1 MiB (24.8%) Init: SysVinit 
           runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 6.3.0 Shell: bash v: 4.4.12 inxi: 3.0.33 

I'm not sure I follow you. I just gone through a default install with little interaction. I have disabled secure boot. If I re-enable it I get secure boot failed. When I enter the boot menu MX18 is not on the list. The only thing on the list is the hard drive which gives me a grub prompt.

[fehlix]

I'm not sure I follow you. I just gone through a default install with little interaction. I have disabled secure boot. If I re-enable it I get secure boot failed. When I enter the boot menu MX18 is not on the list. The only thing on the list is the hard drive which gives me a grub prompt.

Did the "default install" failed at GRUB installation?

[eriefisher]

Default install--Use entire disk. My only input was name and login info and to use ESP for boot method. I have also tried to use custom partitions but same result.

[fehlix]

Default install--Use entire disk. My only input was name and login info and to use ESP for boot method. I have also tried to use custom partitions but same result.

Actauly my question was: Did the installer finished successfully?
Suggest do now this:
Boot Live again with MX18.3:
Run:

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sudo chroot-rescue-scan 

Select the found MX18.3 entry
Now within chroot run:

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mount -a

and now let see what we have installed on the ESP:
do run this:

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find /boot/efi  -iname  "*.efi"  -ls

and post the result:
Now (re)-install efi-grub-loader:

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grub-install --no-nvram --force-extra-removable --bootloader-id=MX18.3 

and run again

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find /boot/efi  -iname  "*.efi"  -ls

and post the result:
type exit and quit chroot and reboot.
EDIT: let's do the reboot without pressing F12 to select, as the fallback efi-loader, shall now get by default be selected.