After installing MX21 : 'grub_register_command_lockdown' not found [Solved]

[bfatoe]

Hello,

I used to run MX19 on my laptop Lenovo Ideapad 3, and after having carefully saved everything, I opted for an MX21 new install.
I had a dual boot with Kali Linux.

Here is the partitionning I made :

partitionning.png

For the Grub option I did select GPT :

GRUB.png

After reboot, I have a grub screen where I can choose in between MX21 and Kali, but when I try to boot on MX or even Kali, I get this output

Code: Select all

Loading Linux 5.10.0-9-amd64
error: symbol 'grub_register_command_lockdown' not found.
Loading initial ramdisk
error: symbol 'grub_register_command_lockdown' not found.

Press any key to continue...
error: symbol 'grub_printf_fmt_check' not found.
error: module 'gfxmenu' isn't loaded.
Press any key to continue...

and after pressing any key for the second time, I am led back to the GRUB menu.

Any idea about what I did wrong ?

[fehlix]

Any idea about what I did wrong ?

You have probably booted the LiveUSB within BIOS mode and installed bios-GRUB to PBR.
Booting in UEFI mode would give you the option to install uefi-GRUB into the ESP (EFI System Partition).
As it appear the system still have a old efi-grub-loader which was not replaced by the new installations, and fails to load the new GRUB-modules.

[bfatoe]

I am actually running a Live USB MX21 on this computer, is there a way to solve this by launching a command or use an MX tool to update the ESP partition content ?

[fehlix]

I am actually running a Live USB MX21 on this computer, is there a way to solve this by launching a command or use an MX tool to update the ESP partition content ?

Only if you boot in UEFI mode. Start MX Boot Repair and re-install grub into ESP .+++>> re-generate grub config

[bfatoe]

I did switch to pure UEFI boot, and I can't boot on MX21 successfully, in fact in the GRUB menu, I see only the previously installed MX19 and Kali.
Nevertheless I can still boot on Kali, I just tried now to run a sudo update-grub

Code: Select all

****@KALI:~$ sudo update-grub
[sudo] password for ****: 
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found theme: /boot/grub/themes/kali/theme.txt
Found background image: /usr/share/images/desktop-base/desktop-grub.png
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-kali9-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.10.0-kali9-amd64
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.7.0-kali1-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.7.0-kali1-amd64
Found MX 21 Wildflower (21) on /dev/nvme0n1p2
done

I now try to reboot and if any success, I will come back to mark the thread as solved.

Thanks one more time for your help fehlix.

[fehlix]

I did switch to pure UEFI boot, and I can't boot on MX21 successfully, in fact in the GRUB menu, I see only the previously installed MX19 and Kali.

Yes, we know already. But you might be able to re-installing efi-GRUB when booting from LiveUSB in UEFI mode and running MX Boot Repair, as already stated.

[dolphin_oracle]

Is it possible that kali is controlling your grub menu rather than MX. possible need to update-grub on the kali side.

[bfatoe]

The sudo update-grub command on kali did the trick, I have now grub controlled by Kali but I can boot on pure UEFI mode on both MX21 and Kali.
Thanks again

[fehlix]

The sudo update-grub command on kali did the trick, I have now grub controlled by Kali but I can boot on pure UEFI mode on both MX21 and Kali.
Thanks again

UEFI boot offers a boot options selection menu, to boot from installed efi-GRUB loader, where you can have muiltiple and select from a list or change order of this boot option list. Often pressing F12 during POST might show the list. That's one difference to BIOS/MBR booting where we have only one a so called controlling GRUB only. Currently you boot from kali's efi-GRUB loader. After installing MX21's GRUB to ESP using MX Boot Repair, you would have two efi-GRUB loader to choose from. Normally the last efi-GRUB loader installed becomes the first in the list. This is not always the case mainly when the efi-GRUB loader installed utilizes some more tricks to get always pushed onto the first position, e.g. by using shim combined fallback technique.

[ErikP]

I have a similar problem. My 5 year old HP pavilion laptop used to dual boot into Windows 10 and MX19. I have used a DVD to install MX21 over the top of MX 19. I have left the Windows installation in place and am reusing my linux /home partition.

If I boot into "secure mode" (selecting in the BIOS screen) I get taken straight to Windows with no sign of Grub. If I turn off secure mode I get the above error i.e.

Welcome to GRUB!
error: symbol grub_is_lockdown not found.

I installed grub to the EFI partition at install but noted that is was formatted as vfat (is this normal?) and left it without formatting. there seem to be traces of old Neon and MX 19 installations in the partition. should I try to reformat it using the partition manager?

Thanks in advance.