cannot install MX Linux on Windows 11 laptop [Solved]

[user101]

Code: Select all

System:    Kernel: 5.10.0-20-amd64 [5.10.158-2] x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 10.2.1 
           parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/antiX/vmlinuz quiet splasht nosplash 
           Desktop: Xfce 4.18.0 tk: Gtk 3.24.24 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm 4.18.0 vt: 7 
           dm: LightDM 1.26.0 Distro: MX-21.3_x64 Wildflower January 15  2023 
           base: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye) 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Acer product: Swift SF114-34 v: V1.03 serial: <filter> Chassis: 
           type: 10 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: JSL model: Labatt_JL v: V1.03 serial: <filter> UEFI: Insyde v: 1.03 
           date: 12/28/2020 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 39.3 Wh (92.9%) condition: 42.3/48.0 Wh (88.1%) volts: 12.1 
           min: 11.2 model: LGC KT0030G020 AP18C8K type: Li-ion serial: <filter> 
           status: Discharging cycles: 60 
CPU:       Info: Dual Core model: Intel Celeron N4500 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Tremont family: 6 
           model-id: 9C (156) stepping: 0 microcode: 24000023 cache: L2: 4 MiB 
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 bogomips: 4454 
           Speed: 790 MHz min/max: 800/2800 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 790 2: 791 
           Vulnerabilities: Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected 
           Type: l1tf status: Not affected 
           Type: mds status: Not affected 
           Type: meltdown status: Not affected 
           Type: mmio_stale_data 
           status: Vulnerable: Clear CPU buffers attempted, no microcode; SMT disabled 
           Type: retbleed status: Not affected 
           Type: spec_store_bypass 
           mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl and seccomp 
           Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization 
           Type: spectre_v2 
           mitigation: Enhanced IBRS, IBPB: conditional, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected 
           Type: srbds status: Vulnerable: No microcode 
           Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel JasperLake [UHD Graphics] vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: N/A 
           alternate: i915 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:4e55 class-ID: 0300 
           Device-2: Chicony HD User Facing type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-4:4 
           chip-ID: 04f2:b6dd class-ID: 0e02 serial: <filter> 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 compositor: xfwm4 v: 4.18.0 driver: loaded: vesa 
           unloaded: fbdev,modesetting display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1 
           Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1280x1024 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 339x271mm (13.3x10.7") 
           s-diag: 434mm (17.1") 
           Monitor-1: default res: 1280x1024 hz: 77 
           OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 11.0.1 128 bits) v: 4.5 Mesa 20.3.5 compat-v: 3.1 
           direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel Jasper Lake HD Audio vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI 
           driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel alternate: snd_sof_pci bus-ID: 00:1f.3 
           chip-ID: 8086:4dc8 class-ID: 0401 
           Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.10.0-20-amd64 running: yes 
           Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 14.2 running: yes 
Network:   Device-1: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz driver: iwlwifi v: kernel modules: wl port: 3000 
           bus-ID: 00:14.3 chip-ID: 8086:4df0 class-ID: 0280 
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter> 
Bluetooth: Device-1: Intel type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-8:6 chip-ID: 8087:0026 
           class-ID: e001 
           Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: down bt-service: N/A rfk-block: 
           hardware: no software: yes address: <filter> 
           Info: acl-mtu: 1021:4 sco-mtu: 96:6 link-policy: rswitch sniff link-mode: slave accept 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 62.06 GiB used: 1.82 GiB (2.9%) 
           ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 maj-min: 179:0 vendor: Kingston model: TA2964 size: 58.31 GiB 
           block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 0x8 
           scheme: GPT 
           SMART Message: Unknown smartctl error. Unable to generate data. 
           ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 type: USB model: USB Flash Disk size: 3.75 GiB block-size: 
           physical: 512 B logical: 512 B type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 1100 scheme: MBR 
           SMART Message: Unknown USB bridge. Flash drive/Unsupported enclosure? 
Swap:      Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) 
           ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 4.92 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 
           dev: /dev/mmcblk0p6 maj-min: 179:6 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 31.0 C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     Packages: note: see --pkg apt: 1967 lib: 989 flatpak: 0 
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye main contrib non-free
           2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list 
           1: deb http://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ bullseye main non-free
Info:      Processes: 201 Uptime: 12m wakeups: 3 Memory: 3.65 GiB used: 1.66 GiB (45.5%) 
           Init: SysVinit v: 2.96 runlevel: 5 default: 5 tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: N/A 
           alt: 10 Client: shell wrapper v: 5.1.4-release inxi: 3.3.06 
Boot Mode: UEFI

Hi. I am running MX Linux 'Live' right now (on the laptop I am having a problem with). I wonder if someone can help me get it installed permanently?

Winidows 11was alaredy on the laptop running fine. Key word: was.

After I attempted to install MX Linux, I get no option to select Linux to have it start up. After reboot Windows is trying to repair its install (and failing)! I resized the Windows partition and made a swap partition for Linux and I thought things would go fine, but they did not. Help?

[Jaki]

The problem is probably due to incorrect installation of grub. I had a similar problem when installing MX linux with Ventoy then it did not install in ESP and only win 10 was launched. You need to see in the laptop bios whether legacy bios and csm are turned off, because if not, linux will not install grub correctly. During the installation, an esp partition with the /boot/efi (fat32) flag must be created, with a size of about 300 mb,

[user101]

Hi Jaki
After your post (thanks), I did some looking around the BIOS. UEFI is enabled but Secure Boot is disabled.
I don't see any other relevant settings that I can change. No Legacy options that I can see.

BUT
I found out something important.

MX was actually installed but the only way I can see it and choose it is if I hit the F12 key to get the [bios] Boot Menu. In other words, I have to time it carefully in order to be able to choose MX, otherwise all I see is Preparing Automatic Repair every time the computer starts, courtesy of Windows 11. That is a problem I still have to fix. Maybe a wipe from the recovery partition will do it. I don't know yet.

I cannot change the brightness on this laptop in MX, so this might be all wasted time. That is a key feature that's not working.

[user101]

ps. brightness adjustment has been enabled with the AHS (advanced hardware support) MX Linux release.
I should have downloaded that one to begin with.

Now at least I know I can use it.

[Jaki]

I also care about brightness control and in mx linux flubox using mx installer I install a cinnamon desktop (such as linux mint) in which there is a great qredshift applet (the applet is added to the panel). Qredshift adjusts brightness and temperature, it's great.

[Jerry3904]

Have either of you tried the installed tool: Brightness Systray?

[j2mcgreg]

If you missed any of these steps when prepping your laptop for MX, your only recourse may be to reinstall Win 11 and start over:
1) sign into your Microsoft account and retrieve the BItLocker encryption key
2) in Win 11, disable Bitlocker and Fast Start Up
3) disable Secure Boot in the bios. If you didn't disable Bitlocker in step #2, or if it didn't work, you will need the decryption key from step #1 in order to proceed

[Jaki]

I tried Brightness Systray but you can't change the screen temperature in it.

[Stevo]

Some BIOSes require you to go into a setting there and manually tell it to recognize/trust/use the MX efi file.

And have to redo it after a Windows or BIOS update, too.

[Charlie Brown]

...I cannot change the brightness on this laptop in MX,..

Cause:

Graphics: Device-1: Intel JasperLake [UHD Graphics] vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: N/A
alternate: i915 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:4e55 class-ID: 0300
...
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 compositor: xfwm4 v: 4.18.0 driver: loaded: vesa