HP 15 Notebook [Solved]

[Pierre]

The joys of re-furbishing those older PCs

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-13-amd64 [6.1.55-1] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/antiX/vmlinuz quiet splasht nosplash
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.36 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm v: 4.18.0 vt: 7
    dm: LightDM v: 1.26.0 Distro: MX-23.1_x64 Libretto October 15  2023 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12
    (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Hewlett-Packard product: HP 15 Notebook PC v: 096C100000405F00051660180
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 22CD v: 93.2F serial: <superuser required> UEFI: Insyde v: F.34
    date: 02/05/2015
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT1 charge: 0% condition: 88.8/N/A Wh volts: 14.8 min: 14.8 model: 13-42 OA04041
    type: Li-ion serial: <filter> status: not charging
CPU:
  Info: model: AMD E1-6010 APU with AMD Radeon R2 Graphics bits: 64 tyanpe: MCP arch: Puma level: v2
    built: 2014-15 process: GF 28nm family: 0x16 (22) model-id: 0x30 (48) stepping: 1
    microcode: 0x7030105
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 2 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 128 KiB desc: d-2x32 KiB; i-2x32 KiB
    L2: 1024 KiB desc: 1x1024 KiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1193 high: 1197 min/max: 1000/1350 boost: disabled scaling:
    driver: acpi-cpufreq governor: ondemand cores: 1: 1189 2: 1197 bogomips: 5389
  Flags: avx ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  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: Not affected
  Type: retbleed mitigation: untrained return thunk; SMT disabled
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines, STIBP: disabled, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: Not
    affected
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD Mullins [Radeon R2 Graphics] vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: radeon v: kernel
    alternate: amdgpu arch: GCN-2 code: Sea Islands process: GF/TSMC 16-28nm built: 2013-17 ports:
    active: eDP-1 empty: HDMI-A-1,VGA-1 bus-ID: 00:01.0 chip-ID: 1002:9853 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Chicony HP Truevision HD type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 2-1.1:3
    chip-ID: 04f2:b45e class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 compositor: xfwm v: 4.18.0 driver: X: loaded: radeon
    unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa dri: radeonsi gpu: radeon display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1366x768 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 361x203mm (14.21x7.99") s-diag: 414mm (16.31")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 mapped: eDP model: BOE Display 0x0618 built: 2014 res: 1366x768 hz: 60
    dpi: 125 gamma: 1.2 size: 277x156mm (10.91x6.14") diag: 389mm (15.3") ratio: 16:9, 15:9 modes:
    max: 1366x768 min: 640x480
  API: OpenGL v: 4.5 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: KABINI ( LLVM 15.0.6 DRM 2.50 6.1.0-13-amd64)
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: AMD Kabini HDMI/DP Audio vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:01.1 chip-ID: 1002:9840 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD FCH Azalia vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:14.2 chip-ID: 1022:780d class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-13-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.65 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter vendor: Hewlett-Packard AR9485/HB125
    802.11bgn 1x1 Wi-Fi driver: ath9k v: kernel modules: wl pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1
    bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 168c:0032 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: r8169
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 2000 bus-ID: 04:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8136
    class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 465.76 GiB used: 57.3 MiB (0.0%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Seagate model: ST500LT012-1DG142 size: 465.76 GiB
    block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter>
    rev: YAM1 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  Message: No partition data found.
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 3 GiB used: 57.3 MiB (1.9%) priority: -2 dev: /dev/sda5
    maj-min: 8:5
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 49.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: radeon temp: 48.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 2057 libs: 1041 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala,synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 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 bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
Info:an
  Processes: 192 Uptime: 14m wakeups: 2 Memory: 1.62 GiB used: 1.32 GiB (81.7%) Init: SysVinit
  v: 3.06 runlevel: 5 default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12 Client: shell wrapper
  v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: UEFI

this particular Laptop, is an menace, as I've re-done the Installation,
like four times this afternoon, so far,

Just how the heck, did this HP - ever run win-8 ? let alone an win-10 system ?.
- the owner was complaining about how slow it was . .

it initially wouldn't let the Installer get past 93% or so,
and I've finally figured enough out, to Turn Off that Secure Boot thing.
that got it to the end of the actual Installation,
but now it won't boot up the New MX-Linux Installation.

[j2mcgreg]

Check the HDD's health via SMART in the bios and then replace it if it says anything other than healthy.
Also look on Ebay or Amazon for some more ram. With only 2 GB on board, this laptop is going to be slow regardless of the OS involved.

[Pierre]

when all else fails - cheat -

in the UEFI / BIOS there was the Answer - Legacy Mode


restart the Laptop, yet again, and boot that disk in Legacy Mode.
- re-install - yet again -
with the existing gpt partitioning . .

it still had an error, with BIOS partition Not found,
except that this particular error, will often be invalid
and of course it now Boots Up okay,
but there is another message - Press Esc key for start Menu -
then, there is the MX-Linux Grub Menu


the Gnome Disks program, also says that the HDD is A.ok
- Bonus -

[Pierre]

this also shows the issue, of re-purposing any PCs that were made after the bountiful win-7 system went EoL.

now the most common PCs will have win-8x on them, and may even have been "upgraded" to win-10.
- which of course, was 'too slow' - and is the reason that it was given away . . .

this UEFI / GPT method in these later PCs is trickier to re-purpose,
than those older win-7 PCs and even this Laptop that originally had win-6 / vista upon it.

thus, Installing an MX-Linux system on these later PCs is not as straight-forward as it once was.
and in this case, the UEFI Boot Menu still had the old & now unused Windows Boot option,-
which if then selected, will lead into an windows hell, as the machine won't find any Windows System.

then, in order to be totally rid of all traces of the old Windows System, & if you format / erase
the contents of the EFI partition - then the new MX-Linux system now can't Install the EFI Boot Loader.
- even with the EFI partition still there, but now is vacant.
you do need those original EFI/efi/boot/xxx files to be intact, after the MX-Linux Installation is completed.
- which then leads to that multi boot menu, as mentioned, above.

[FullScale4Me]

thus, Installing an MX-Linux system on these later PCs is not as straight-forward as it once was.
and in this case, the UEFI Boot Menu still had the old & now unused Windows Boot option,-
which if then selected, will lead into an windows hell, as the machine won't find any Windows System.

MX Linux has some features to address the above effect. MX Tools ---> MX Boot Options. Once open select 'Manage UEFI Boot Options. Below is what it displays from my MX Linux 23 KDE on a HP P2-1394.



For reasons only known to the HP P2-1394 firmware programmer(s) there are extra [generic] entries, the bottom 4. For example: lets say on a different PC the bottom 4 were unused entries as you had confirmed. Remember, this is the menu order as you see by hitting Esc, F9 or F12 to get the temporary/one time Boot Menu.

With this section of the Boot Option tool you can delete these unused entries from the PCs Motherboard Boot Option EFI menu (folder) table. If you end up deleting too many unused Linux entries you can always boot a live USB and use MX Boot Repair.

In MX post bootup the EFI partition gets mounted as /boot/efi. As you can see I have some safe cleanup to do. How to discern what's in use and what is unused?



The command efibootmgr has a -v or verbose option. Below is from the same PC less the generic entries.

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mike@mx23kde:~
$ efibootmgr -v
BootCurrent: 0001
Timeout: 10 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,0000,0008,0003,000E,000D

Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager  HD(1,GPT,f99c64b2-9f74-401f-80e0-23eb1aff826d,0x800,0x80000)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}...C................

Boot0001* MX Linux      HD(1,GPT,f99c64b2-9f74-401f-80e0-23eb1aff826d,0x800,0x80000)/File(\EFI\MX\grubx64.efi)

The above tells me 'Windows Boot Manager' (Boot0000*) is booting from the folder \EFI\Microsoft
and 'MX Linux' (Boot0001*) is booting from the folder \EFI\MX.

The BootOrder is the same as your onscreen menu. So now you have the good paths vs the unused ones for cleanup actions.

One thing to note is the 'EFI' partition below has an 'ESP' label. They are one and the same!

[Charlie Brown]

@Pierre

off-topic: Maybe you consider updating your signature (the "check-mark icon" etc... the preferred way as it creates a link to the solution, also just 1 click, simpler)

" Please change your original post title to include [SOLVED] - when your problem is solved! "

:)

[Pierre]

@Charlie Brown

MX Linux has some features to address the above effect. MX Tools ---> MX Boot Options. Once open select 'Manage UEFI Boot Options. . .

that's good info to know

[Charlie Brown]

@Pierre

[seaken64]

I have noticed that some of the UEFI systems are quirky. If there is a Legacy boot option I use that. On a couple of my old UEFI systems I end up using F12 to get to the boot menu and can usually boot from there. If all else fails I use a Live USB to boot. I have sometimes been able to run Boot Repair a couple of times and choose both ESP and MBR. usually that gets me an entry off the F12 that allows me to boot MX.

Seaken64

[FullScale4Me]

Yes, some have 2 places to shut off Legacy aka CSM aka MBR before a pure UEFI system exists.

Occasionally the firmware needs an update to remove a quirk or three :-) When I worked the service desk at a PC retailer the lowest cost units made >80% of our grief.