Live USB: Installer/GParted doesn't see the laptop it's attached to [Solved]

[QF217]

The only problem with that is I don't know which drive is which from looking at them - this is the first time I have taken the back case off of a computer.
I didn't touch the RAID drive at all through any of this, and checked that Windows still booted correctly before doing anything with Linux.
I will ask colleagues at work to see if they have a SATA to USB adaptor that fits what I need when we're all back, otherwise I will buy one.

[fehlix]

The only problem with that is I don't know which drive is which from looking at them - this is the first time I have taken the back case off of a computer.
I didn't touch the RAID drive at all through any of this, and checked that Windows still booted correctly before doing anything with Linux.

Probably the 2nd one (hah which you don't see of course),
may the one which can be removed first if they sit on top each other,)
Eithe remove one and see whether it boots, or check you can access BIOS/UEFI
power off and try the other.
Or just plugin to USb-adapter and check the content on another PC.

[QF217]

I've just had a thought. I plan to wipe the SSD and start again by making an NTFS partition that is around half the size of the SSD's capacity and installing Windows onto it, and then installing Linux in the remaining space.
I suspect Linux is going to want me to make its partitions in that space before I can do that.
Should I make an EFI partition (or similar) for MX Linux, or will it find the one installed by Windows and use that?
Although I've set up dual booting several times before, the last time was not so recent that I remember that part... and my confidence has been knocked now my laptop is in its current state!

[fehlix]

I've just had a thought. I plan to wipe the SSD and start again by making an NTFS partition that is around half the size of the SSD's capacity and installing Windows onto it, and then installing Linux in the remaining space.
I suspect Linux is going to want me to make its partitions in that space before I can do that.
Should I make an EFI partition (or similar) for MX Linux, or will it find the one installed by Windows and use that?
Although I've set up dual booting several times before, the last time was not so recent that I remember that part... and my confidence has been knocked now my laptop is in its current state!

After you have installed WINdows, and kept half of the SSD free. Do manually create:
* ESP-MX
* /boot partition (only needed if you want luks encryped installation, other wise not needed)
* "/"-root parttiion
* /home -partition (only if you want extra home not on "/"-root partition
* and extra "/data" -partition
You can do this with Gparted or manually within the installer (but for me Gparted is easier) also there is a button with the installer to open Gparted.
I do always keep /home on "/"-root and put any "big" other stuff onto other partitions,
so I don 't loose data , when I simply fresh reinstall over existing.
Size wise
* MX-ESP (fat32) ~ I do prefer 512 MB not to small , b/c I want to "play"/use rEFInd so I rather have same spare space, also playing with other bootloader e.g gummiboot/(now called systemd-boot)
* /boot (if needed) 1GB ( b/c multiple kernel can become big space consumer)
* "/"-root ~ some user start with 30GB, I always uses about 60 GB
* "/home (don't use myself) but as much as you like
* "/data" the remaining space.

[QF217]

OK. After 2 weeks of waiting for the NVMe adaptor to arrive, I have managed to take out, wipe and replace my hard drive *and* install Windows. I'm now at the installing MX Linux stage. The partitions look like this currently:

- nvme0n1p1: Windows C:\ drive, NTFS, 470GB
- .......p2: Windows "hidden partition", NTFS, 500MB
- .......p3: Windows EFI partition, fat32, 100MB
- .......p4: Windows reserved partition, unknown, 16MB

p3 is marked as the ESP partition.

Do I need to add a separate ESP partition for MX Linux? Or, would Windows's EFI partition suffice?
If Windows's EFI would suffice, does it need formatting or modifying in any way?
And do I need to mark the /boot (or "/"-root) partition as Active?

Here's what I'm thinking of adding:
- ...p5: MX-ESP, fat32, marked as ESP automatically
- ...p6: /boot, ext4, marked as Active
- ...p7: "/"-root, ext4, encrypted
-...p8: /home, encrypted
- ...p9: /swap, encrypted

[fehlix]

OK. After 2 weeks of waiting for the NVMe adaptor to arrive, I have managed to take out, wipe and replace my hard drive *and* install Windows. I'm now at the installing MX Linux stage. The partitions look like this currently:

- nvme0n1p1: Windows C:\ drive, NTFS, 470GB
- .......p2: Windows "hidden partition", NTFS, 500MB
- .......p3: Windows EFI partition, fat32, 100MB
- .......p4: Windows reserved partition, unknown, 16MB

p3 is marked as the ESP partition.

Do I need to add a separate ESP partition for MX Linux? Or, would Windows's EFI partition suffice?
If Windows's EFI would suffice, does it need formatting or modifying in any way?
And do I need to mark the /boot (or "/"-root) partition as Active?

Here's what I'm thinking of adding:
- ...p5: MX-ESP, fat32, marked as ESP automatically
- ...p6: /boot, ext4, marked as Active
- ...p7: "/"-root, ext4, encrypted
-...p8: /home, encrypted
- ...p9: /swap, encrypted

* "Do I need to add a separate ESP partition for MX Linux? Or, would Windows's EFI partition suffice?"
In theory probably not, but Windows will detect foreing changes within it's own ESP and is known to "repair" it's ESP, and you got surprises suddenly only Windows boots.
My personal recommendation: Leave all the Windows partitions located from the beginning of the drive untouched,
and only use empty space after any Windows partitions to create partitions used by MX Linux.
Having your own ESP-MX and make sure you don't touch write anything int the WIndows ESP, will
make the installation and boot-ability a bit more robust.

*"- ...p5: MX-ESP, fat32, marked as ESP automatically"
When preparing partitions with Gparted, mark the new ESP as "esp,boot", in theory the installer will do this but doesn't hurt to do this manually

* "- ...p6: /boot, ext4, marked as Active"
The "Active" flag shown with the installer, is nowhere used with the UEFI-boot on GPT drive,
that's rather a relict from the original where the installer would only have been used in MBR/DOS drive and BIOS needs an Active-flag to boot,
but UEFI doesn't care, it needs only ESPs to find an efi-loader.

If still unsure post Gparted picture of the partitions, do show all columns before you proceed to install.
You could also post

Code: Select all

lsblk -f

and

Code: Select all

sudo parted --list

[QF217]

While waiting for your reply I gave it a try with both p3 as Windows's EFI partition and p5 as MX-Linux's ESP partition, and although Linux booted up correctly, Windows ran into a blue screen and tried to repair itself.
There's a step in the installer where it tries to install the GRUB bootloader for Linux and Windows as ESP, and p5 was selected by default that time.

I then tried to reinstall Linux but without a p5 partition (no MX-ESP), but identified p3 as /boot/efi, and that had the same effect.
p3 was selected as the GRUB bootloader for Linux and Windows that time.

I am now reinstalling Windows so I know at least that will boot, and I will come back to this tomorrow with a clear head. :)

[fehlix]

- nvme0n1p1: Windows C:\ drive, NTFS, 470GB
- .......p2: Windows "hidden partition", NTFS, 500MB
- .......p3: Windows EFI partition, fat32, 100MB
- .......p4: Windows reserved partition, unknown, 16MB

p3 is marked as the ESP partition.

Actually, IIRC, normally windows creates and uses always the first partition p1 on the drive as it's ESP
So not sure how this p3 as ESP was done. I'd probably make sure you have a p1 as ESP located
at the beginning of the drive.

[QF217]

That's the arrangement Windows automatically creates when installing itself if I make one big NTFS partition beforehand. I am reinstalling (again!) after wiping existing partitions and then using the partitions window in the Windows installation wizard -- creating one big partition (e.g. half of the hard drive) that way prompts Windows to add additional partitions automatically, at which point it puts 100MB EFI at the beginning, 16MB second, the 400GB C drive third, and a "hidden" 500MB NTFS partition last.
I haven't yet embarked on reinstalling Linux, but when I do I will try to add an MX-ESP partition like you suggested before and see what happens.

[QF217]

Right. Before I install Linux, here is what my partitions look like in GParted:



And here is what they look like in MX installer:



Does that all look OK?