12-06-2014, 07:27 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-06-2014, 07:38 PM by gold_finger.)
Okay -- looks good! You're using Mint in Legacy mode and the disk is partitioned using MBR format. You'll be able to install Linux Lite as a dual-boot, but need to get around either a UEFI settings problem or a graphics problem or a combo of the two.
I'm not an expert on graphics problems, but noticed that your specs show computer has both integrated Intel card and an NVidia card. That might be part of problem with trying to boot the USB stick because proprietary drivers are necessary to handle that. Try looking through the UEFI settings menu for a way to disable the NVidia card during bootup so machine is only using the Intel graphics. Boot computer with USB stick after doing that and see what happens.
If successful, open a terminal and run this command:
If you see "efi" listed in the output, then you are booted in the wrong mode. (Since LL doesn't currently support that, I doubt you'll see it -- but who knows?) You'll need to reboot and press whatever key is necessary to get into the UEFI boot menu so you can select the "Legacy/CSM" mode to boot the USB stick. Choose that, boot into USB again, run command again to double-check. If don't see "efi" listed in output, you are booted correctly and can do the installation.
If you still can't boot after disabling the NVidia card in UEFI settings, then you need to try setting the boot mode for booting the USB stick to "Legacy/CSM". It's probably being booted automatically in UEFI mode and LL doesn't support that, so it won't work. Get into UEFI Boot Menu and look for option to boot USB in a non-EFI mode. (Unfortunately, all manufacturers have their own way of doing this, so can't give a standard answer on how it works on your system. You may need to look up user manual on a search engine.)
NOTE: The Boot Menu I'm talking about is not the same thing as the boot settings area in the general Setting Menu. Boot setting under main settings menu controls boot mode of computer from hard drive on all boots. Separate Boot Menu I'm talking about is for booting various medium only for that current boot session -- it does not change the persistent main settings. (Some of the more common keys used during startup to access the boot menu are <Esc> and <F12>. You could try each of those if you want, but just be aware that yours might be different.)
You can install by selecting the "Along side" option from installer. On following step of installer you can tell it how much room to dedicate to LL and it will shrink the Mint root partition accordingly, then install LL. If you wanted to, you could shrink the partition yourself with GParted from the LL USB before running the installer. Then after you choose "Along side" option, it will see the free space you made and use it automatically.
After installation, follow directions in Help Manual here for installing the correct graphics driver. More info about it is on this page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bumblebee. You'll also need to go back into your UEFI settings and re-enable the NVidia card. I'm not 100% sure whether you need to do that before or after you install the drivers; but I'm guessing after. Someone else may know that and chime in here.
P.s. If you absolutely can not find correct info on how to access your systems UEFI Boot Menu, report back with the exact model computer you have and also let us know what key you need to press to get into the regular UEFI Settings Menu (might be incorrectly referred to still as BIOS settings). Maybe one of us will have better luck finding the info.
I'm not an expert on graphics problems, but noticed that your specs show computer has both integrated Intel card and an NVidia card. That might be part of problem with trying to boot the USB stick because proprietary drivers are necessary to handle that. Try looking through the UEFI settings menu for a way to disable the NVidia card during bootup so machine is only using the Intel graphics. Boot computer with USB stick after doing that and see what happens.
If successful, open a terminal and run this command:
Code:
ls /sys/firmwareIf you see "efi" listed in the output, then you are booted in the wrong mode. (Since LL doesn't currently support that, I doubt you'll see it -- but who knows?) You'll need to reboot and press whatever key is necessary to get into the UEFI boot menu so you can select the "Legacy/CSM" mode to boot the USB stick. Choose that, boot into USB again, run command again to double-check. If don't see "efi" listed in output, you are booted correctly and can do the installation.
If you still can't boot after disabling the NVidia card in UEFI settings, then you need to try setting the boot mode for booting the USB stick to "Legacy/CSM". It's probably being booted automatically in UEFI mode and LL doesn't support that, so it won't work. Get into UEFI Boot Menu and look for option to boot USB in a non-EFI mode. (Unfortunately, all manufacturers have their own way of doing this, so can't give a standard answer on how it works on your system. You may need to look up user manual on a search engine.)
NOTE: The Boot Menu I'm talking about is not the same thing as the boot settings area in the general Setting Menu. Boot setting under main settings menu controls boot mode of computer from hard drive on all boots. Separate Boot Menu I'm talking about is for booting various medium only for that current boot session -- it does not change the persistent main settings. (Some of the more common keys used during startup to access the boot menu are <Esc> and <F12>. You could try each of those if you want, but just be aware that yours might be different.)
You can install by selecting the "Along side" option from installer. On following step of installer you can tell it how much room to dedicate to LL and it will shrink the Mint root partition accordingly, then install LL. If you wanted to, you could shrink the partition yourself with GParted from the LL USB before running the installer. Then after you choose "Along side" option, it will see the free space you made and use it automatically.
After installation, follow directions in Help Manual here for installing the correct graphics driver. More info about it is on this page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bumblebee. You'll also need to go back into your UEFI settings and re-enable the NVidia card. I'm not 100% sure whether you need to do that before or after you install the drivers; but I'm guessing after. Someone else may know that and chime in here.
P.s. If you absolutely can not find correct info on how to access your systems UEFI Boot Menu, report back with the exact model computer you have and also let us know what key you need to press to get into the regular UEFI Settings Menu (might be incorrectly referred to still as BIOS settings). Maybe one of us will have better luck finding the info.
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