GRUB fails to install

[Karthikeyan]

I was installing the latest Peppermint OS 6 side by side of Windows 8. At the end when the GRUB was about to be installed, a failure message was saying "grub-efi-amd64-signed failed to install into /target/". Without GRUB I couldn't boot into POS6.

I enabled secure boot and entered peppermint and ended up in this screen!




Ask for any missing details, I will provide. Please help to resolve this issue.

PS:My problem is very similar to http://forum.peppermintos.com/index.php/topic,1904.0.html, but the user didnt mention GRUB installation failure nor could I understand the solution provided. Please help.

[PCNetSpec]

Can you boot to the LiveCD/LiveUSB, open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T)  and post the output from running this command:

Code: [Select]

sudo fdisk -l

[Karthikeyan]

Code: [Select]

peppermint@peppermint ~ $ sudo fdisk -l

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xccdc05c2

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1   976773167   488386583+  ee  GPT
Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

Disk /dev/sdb: 16.0 GB, 16008609792 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1946 cylinders, total 31266816 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *        2048    31266815    15632384    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
peppermint@peppermint ~ $ 

[PCNetSpec]

Is there anything on the 500GB HDD that you need to keep .. or can it be completely formatted ?

[Karthikeyan]

Oh I forgot the most important...I am installing along side Windows 8.

[PCNetSpec]

I take it Windows is preinstalled and you don't have the installation media ?

[Karthikeyan]

Installation media of what? I dont know what an installation media is in the first place...

[PCNetSpec]

media = disk or whatever media the installation came on

usually a DVD, but could be a USB stick

So do you have the installation media for reinstalling Win 8 ?

[Karthikeyan]

No not a media for reinstalling Windows 8. Does a recovery drive count as a installation media? Because I have one. And are you hinting at erasing Windows and reinstalling it?! 

[PCNetSpec]

Formatting the drive away from a GPT partition table and reinstalling Windows 8 in legacy BIOS mode would certainly have been the easiest option if it were possible.

let's have a look at your GPT disks structure

can you boot to the LiveCD/LiveUSB .. connect to the internet, and install gdisk:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install gdisk

then post back here the output from:

Code: [Select]

sudo gdisk -l /dev/sda

and

Code: [Select]

uname -a

[Karthikeyan]

Code: [Select]

peppermint@peppermint ~ $ sudo gdisk -l /dev/sda
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.8.8

Partition table scan:
  MBR: protective
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: present

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev/sda: 976773168 sectors, 465.8 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): 821999CF-D919-48BE-882E-CBC745DD0107
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 976773134
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 3106 sectors (1.5 MiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1            2048          821247   400.0 MiB   2700  Basic data partition
   2          821248         1435647   300.0 MiB   EF00  EFI system partition
   3         1435648         1697791   128.0 MiB   0C01  Microsoft reserved part
   4         1697792       579235029   275.4 GiB   0700  Basic data partition
   5       740642816       937623284   93.9 GiB    0700  Basic data partition
   6       945442816       946364415   450.0 MiB   2700  
   7       946364416       976773119   14.5 GiB    2700  Basic data partition
   8       937623552       945442815   3.7 GiB     8200  
   9       579235840       740642815   77.0 GiB    0700

 

Code: [Select]

peppermint@peppermint ~ $ uname -a
Linux peppermint 3.16.0-37-generic #51~14.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Wed May 6 15:23:14 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[AndyInMokum]

Hi Karthikeyan, how's it going?  For future reference could you please encapsulate terminal outputs with the # code function.  It preserves the original format.  This function is located above the Embarrassed emoticon in the forum editor.  I've done this for you this time  - many thanks  !

[PCNetSpec]

I don't think there's any SAFE way to do this (but I'm still reading).

If the machine won't install Peppermint 6 64bit in EUFI mode, then to install GRUB on a drive with a GPT partition table requires an EF02 bios_boot partition to be present on the drive.

I'm unsure how to achieve this without destroying Windows or Windows EFI booting .. or if the bios_boot partition can go anywhere as long as it's flagged correctly.

I'm trying to figure it out.


Did you try installing the 64bit version in UEFI mode ?
(ie. NOT in legacy BIOS mode, but with secureboot disabled)

Are you able to boot a Peppermint 6 64bit LiveCD/LiveUSB in UEFI mode (with secure boot disable) ?

If so, have you tried running boot-repair:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
whilst in UEFI mode (with secure boot disabled) ?

[Karthikeyan]

Yes installed the 64 bit Perppermint OS 6 in UEFI mode.
Yes can boot a LiveUSB without secure boot.

Currently running codes from the Boot Repair link you gave. Will update some time

[PCNetSpec]

Please do let us know if Boot-Repair helps.