Window 8 in efi mode and Ubuntu in legacy bios mode

[Jim Byrnes]

On 10/22/2013 12:26 PM, Liam Proven wrote:
> On 22 October 2013 17:53, Jim Byrnes <jf_byrnes at comcast.net> wrote:
>> I do not have installation media, I used Win8 to make the recovery dvd's,
>> win 8 came on this laptop.
>
> Right, that's what I thought you meant.
>
> It's a real pain that manufacturers all want to save a couple of bucks
> by not giving us install disks any more. >:(
>
>> I didn't want to create confusion, I guess I was
>> just focused on the end result.
>
> No no, it's fine, not a problem, I just wanted to make sure we were
> all on the same page.
>
>>   If I screw up and make the laptop
>> unboootable, the recovery dvd's should allow me to restore it to it's
>> condition when I bought it. So I can start all over again, is that not true?
>
> Yes, that's true.
>
> My concern is that in your case, you might need to make the disk MBR
> for Linux to dual-boot correctly, and if you do that, I think you will
> erase all the partitions on it.
>
> Then if you restore W8 from your DVDRs, then it will just restore it
> back to GPT again and it will all have been for nothing!

I'm sure your are correct about that, so that eliminates that option.

>> I think I mentioned this before but it probably got lost in the details. I disabled uefi and added
>> nomodeset to grub. The only changes I have made to the HD was using Win8 to shrink the
>> partition Win 8 occupies to create space for Ubuntu. Yes Win8 still boots.
>
> OK. Again, I thought this but I just wanted to check.
>
> And as I understand it, now, if you install Ubuntu, it just leaves you
> with a black screen at boot-up?

I haven't actually tried to install Ubuntu yet.  I have been holding off 
and gathering info, hoping to improve my chances of success. However if 
I do not disable efi and add nomodeset the live dvd ends at a black screen.

> On my Toshiba (*not* UEFI), if I use `nomodeset` then the screen
> resolution comes up wrong and I can't change it back. Is that
> happening on yours as well?
>

See above.  I do remember seeing some screen corruption at one point but 
it cleared up and I had a normal looking live dvd desktop.  Probably not 
the same situation but I just opened the display settings and it shows 
1368 x 768(16:) with no other options in the Resolution dropdown.

Regards,  Jim