Unable to install grub in /dev/sda

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Tue, 19 Oct 2021 20:17:50 +1000, Phil Fraser wrote:
>My first SSD was a Samsung. Everything was good except that I could't
>reboot Linux even though Windows 7 would reboot. I now have a Crucial
>MX500 2.5 SSD which was good until I tried to overwrite version 20.10
>with a later version. Both SSDs are 1TB. Can anyone recommend a SSD
>that's known to be suitable to use with my Thinkpad T420? I have a
>no-brand 110GB SSD that I might try tomorrow. It's too small to be
>useful.

Hi,

I can not recommend a SDD explicitly suitable for your Thinkpad.
However, obviously the Samsung and the Crucial are suitable, nothing
you wrote indicates an incompatibility or breakage of a SSD. Even if
those SSD got broken, then the culprit much likely is a controller of
the computer, but less likely two SSD. Note, SSD are way more durable
than HDD. Claims to avoid access when ever possible, to enlarge the
lifespan are idiotic.

An issue with SSD is the smartctl database. OCZ, TOSHIBA and KIOXIA are
actually one brand and AFAIK the only brand providing a Linux tool to
check health, temperature, SMART data and to update the firmware,
without the need to interrupt your Linux session.

For the older OCZ and TOSHIBA there's a Linux tool available for
download, that can be installed to a Linux install.

For OCZ, TOSHIBA and the current KIOXIA the Linux tool is only available
for download by a live Linux ISO, but it can be copied from the live
Linux to a Linux install.

I'm using OCZ, TOSHIBA and KIOXIA only and never run into an issue.

I recommend to use periodic TRIM, if the drive and the kernel
version/files system do support it. This can be done with all new Linux
kernels and most likely all new SSD, too.

Regards,
Ralf