OS uninstallable

[Liam Proven]

On Fri, 31 Mar 2023 at 13:21, Bret Busby <bret at busby.net> wrote:
> How?
>
> I do not mean to be difficult - I do not know how to do it.
>
> I assume that it is done from within the OS (Linux Mint 21.1)?

No. Well, you might be able to, but as I said in my email, I suggest
that you fix Windows, then do it from Windows. That is the easier way,
generally. That is what HP expects you to do and will describe.

I do not have any HP laptop so I can't try it for you.

I said in the email: download the latest Windows 10 ISO.

It's a free download. Go to:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/software-download/windows10ISO

You said you had Ventoy.

Download that ISO, and copy it onto your Ventoy key.

Also, while you are at it, download Ubuntu MATE 22.10.

https://ubuntu-mate.org/download/amd64/kinetic/

It's 3GB so it will take a while.

Then you can boot it and use it to fix the Windows boot sector.

That will stop Linux from booting but you have problems with that
anyway. I am suggesting updating your BIOS as a way to help with the
Linux boot problems.

You said that you kept Windows 10 on your drive. So, fix it, use it to
update the BIOS.

I just went to the Download page and downloaded the update. I said I
had Windows 10 64-bit. I got a file called `sp144301.exe`

I am not on Windows right now, so I can't check it. It's 12.7MB in
size, which is quite small. I bet it is a Windows program that will
install and run on Windows 10 and update the UEFI firmware from within
Windows.

Then you turn it off, and back on again.

After that, I reckon you might well find that your Linux installs work
much better.

After you have updated the BIOS, then install Ubuntu MATE onto you
computer, into a different partition from Mint.

That will reinstall GRUB, and it will also detect and add Windows 10
and Mint 21 to the MATE GRUB menu.

That should, if all goes well, leave you with a working Ubuntu MATE,
*and* Windows 10, *and* Mint 21.

I suspect but do not know that updated UEFI will get you all of them
installing and working, side by side, much better than currently with
the outdated firmware.

22 versions different is quite a lot and that could well explain
problems booting Linux and problems with GRUB.

I have personally experienced problems with Linux booting and Linux
installing GRUB on fairly recent UEFI computers because of outdated
firmware, and installing an updated version got it working. That is
why I suggested it.

A second benefit of installing a newer Ubuntu MATE in a different
partition is that then we don't have to worry about an outdated
version of GRUB from Mint, and Oli Grawert will stop complaining about
Mint. ;-)

(Sorry Ogra. You *are* right, and I am trying to propose a solution
that will keep both you and Bret happy at once.)

Bret, the only snag with this approach is that it will leave Ubuntu
MATE in "control" of GRUB on your computer. If I am right, and if it
works, then you have two choices:

[1] Leave Ubuntu MATE in control. If it works and you can pick Mint
from Ubuntu MATE's GRUB menu, Mint should boot. In Mint, you can then
type:

sudo grub-install /dev/sd<BLAH>

... where BLAH is the Mint root partition. So if Mint is on /dev/sda5
(as an example) this tells Mint to manage its own copy of GRUB in its
own root partition. That means that from then on, Mint updates will
install fine and Mint won't squabble over control of GRUB in the hard
disk.

Snag: every time you update Mint, afterwards, you need to boot Ubuntu
MATE, update it, and that will also update your GRUB menu.

To forcibly update Ubuntu MATE and update its GRUB menu, type these commands:

sudo -s
killall -9 packagekitd && apt update && apt full-upgrade -y && apt
clean && update-grub

The advantage of doing it this way, in 2 commands, is that each time
you do it, you just type the "sudo" command, and then you can press
up-arrow once and it will return the old update command and you just
need to press Return.

[2] If it works and Mint now works fine, then just... keep using Mint,
and ignore Ubuntu MATE.


There *are* ways to update system firmware from Ubuntu, e.g.

https://itsfoss.com/update-firmware-ubuntu/

However, Mint does not include these tools:

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=346494

So, sadly, I would not recommend it.

> I am assuming that, because the System information output, that the BIOS
> has been superseded, or, replaced, by the UEFI, even though, they have
> the same identifier (N81) ?
>
> My understanding of this, is minimal (to lacking).

UEFI is a modern replacement for the traditional BIOS. However, just
to confuse matters, manufacturers often refer to UEFI firmware as
BIOS, and the HP download page for your laptop calls it a BIOS. That
is strictly speaking wrong but it's easier so I went with HP's terms.

-- 
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