OS uninstallable

[Bret Busby]

On 1/4/23 02:30, Liam Proven wrote:
> 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 the outdated firmware.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.
> 
1. I have just updated the BIOS to 1.59, following the instructions for 
updating it from BIOS, in the web page of HP, for the laptop, that Ralph 
had posted. I had to find an accessible Ethernet cable, as the BIOS 
updating process network access requires Ethernet access, and does not 
recognise wifi. At 0330, finding obscure things that have not been used 
for some years, is not so easy.

2. Regarding the installing of Ubuntu 22.10, on the Ventoy drive,is 
22.10, with created and modified date 26 October 2022, from when I put 
it on the drive, last year. Will that be adequate, or, do I need to 
download a later iso for it (if one is available)?

3. The information that I posted about the System Information, was to 
ensure that all required information was included. I did not mean to do 
anything wrong, in posting what I did; I did what I did, to try to 
achieve completeness.

..
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
(UTC+0800)
..............