Linux won't activate

CrazyLee · 04-16-2015, 02:53 PM

OK, I fixed the issue with the download. I installed Linux Mint Cinnamon "Rebecca" 17.1 on the computer. It said it was installed successfully, but when I rebooted all I got was a black screen with the cursor stuck in the upper left corner of the screen. I let it sit for a long time (maybe 45 minutes), did a control alt delete but nothing happened. I had to shut down the computer manually.

yodamin · 04-16-2015, 03:01 PM

Did you use GPT or MFT?

In BIOS of your PC did you disabled UEFI (GPT) and enable legacy boot table (MFT whichever you prefer)?

I felt those symptoms twice in my linux life: once recently with installing onto a GPT partition and once years ago when I did not have a compatible video card.

Maybe that will give you somewhere to start looking?

Cheers

CrazyLee · 04-16-2015, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yodamin

Did you use GPT or MFT?

In BIOS of your PC did you disabled UEFI (GPT) and enable legacy boot table (MFT whichever you prefer)?

I felt those symptoms twice in my linux life: once recently with installing onto a GPT partition and once years ago when I did not have a compatible video card.

Maybe that will give you somewhere to start looking?

Cheers

Thanks. I'll check it out.

yodamin · 04-16-2015, 04:02 PM

Just one more thing, if you are using UEFI (GPT) and you need to change that to "use legacy BIOS" or MFT/MBT then you also will need to reinstall linux--the boot loader is not installed properly on the GPT partition..I don't think you can recover from that in anyway except for a re-install...others on this forum might KNOW different, I am not sure...

Good Luck.

joe_2000 · 04-17-2015, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yodamin

I don't think you can recover from that in anyway except for a re-install...

You should be able to reinstall grub from within a live system. Just boot from the installation medium and chroot into the installed system to reinstall grub. Plenty of good howtos out there. E.g. this one looks reasonably detailed at first sight.

yodamin · 04-18-2015, 10:53 AM

So you shut down the PC, started it up without doing anything and the Linux install was good?

ROFLMAO....I wish that would've worked for me:-)

Cheers

yodamin · 04-18-2015, 10:55 AM

Wait...was there a GPT of MFT partition? Please check for me....if it installed OK on a GPT then I need to do some more research. I didn't think any linux distro had this working oob yet.

Thanks

joe_2000 · 04-18-2015, 01:51 PM

@yodamin: I understand neither of your two last posts: Were these questions addressed at me?

ondoho · 04-19-2015, 04:59 AM

@joe_2000: nah, don't worry about it.
try all the things until post #4, then we'll see.
and remember to keep us informed. as precisely as possible.