Linux on external harddisk suitable for HP UEFI and ACER BIOS laptop

captain rob · 02-06-2020, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BW-userx

does your HP have boot uefi w/csm option in your BIOS? That is for both efi and BIOS ( Legacy/MBR ) booting, it should not hurt your efi windows boot. this way it will not matter if you're booting efi or mbr they both will be supported.

you can install your linux full disto on a external hdd, or 2.5 / 3.5 internal hdd using data cable, usb to sata using your ACER, and HP using uefi w/csm will boot it mbr style.

on your HP,
You could change your boot list to check your USB port first then your boot drive or efi manager second.

My HP UEFI laptop works well with the external disk with Linux mint installed. So no need to change something there`
Only the Acer laptop gives problems. Doesnt boot only a blinking cursor in left upper corner. In the bios of the Acer I see the external disk (Samsung 1 TB) but it is not said UEFI.

Look at the pics of the Acer bios: https://postimg.cc/gallery/33y9xyd30/

I ask myself why there is this problem with the external disk. The live usb live stick boots on both laptops.

colorpurple21859 · 02-07-2020, 05:27 AM

plug the samsung external drive into the acer and boot the acer internel drive.
make sure it is still /dev/sdb if not change accordingly

Code:

sudo mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sdb

This should fix your problem.

yancek · 02-07-2020, 06:28 AM

You have the external Samsung set to boot UEFI so I would suggest that on the Acer you disable Laucnh CSM and see what happens on reboot. Your earlier posts show that you have an EFI partition with the proper files on the Mint external drive. Did you set a supervisor password in the BIOS on the Acer?

BW-userx · 02-07-2020, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captain rob

My HP UEFI laptop works well with the external disk with Linux mint installed. So no need to change something there`
Only the Acer laptop gives problems. Doesnt boot only a blinking cursor in left upper corner. In the bios of the Acer I see the external disk (Samsung 1 TB) but it is not said UEFI.

Look at the pics of the Acer bios: https://postimg.cc/gallery/33y9xyd30/

I ask myself why there is this problem with the external disk. The live usb live stick boots on both laptops.

OH I had it backwards..
I've gotten that blinking cursor in the upper left hand sometimes, and have no idea why it is hanging up. I just reinstall and it fixes it.

this requires more thought.