Hi,
I have only Peppermint OS installed on my desktop pc. It works well. However, I decided I'd like another Linux installed on the hard drive. So, I've tried another couple of distros and neither will boot.

Okay, so went into the boot sequence and couldn't find anything wrong. Here it is: cd/dvd; usb device: Kingston digital disc (with P'mint on it): and onboard nic (whatever that is).

I also have these settings showing at the moment: UEFI boot mode off: legacy option roms enabled: and secure boot not enabled. I have played about with almost all the stuff I've listed above and nothing has worked.

I have a Dell optiplex 7010 pc and the F12 key on boot up will reveal the boot sequence options. I have the two OS's I mentioned on DVD so the boot sequence out to work. I'd be delighted if someone could help with this puzzle.

when installing more than one Linux or any OS, along with Linux. gurb is used to boot them.
are you using grub? as you said it is not UEFI,

you need to install each linux on a different partition, update the grub of the last distro installed so it picks up all of the OS's connected to the board. then it is grub menu that gives you the selection on which distro to boot. not the BIOS, that is to boot the hdd that is set as the boot hdd that holds the grub files then the grub takes it from there. As explained above.

if you are installing to replace the last distro, make sure you are formatting the partitions before installing the OS. Otherwise corruption shall occur.

if you are booting from your dvd then it should show some type of listings to boot it so you can use that, maybe secondary or some such thing. I do not use dvd/cd to boot. So I have no idea what BIOS calls it. --> cd/dvd; usb device would be a perfect choice.

if you still have Peppermint installed, I'd suggest save your dvd's and use a usb stick that is reusable. using the dd method.

onboard nic - boot via network connection

BW-userx,

I have to confess that I don't understand what I have to do. I thought that, if a new Linux booted up okay, it would show me the one and only partition on the digital drive. I then would be able to choose to compress that to make room for another OS.

I have Peppermint on a usb stick, which is how I got it in the first place. It still boots up okay and I don't understand why it does, when the DVD OS's don't. The DVD is the first on the boot selection.

I don't know where to find Grub in the pc setup, or in Peppermint OS.

Sorry if I'b being thick, here.

you I see you're booting via usb and not hdd. Ok, the burn maybe bad on the dvd's. if you select it using your BIOS boot list and it still does not boot, that is a good indication it is either dirty, or scratches, or just a bad write to your DVD.

if you got a another usb stick laying around not being used for anything, then try burning one of your distros to that, then boot off of that to see what's what.

Ah, now I'm starting to wonder if the dvd drive in my computer is faulty. I didn't download the OS's to dvd's. I sent off for four new ones which came in this morning. I don't think that the four dvds would be scratched or dirty.

I'm going to investigate this, assuming that I can get my Dell pc apart. I'll let you know how I get on, probably tomorrow.

Thanks for posting.

Perhaps the DVDs aren't actually bootable? Just a thought.

yeah, they should be good, and I'd think at lest one dvd if it came in a set, regardless one dvd needs to be bootable, how else is one going to use it then?

you might try cleaning the lazer head if you can, and pull the cable then reconnect it. data and power cables. be careful when doing that though. just cuz...

It would be useful if you first of all, indicated which Linux OS and which version of it you are using in addition to a name/link to the site/location from which you purchased them. There are well over 500 different Linux distributions to select from although only a few of them are in general use, there are major differences in them. If you bought the DVD's from a legitemate site and they are sold as bootable Linux DVD's, I would expect them to work and a bad DVD drive is a very likely possibility. Does the DVD drive work if you use it to play music, with Pictures, Movies or other data?

Y

did you try selecting the DVD drive vs just letting boot from the DVD first

Right, the four new OS's are Open Suse,leap 15: Elementary 5.0: ubuntu 16.04.4: and Linux Mint 19.1. I got them from a UK Ebay seller called Tyron Leworthy.

MY 'home' OS is Peppermint 9 - the only OS in the pc.

I don't know how to select the DVD Drive, before I insert the disc, Other than checking that the boot sequence is right.

I will download a music player tomorrow as I don't seem to have one aboard. I have tried just popping the disc in but that doesn't work.

Gee, this could be getting complicated.....

With peppermint running pop one of the DVDs in the drive - from a terminal run this and post the output here. This just checks the kernel messages to see if it's recognised. I'm guessing you should get an icon created on the desktop too.

170.958137] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eno1 OUT= MAC=18:03:73:3e:c4:5d:8c:59:73:1d:8d:9f:08:00 SRC=54.191.241.246 DST=192.168.1.2 LEN=83 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=227 ID=10941 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=443 DPT=45416 WINDOW=185 RES=0x00 ACK PSH URGP=0
[ 195.310739] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eno1 OUT= MAC=18:03:73:3e:c4:5d:8c:59:73:1d:8d:9f:08:00 SRC=54.191.241.246 DST=192.168.1.2 LEN=83 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=227 ID=16915 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=443 DPT=45420 WINDOW=151 RES=0x00 ACK PSH FIN URGP=0
[ 200.804167] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eno1 OUT= MAC=18:03:73:3e:c4:5d:8c:59:73:1d:8d:9f:08:00 SRC=94.31.29.250 DST=192.168.1.2 LEN=40 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=56 ID=59658 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=443 DPT=54330 WINDOW=0 RES=0x00 RST URGP=0
[ 200.804197] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eno1 OUT= MAC=18:03:73:3e:c4:5d:8c:59:73:1d:8d:9f:08:00 SRC=94.31.29.250 DST=192.168.1.2 LEN=40 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=56 ID=59659 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=443 DPT=54330 WINDOW=0 RES=0x00 RST URGP=0
[ 200.804943] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eno1 OUT= MAC=18:03:73:3e:c4:5d:8c:59:73:1d:8d:9f:08:00 SRC=94.31.29.250 DST=192.168.1.2 LEN=40 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=56 ID=59660 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=443 DPT=54330 WINDOW=0 RES=0x00 RST URGP=0
[ 221.042010] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eno1 OUT= MAC=18:03:73:3e:c4:5d:8c:59:73:1d:8d:9f:08:00 SRC=54.191.241.246 DST=192.168.1.2 LEN=83 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=227 ID=10946 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=443 DPT=45416 WINDOW=185 RES=0x00 ACK PSH FIN URGP=0
[ 223.022022] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eno1 OUT= MAC=18:03:73:3e:c4:5d:8c:59:73:1d:8d:9f:08:00 SRC=54.191.241.246 DST=192.168.1.2 LEN=83 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=227 ID=16916 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=443 DPT=45420 WINDOW=151 RES=0x00 ACK PSH FIN URGP=0
[ 261.714581] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eno1 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:8c:59:73:1d:8d:9f:08:00 SRC=192.168.1.1 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=36 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=0 DF PROTO=2
[ 386.688428] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eno1 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:8c:59:73:1d:8d:9f:08:00 SRC=192.168.1.1 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=36 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=0 DF PROTO=2
tony@tony-OptiPlex-7010 ~ $

What all that means I don't know. However there is progress! I woke up at 2am with an idea. My wife has an oldish Fuji laptop which she doesn't use. I dug it out, wired it up, and bingo, Ubuntu booted up, I installed it and it works very well.

I then tried a video and an audio disc in my pc and neither of them worked. So the fault must lie in my DVD drive. I'll investigate that this evening it's now 3.20am here and I must try for some sleep. I have a busy day later, too.

Thanks to those who posted. I'll let you know how I get on.

SOLVED

Thank you fellas. It took me a little while to realise I had to take the front part of the pc casing off to be able to remove the DVD drive. But once that was out of the way I found that the DVD drive itself was pretty well unremoveable from its own housing and I could not get at the laser lens to clean it.

But then I remembered that I had an older computer in the garage and the Drive and housing from that has rescued the day. I can now see how I go at installing a second Linux OS alongside P'mint. I'm looking forward to that.

I'm delighted with the way that the Posters on this forum are so ready to help. It really is refreshing.

Best wishes, clearfell

1 members found this post helpful.