0

I have some problems setting up a dual boot between Win10 and Ubuntu20.04. To be specific, it seems the bootloader grub doesn't find my second hard drive. Note: I've added some pictures at the bottom.

My setup:

  • Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) with internal SSD (256GB)
  • SanDisk - High Endurance MicroSD-Card (128GB)

My Plan: Set up a dual boot with Win10 on the internal SSD and Ubuntu on the added MicroSD-Card.

What I did: Note: I've tried to install Ubuntu serveral times now and always ended up with the same grub-problem.

  • I used "rufus" to create a bootable USB-Stick. I made sure that UEFI is enabled. (pic. 1)
  • I disabled "fast-boot" in Win10 and "Secure-boot" in UEFI
  • I booted with the USB-Stick, went into live-mode and installed Ubuntu. On my...
    • ...fist try I chose "Install Ubuntu alongside Win10".
    • ...second try I chose "something different" and partitioned the drive myself (like in the answer on this question).
    • ...third try (current state) I chose "erase disk". Every time the installation went well, but not once I could boot normally.

My Problem: When I restart after installation I always end up in the "grub bash like" terminal (pic. 2). I read in a tutorial that I have to tell grub where my "root" is, but when i type "ls", the second Hard drive (MicroSD-Card) doesn't even show up. When I type "exit", Win10 boots normally. When I reboot, enter UEFI and tell it to boot into Ubuntu directly, it works (pic. 3&4). But on every "normal" boot, it sends me to the grub terminal.

What I've tried:

  • I've tried different installation methods (no difference)
  • I've tried using the Boot-Repair tool. No effect.

I've had the same problem a year ago with my main Desktop-PC (I also used a separate SSD for Linux) and had the exact same Problem. Last time I surrendered. This time I want to find a solution.

Pictures:

  1. Rufus - Bootable USB-Stick
  2. Grub2 - Bash like terminal
  3. UEFI - Boot-configuration
  4. Grub2 - Boot-menue

Edit 1: I tried boot-repair again, this time in advanced mode. These were the settings (those were default)

The returned Summaries:

Here is a Picture of the partitions in GParted

New Problem: Now I can't even boot manually into Ubuntu via UEFI anymore. The entry is still there but if i chose "boot with ubuntu" the screen goes dark for 2 sec. and I end up in UEFI again.

Note: I had to delete some pictures because i can only incluse 8 Links.

Davider
  • 1
  • Is Windows fast startup off? Have you updated both UEFI & SSD firmware? Do you have an ESP on flash drive? Or is Ubuntu boot loader in ESP on SSD? Post link to Summary Report from Boot-Repair. https://askubuntu.com/questions/1296065/dual-booting-w10-ubuntu-with-2-separate-ssds-in-uefi-mode & https://askubuntu.com/questions/16988/how-do-i-install-ubuntu-to-a-usb-key-without-using-startup-disk-creator UEFI/gpt partitioning in Advance, new versions use swap file so swap partition optional: http://askubuntu.com/questions/743095/how-to-prepare-a-disk-on-an-efi-based-pc-for-ubuntu – oldfred Apr 03 '22 at 14:31
  • Hi Oldfred, yes fast startup is off. Grub should be on the ESP of the MicroSD card. I looked at your post of your first link and tried boot-repair in advaced mode. I'll edit my post with the pictures of the settings and a link. But now i cant even boot manually via UEFI into linux anymore. – Davider Apr 03 '22 at 15:54
  • I'm sorry, I don't know how or where to upload the summary report from boot repair. What do you usually use on askUbuntu? – Davider Apr 03 '22 at 16:10
  • In Boot-Repair you just click to run Create Bootinfo Summary report & it will offer to upload to pastebin site. https://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair/home/Home/ – oldfred Apr 03 '22 at 17:43
  • Alright, I added the Links below the settings for Boot-repair. – Davider Apr 04 '22 at 08:00
  • Have you tried turning UEFI Secure Boot off? – oldfred Apr 04 '22 at 13:18
  • Yes i have. Currently I'm trying to follow this guide: https://blog.hackdesk.com/running-ubuntu-on-micro-sd-card-on-surface-pro-4-dfe9e38e17e1 – Davider Apr 04 '22 at 18:10
  • Ubuntu's Ubiquity installer only installs grub to first drive's ESP. To have grub on SD card, you have to do a work around or use Boot-Repair to reinstall grub. Old, still valid: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1396379 Remove esp flag from Windows before install to second or external drive - Tim Richardson https://askubuntu.com/questions/16988/how-do-i-install-ubuntu-to-a-usb-key-without-using-startup-disk-creator & https://askubuntu.com/questions/16988/how-do-i-install-ubuntu-to-a-usb-key-without-using-startup-disk-creator/1056079#1056079 – oldfred Apr 04 '22 at 19:04
  • You're probably right but boot-repair didn't work for me. Last time it crashed grub and I couldn't boot manually into Ubuntu anymore. In the solution I posted, I copied the efi partition of the first drive into the efi partition of the SD-card. Looks like it does the job. – Davider Apr 04 '22 at 19:29
  • You probably should update fstab entry with UUID of ESP on SD card, not UUID of internal drive. – oldfred Apr 04 '22 at 19:55

3 Answers3

2

you probably cannot select the sd card as a boot medium (like usb,cd or lan) in your bios. if not available for boot i don't think you can use it for an os.

you might stick the sd card in a usb card reader and see if a default dual boot install or boot-repair will work.

user74341
  • 47
  • I thought so too but:
    • ... I had the same problem a year ago with a normal SSD
    • ... I can boot direclty into Linux but just if I juse the detour through UEFI

    (Picture 3: select Ubuntu, hit enter -> boots normaly)

     – Davider Apr 03 '22 at 13:27
  • at that point the sd card reader might have become active. – user74341 Apr 03 '22 at 13:31
  • From a quick Google web search. It is a jungle. If you are lucky, you can boot from an SD card with your current devices. You create an SD boot drive like you install a USB boot drive, for example with mkusb in linux and with Rufus or Win32 Disk Imager in Windows Also read this site. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootFromSD – David Apr 03 '22 at 13:36
  • I figured it out. The Surface Pro 2017 (5) can definitely boot from MicroSD-Card. But it is important that "USB" is the first entry in the boot-order (see my answer that I posted). – Davider Apr 05 '22 at 17:31
  • Regardless of whether this answer helped the user in the end, I think this is a good first answer with a helpful workaround suggestion and may help other people in the future. – Ludwig Schulze Apr 09 '22 at 18:27
0

It depends on the type of Microsoft Surface Pro you have. Model 3 can boot from SD, model 4 doesn't. Please take a look at he Microsoft Community. e.g. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surface-pro-4-boot-from-sd-card/b0eeb516-50b3-4460-8492-6ebb4edd9648. It seems to be able to boot from USB. Maybe a USB-SD cardreader is an option. I'm not sure though. Boot from USB: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/boot-surface-from-a-usb-device-fe7a7323-8d1d-823d-be17-9aec89c4f9f5.

Joepie Es
  • 1,460
0

First of all, thank you for your suggestions! I found a solution:

I followed (mostly) this guide. I changed:

  • Step 21: I've chosen "erase disk and install ubuntu"
  • Step 22&23: Choose the SD-Card
  • before Step 28: check the names of your drives with "sudo fdisk -l" (see Zhihao Wu's Comment)
  • Step 30: Don't drag "ubuntu" to the top (See MegaKyurem's comment). My Boot-order is: USB - Ubuntu - Windows

Reboot and it should work! You can even turn "secure boot" in UEFI back on (if you don't want the read lock to appear on your boot-screen).

Davider
  • 1