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I downloaded the iso image from http://releases.ubuntu.com/14.04/ and verified the checksums.

Failed attempts to resolve the problem:

  • disabling secure boot
  • disabling uefi boot altogether
  • disabling quick boot
  • using the OEM install option (in my desperation I thought this might help...)

For the installation I use a 100% free hard drive on which I create a GPT partition table with GParted. The EFI partition is formatted with FAT32 and I also enabled the boot flag with GParted.

What could I possibly be doing wrong? Why is this so difficult?

Are you reaching the bootloader? - No. My Thinkpad instead starts the BIOS boot menu where I can select where to boot from or enter the BIOS settings. When I select "ubuntu" in this menu nothing happens.

Can you plug in an usb key, boot in the live distro and check with gparted of fdisk the state of the drive you used to install the OS? - I can boot the the USB without any problems, even with secure boot enabled. I did a check with the LIVE USB from within the first menu that pops up once the install USB boots (it's the option at the very bottom). The result was that the installation is fine.

Eli Steiner
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  • Which step is going wrong? Are you reaching the bootloader? can you plug in an usb key, boot in the live distro and check with gparted of fdisk the state of the drive you used to install the OS? – Bacon Aug 05 '15 at 20:42
  • @Bacon Thanks for the reply I'll update my post just now so everybody can see it immediately. – Eli Steiner Aug 05 '15 at 20:49
  • What model system & what video? Some boot thru grub and with only one install you will not see grub menu unless you press escape key after UEFI. But then have video driver issue. If nVidia or AMD you may need nomodeset. If Intel you may need settings for correct x by y to match screen. Does escape(perhap more than once) give you grub menu? – oldfred Aug 05 '15 at 21:08
  • @oldfred thinkpad x series, Intel HD 4000 graphics – Eli Steiner Aug 05 '15 at 21:10

3 Answers3

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Could you boot to the live system after the first unsuccessful boot after the installation and run the following commands in a terminal:

sudo -s
mount /dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root /mnt
mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/boot
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot/efi
for i in /dev /dev/pts /proc /sys /run; do mount -B $i /mnt$i; done
chroot /mnt
grub-install /dev/sda
update-grub

These instructions are mostly taken from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing#via_ChRoot

This method of installation uses the chroot command to gain access to the broken system's files. Once the chroot command is issued, the LiveCD treats the broken system's / as its own. Commands run in a chroot environment will affect the broken systems filesystems and not those of the LiveCD.

mgor
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  • My attempt failed at the second command. Unfortunately I forgot to screenshot the error message :( – Eli Steiner Aug 08 '15 at 07:28
  • You probably didn't partition your harddrive with lvm then. Could you provide fdisk -l – mgor Aug 08 '15 at 07:30
  • Yes, that is true. I used a custom partition scheme without lvm. I got the installation to boot now, so everything is fine :) – Eli Steiner Aug 08 '15 at 07:40
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This shows adding nomodeset for both BIOS and grub screen after install. UEFI also uses grub screen so look at that which is further down. You use e for edit on grub menu, scroll to linux line and replace quiet splash.

My computer boots to a black screen, what options do I have to fix it?

But with Intel you may need one of these settings. Add just like above shows adding nomodeset. I prefer to replace quiet splash as then you see boot process. But lots of line scroll by pretty fast. Older Intel video card:

i915.modeset=1 or i915.modeset=0

newer:

i915.i915_enable_rc6=1

even newer still which may be yours: Force Intel Video mode as boot parameter in grub menu - Must change to your screen size, not 1280x1024

video=1280x1024-24@60

and if that doesn't work you can try

video=VGA-1:1280x1024-24@60

Community
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oldfred
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  • I've had the "boot to blank screen" error before, what I am experiencing here is something different though. When you have the blank screen, you don't get reverted to the BIOS boot menu. – Eli Steiner Aug 08 '15 at 07:29
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This update is not very enlightening - but it's what has worked so I want to post this in case this is helpful to some other individual in the community.

At first I tried different attempts with boot repair after being booted from a Live USB. None of the attemps were successful though as the repair was hanging or aborted with an error.

What ended up working was the following (I'll mention everything since I can't point to the specific change that enabled me to boot after the installation):

  • disable UEFI secure boot all together
  • disable Quick Boot
  • disable the BIOS boot-up password

Then I would install Ubuntu 14.04 with a custom partition scheme. I used a GPT partition table and an EFI partition even though I had UEFI booting disabled.

After the install re-enabled all these settings - the boot up was successful. This is unexpected, since leaving these settings enabled before the install would hinder ubuntu to boot after the installation.

Eli Steiner
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