Small update
I checkd my SETUPACT.LOG and found this lines
2015-06-25 11:23:46, Info IBS Callback_BootEnvironmentDetect:FirmwareType 1.
2015-06-25 11:23:46, Info IBS Callback_BootEnvironmentDetect: Detected boot environment: BIOS
The bios is not called uefi. So it looks suspiciously as legacy to me. But as I said i am not a computer expert
Did you enable “Probe for Foreign OS” is bootloader settings? If not, try to do it now.
I had grub on MBR. My admin told me that the MBR was somehow write protected after installing grub2 on it. But anyway windows disapeared. I have the strange feeling that this discussion is leading nowhere. In general, i starting to get a bit antagonistic towards linux
In yast-bootloadeer section
BTW that is the easiest place to make changes to the boot. I guess we assumed that is what you were using when you told us that you tried to change grub to grub2. If not using yast what method did you use???
You must run some program that does a full unmodified binary copy to the target device. Does really not matter the exact program used as long as it makes no modes to the iso
Here is another http://www.osforensics.com/tools/write-usb-images.html This one is said to work better with Windows 8
Forget about EFI then since it is probable that the machine is pre Windows 8. and in any case Windows is install in the old way and the drive is not GPT so we do legacy It was Windows 8 that was throwing us off we assumed it came with the machine and thus had to have a EFI BIOS. I still find it odd that the BIOS refers to itself as legacy though.
So you need to install generic code in MBR and grub to the Linux boot partition or root which ever applies. This will avoid problems from Windows updates.You can use grub or grub2 which ever, in this situation they work the same. The important thing is generic code in the MBR
I am using yast, I have “Probe foreign OS” on, this is a default option I guess.
That is super confusing. My PC is old, I most probably have old bios. This is also shown by windows. However, we are not sure, so this makes the entire discussion sit on faulty base. In case it is indeed UEFI, than it has to be mounted when doing the partition selection-creation for experts part of the installation.
How can I install generic code on the MBR? Is this done in the summary menu. I am relly lost. What I did last time was to press some red letters in the summary menu, that told install grub-2 on the MBR, this screwed up windows, and only opensuse was shown in grub. Please, explain the things in more details in case you have the time to do so.
Progress report
I set root, swap and home in Expert Partitioner. Then pressed enter and got the message
Warning: With your current setup, your openSUSe installation will encounter problems booting, because you have no FAT patition mounted on /boot/efi.
This will cause severe problems with the normal boot setup.
If you don't know exactely what you are doing, use normal FAT partition for your files below /boot/efi.
What for good sake, is this supposed to mean? I have no FAT partition (look my parted -l) output on page 1 of this thread. Should I create this myself in Expert partitioner?
Moreover, why my boot usb contains /boot/efi ? I didn’t ask for it.
I think the BIOS is EFI and you booted the install media as EFI not legacy. When bootes in EFI mode it assumes an EFI install and sets things accordingly. If this is a EFI BIOS you should have some EFI boot menu maybe F12 maybe F10 could be something else at boot to select how to boot the external media. THe keys to press may display on the BIOS boot screen. But you have to read quick since that normally does not show long.
Manufactures started phasing in EFI before Windows 8 so it could very well be and it appears th installer booted to EFI mode
You can change that with setting in the installer but you do need to understand what you are doing.
You do NOT want to mount a /boot/efi partition. You do not want grub2-efi you want grub2 You have to tell the install every detail of how it is to install/set up stuff. Or simple boot the media in legacy mode
Hi,
Some interesting observations:
I tried to create /boot/efi and to mount the system reserved boot partitioner of windows as boot EFI. Both of them didn’t work. The warning is that no GPT partition exists. Perhaps my problems are really due to mixing EFI mode for open-suse and my windows is legacy mode. The question is why do I always get an EFI partition on the USB? Perhaps this can be changed and it will be all fine?
This depends entirely on your firmware (BIOS); you need to select menu option for legacy boot, but unfortunately it may be different in every system.
The image on the USB is made to boot either EFI or legacy. If the the installer is booting in EFI mode 1) the BIOS must be EFI 2) it is set to boot external devices as EFI
It should be possible to either or both set the default boot mode for externals or select the boot mode at boot. Unfortunately there are no standard ways to do this each EFI BIOS seems to have it’s own keys or menus. So you must find the place yourself. You should be able to find a manual for your hardware online even for a machine 3 or 4 years old. Or just poke around in the BIOS. Note don’t change anything you don’t understand at least without asking here first.
Mixing mode is a no no it leads to many tears. :’(
This is true. But re-copying the PBR is relatively simple and does not require a re-install of grub2.
On the other hand, if grub2 is installed in the MBR, and Windows overwrites it, then a reinstall of grub2 is needed. So this is harder to fix.
Oh man this f… boot mode. I changed the bios boot to legacy only and now I have suse. Let’s see whether windows will overwrite the MBR, this might create additional joy. Now I have other problems how add additional languages to the keyboard. Why does it all have to be sooo super complicated… :X
That’s because the iso image contains “/boot/efi”. It is there, in case the USB is to be booted on a UEFI box. If your box does not have UEFI, then that partition is normally ignored (but still mounted when booting the USB).
Two places to deal with keyboards
Remember that in Linux there is a very large fence between system stuff and personal stuff. And it is multi user. So one user may want one layout another a different one. I don’t think you mentioned which of the many possible desktops you are using. Yes choice gets complicated because you have to choose. And then you have to tell your helpers what you chose for them to help
Hi,
I have opensuse now running on my laptop. I would like to thank gogalthrop and nrickert for their help.
Summary:
I made a mistake by booting the USB in EFI mode. This created a mismatch, that prohibited the proper installation. The solution is to check carefully in the bios and not mix UEFI and Legacy mode. Therefore, I changed to boot in legacy mode and it all worked fine. In the summary windows prior to the open suse installation, I chose to install grub2 on the MBR. Until now, both windows and linux boot fine .
Best Regards,
Good to hear. 