Install issue(s) openSUSE 12.3 / Windows 8 / ASUS (AMD) CM1855

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

I am seeking help regarding the bootloader for dual boot on the referenced computer.

I have MANY successful openSUSE installs, including a SUSE STUDIO custom build, So, I am not a novice at using openSUSE. But, I cannot get the bootloader to install in this Windows 8 UEFI computer.

With respect to trying to install openSUSE 12.3:

  • custom USB live openSUSE 12.3 boots and runs.
  • Net install openSUSE 12.3 CD will boot in both UEFI and Legacy mode. It will successfully repartition and run the install with everything successful EXCEPT boot loader will not install and I cannot boot the new install. Error messages during install process indicate errors with initrd and grub. I thought maybe it could not write to the /boot/efi partition, but one file IS written.
  • After install, there is an “opensuse” BIOS startup option – however, /boot/efi has only the one file; and selecting the opensuse boot option simply runs the Windows boot instead of openSUSE.
  • Installing from the USB live drive, a “legacy” install does not work either. First of all, the install hangs at “copying log files” near the end of the install – this may be because the installer does not properly handle encrypted partitions? (I encrypted /var). But, installer warned that grub would be on partition > 3, so perhaps the boot sector is not recognized.

I’ve read a lot of posts regarding openSUSE and UEFI, but I can’t find anything that parallels my particular problem – that is, I can run the installer, but I can’t get the bootloader to install, so I can’t run the new openSUSE installation.

I’m going to try installing to an external USB drive, either by installing via the new computer, or creating an install on a USB drive via a non-UEFI computer and then running it on this one if I can. I am hopeful this is possible, since I can boot the flash drive Live USB. I am also considering whether there is a way to boot the live USB version and then use unionfs or the like to effectively force the system to run from the hard drive rather than the flash drive. (But, I’m not actually sure whether this can be done.)

Thank you for any suggestions.

#2

This is what I have seen when there is a problem setting up NVRAM during the install.

I have no experience with ASUS, but I’m willing to do some head scratching if there’s enough information. Maybe we can find a way to get it to work.

If you are able to boot into EUFI mode with the live rescue CD or with live KDE, then I would like to see the output from:


# efibootmgr -v
# fdisk -l
# gdisk -l /dev/sda

Alternatively, boot your Net install CD to UEFI mode, and do what you can to get to a shell prompt as root. Then:


# efibootmgr -v
# parted -l

You might need to mount a Windows partition, and redirect the output of these commands to files.

One way of getting a root shell with the Net install CD, is to start an install, and then use CTRL-ALT-F2 to get a virtual console. You can get back to the install with CTRL-ALT-F7 and then you can abort the install if you wish.