installing linux on HP uefi system

bartNL

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Dec 12, 2013
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Hi fella's

How do i properly install Linux Mint (16 or 17) on my pc with uefi?
There's obviously a lot of tutorials, but all of them miss or skip one or more steps/choices/concepts.
I'm the inlucky one who has an HP(!), laptop, with Win8.1, thus uefi and GPT.
The combination you'd like to avoid..
Those things make installing Linux a little harder.
Since i'm new to this and i don't have any experience with Linux, i can certainly use some help.
I doubt if i'm even gonna succeed without it.

So here's what i'd like to know:
How should i take account of all these concepts so i can install Linux properly?
If i just follow the installation and leave (almost)all the options on default,
i get the error "grub-efi-amd64-signed package failed to install into /target/".(i tried it several times, and checksums are OK)
I looked it up and for the ubuntu-version of my problem,
the solutions was changing the name of the file in question,
because there's a bug that causes it to be incorrectly burned to CD/USB.
It resulted in adding '64'to the file's name.
However this was not the solution in my case. Or, there's another file which is faulty burned.

I can imagine there are a lot more of points where it could have gone wrong.
For instance, the option for the location of the bootloader.
I'm using my internal SSD for windows system, and i'm using my ext.hdd for windows files, and linux.
Now the install-wizard chooses my ssd(dev/Ssda) as the target for the bootloader, but maybe i should choose my ext.hdd?
Or create a /boot partition and use that as the target? Or the Windows efi partition? I don't know.
Secureboot, and fastboot are disabled, uefi is enabled but this shouldn't be a problem.
Maybe i could fix things with a boot-repair program, but i don't know it this is the only thing which goes wrong, the installation aborts after this message so i assume i miss many more things.

Sorry for the long story, but i wanted to make things clear so people can help me easier.
If anyony has ideas or suggestions/answers, i thank you greatly. :)
PS: If linux asks me to unmount partitions, should i choose yes, or would this mess things up?
 
Solution
since you've already dealt with the secure boot and fast boot here is a tutorial for an external HDD. http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/02/20/install-ubuntu-11-10-on-external-hard-drive-with-an-ntfs-partition-at-the-end/

Mint is Ubuntu at it's core so the installation is the same. Note that you want the boot loader on the external drive as this allows for you to use it with other computers as well, it also leaves the windows loader alone so if you boot without the external drive attached you can still run windows. You either set boot order in the BIOS or select boot device at the start. since you've already installed Mint you can use boot-repair to set the GRUB install to sdb1 under advanced repairs.
Here's an example using UBUNTU: http://www.everydaylinuxuser.com/2014/05/install-ubuntu-1404-alongside-windows.html

Since you aren't too knowledgeable pay particular attention to creating a BACKUP IMAGE to an external drive before you do anything. Based on what you've said it's almost 100% certain that you are going to screw up the Windows installation and no longer be able to boot Windows.

Another alternative it to create a VIRTUAL MACHINE and run Linux from within Windows. If you don't absolutely need a dedicated Linux installation I recommend trying that.
 

bartNL

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Dec 12, 2013
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Thanks for your example. but 'aren't too knowledgeable'? It's only that i'm new to linux, and to installing a second bootloader next to the existing one, this uefi thing. And because i indeed don't want to screw up i thougt i'd better ask to be sure. About which target to select for bootloader install.

I got recommended to select the efi partition as the target but then i got the error "executing grub-install /dev/sda1 failed" which keeps me from installing the bootloader in the intended location. Maybe this kept me from screwing up windows efi as well. But i asked which target i should choose and this was the recommendation. But yes i have created a backup image and everthing so that's fine. Linux is installed and Windows runs perfectly fine still.
Maybe it's possible to fix things with boot-repair.
 

stillblue

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Nov 30, 2012
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since you've already dealt with the secure boot and fast boot here is a tutorial for an external HDD. http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/02/20/install-ubuntu-11-10-on-external-hard-drive-with-an-ntfs-partition-at-the-end/

Mint is Ubuntu at it's core so the installation is the same. Note that you want the boot loader on the external drive as this allows for you to use it with other computers as well, it also leaves the windows loader alone so if you boot without the external drive attached you can still run windows. You either set boot order in the BIOS or select boot device at the start. since you've already installed Mint you can use boot-repair to set the GRUB install to sdb1 under advanced repairs.
 
Solution

bartNL

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Dec 12, 2013
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thanks for your clear answer! So it isn't a problem the disk is GPT and there's already a ntfs partition on it?
Then i think i would have to partition the free space that is left in 500mb for /boot, 20gb for root, /, and the rest for /home.
And then select dev/sdb as the target for bootloader installation. (not dev/sdb/boot)
Is that right? If not please suggest how i should do it instead.
 

stillblue

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Nov 30, 2012
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Just create 2 partitions. A large one (ext4) for Mint and a smaller, 2gbs or so for a swap. The instructions for that are in the link provided. Don't forget when creating the main partition that you should make the mount point / this tells mint where to install.