Pop OS Installation Issues

[DeaconFrost]

I'm starting to think there's something different about the Pop OS installer when compared to other Ubuntu distributions. I've been trying to install it in two locations, once on a Dell laptop and the other is a VMWare Virtual Workstation. I boot up to a single choice to install, and then the screen goes black. On the Dell laptop, if I change to Legacy boot, the live disc boots. Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Ubuntu Mate all boot fine on the laptop when set to UEFI. SecureBoot is disabled. I can repeat these outcomes in the VMWare Workstation side. Every .iso I throw at it boots fine, except Pop OS.

I've also remade the flash drive several times using Etcher. I've had this issue with previous Pop OS builds as well.

 

[FSCDiablo]

Never tried PopOS, downloading it now and while try installer on VBox. Will report back later.

 

[FSCDiablo]

I was able to install it. You didn't specify a version so I grabbed the 20.10. The only issue I had installing to a VM was that it defaulted to 800x600 and booted into the live desktop with the installer already launched. The bottom of the installation screen is cutoff at 800x600 so it helps to go to settings screen in the upper right menu and increase display resolution to 1024x768 or higher. Otherwise it went smoothly.

 

[Nobu]

They might not support legacy boot on the install media. Making a disc which supports bios and uefi at once is funky business, so they may have settled for just uefi.

 

[DeaconFrost]

They might not support legacy boot on the install media. Making a disc which supports bios and uefi at once is funky business, so they may have settled for just uefi.

According to a post on their site, the disc defaults to UEFI, but will use Legacy as a fall back. I can find plenty of people on various other forums and Reddit that can duplicate the issue, but so far, the only suggestions were to remake the flash drive. I had been trying 20.04 and gave up on it. I tried again with 20.10 and have the same issues.

 

[DogsofJune]

Did you use Etcher to create the USB? It's quirky sometimes. UEFI works best despite the "fall back"

 

[DeaconFrost]

Yes, I did use Etcher to create the flash drive. Think it is a bad flash?

 

[DogsofJune]

It's possible, I have a couple of drives look like they were set and caused issues.

 

[Vermillion]

Just dd the iso to a flash drive instead of other 3rd party crap. Simpler and has never failed me yet.

 

[FSCDiablo]

When you installed via VM was it with USB stick or iso? Install with the iso directly if you haven’t. If that works, it’s the USB.

 

[DeaconFrost]

When you installed via VM was it with USB stick or iso? Install with the iso directly if you haven’t. If that works, it’s the USB.

I loaded the .iso in during the guest setup process. But, it's the same .iso I was using to create the USB drives...both versions of Pop Os.

 

[FSCDiablo]

Next step I'd double check the SHA256 Sum to verify the download. Which version did you install, current or lts?

 

[DeaconFrost]

I can get the LTS and the current to install fine if I choose Legacy boot. I've remade the flash drive several times and redownloaded the .iso. I'm at the point of eliminating my install media. Those seem to be the first steps everyone seems to take when reporting this problem, and for good reason. However, the general consensus seems to be something with the Pop OS Installer. It isn't broken, per se, as I can confirm on a third tower, set to UEFI, I can boot to the live environment and install. Unfortunately, not one person has found a definitive cause and solution.

 

[Nobu]

I can get the LTS and the current to install fine if I choose Legacy boot. I've remade the flash drive several times and redownloaded the .iso. I'm at the point of eliminating my install media. Those seem to be the first steps everyone seems to take when reporting this problem, and for good reason. However, the general consensus seems to be something with the Pop OS Installer. It isn't broken, per se, as I can confirm on a third tower, set to UEFI, I can boot to the live environment and install. Unfortunately, not one person has found a definitive cause and solution.

99% of boot (from cd/usb/etc) problems (with laptops especially) can be attributed to funky bios/fw from the manufacturer.

 

[FSCDiablo]

It’s throwing me off that he can’t install on VM either. I haven’t used VM Ware in forever but it was easy on VBox.

 

[Nobu]

It’s throwing me off that he can’t install on VM either. I haven’t used VM Ware in forever but it was easy on VBox.

If hardware virtualization was disabled, it might fail...but I think it usually throws an error in that case.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Yeah, if Hardware Virtualization was disabled, VMWare immediately says so. I am finishing up the newest build in my signature and will give it another shot, in terms of virtualizing it.

 

[DeaconFrost]

After several redownloads of the .iso and reburning to USB, etc, I gave up. I downloaded Pop OS 20.04, slapped that on a USB with Etcher (same process I've been doing with all Ubuntu-related .isos), and it worked installed on a Dell XPS. I haven't tried a VM again, but so far, this is booting and working fine. No idea what the issue with 21.04, but I can't argue with results.

 

[Nobu]

🤷‍♂️

 

[DeaconFrost]

Downloaded 21.04 yesterday, and I'm right back where I started. Same black screen after the initial welcome screen and the 10 second count down. I've reflashed the drive several times with Etcher. Downloaded the .iso again. Tried different flash drives. 20.04 is the only version I've been able to boot on a Dell XPS laptop.

 

[Nobu]

Downloaded 21.04 yesterday, and I'm right back where I started. Same black screen after the initial welcome screen and the 10 second count down. I've reflashed the drive several times with Etcher. Downloaded the .iso again. Tried different flash drives. 20.04 is the only version I've been able to boot on a Dell XPS laptop.

Definitely sounds like a bug. Do you know how to create an install image, or could you figure out how? I wonder if you make a 21.04 image but with the older kernel/drivers if it would boot...

Oh, I think they have daily/weekly snapshot images too, or surely someone makes them, that you could grab from the mirrors. You could try one of them, and if it works it's likely the version of some package included in the install image that's the problem.

 

[auntjemima]

Why do you want to use Pop so bad? To each their own, I suppose, but yeah ...

 

[DeaconFrost]

Why do you want to use Pop so bad? To each their own, I suppose, but yeah ...

Why not?

 

[auntjemima]

Why not?

There are a ton of Ubuntu options out there. Why do you keep trying one with issues when there are so many others?

 

[DeaconFrost]

Linux is about choice, and Pop OS, specifically with the new Cosmic display, is the one I'd like to use. I've been distro hopping for two years now, and finally settled on one. When it boots on a test system, it's the one I feel most "at home" with.

 

[cybereality]

I've seen something similar with Ubuntu when choosing UEFI on the USB boot.

I can't recall if you want UEFI or not, but at the BIOS screen for the boot order, your USB drive should have 2 options (one UEFI one not) and that makes a difference.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I've been able to run around the house with my flash drive (thanks to the Live USB option) and test on a number of UEFI systems. I've been able to narrow it down to this particular XPS. I have a MainGear gaming laptop from my FS/FT thread that's got a similar hardware setup, in terms of being UEFI and an NVME drive. Booted right up into the Live environment. I haven't tried either tower in my signature, either, but every laptop I've tried seems to boot fine, besides this Dell. At least I can focus on that instead of the flash drives.

 

[DeaconFrost]

There is something odd about this XPS. I am able to boot UEFI no problem, even to the point of installing, with 20.04. With 21.04, I get error: out of memory and then a kernel panic. Reflashed the 21.04 several times, and used multiple USB drives. Even tried a DVD. Yep, one of those.

So, for now, I'm going to install 20.04 and the upgrade.

 

[ManofGod]

There is something odd about this XPS. I am able to boot UEFI no problem, even to the point of installing, with 20.04. With 21.04, I get error: out of memory and then a kernel panic. Reflashed the 21.04 several times, and used multiple USB drives. Even tried a DVD. Yep, one of those.

So, for now, I'm going to install 20.04 and the upgrade.

You may need to update the bios on your XPS as well.

 

[DeaconFrost]

It's got the latest, as of yesterday. 1.13.1. The update went through with zero issues, and now it's booting perfectly into 21.04. I have to look for any cleanup processes to do after a major upgrade, but the end result is a working system.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I'm revisiting this again, because I'm stuck at the same issue on two additional computers. I am looking into the option of adding nomodeset to the bootloader, but not entirely sure how to do this. I can hit "e" and get to the console screen, but my lines look different than what I see posted on various forums, so I'm not sure exactly where to add the phrase.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pop_os/comments/c32ncx/how_to_set_nomodeset_on_install_with_systemdboot/

 

[Vermillion]

I'm revisiting this again, because I'm stuck at the same issue on two additional computers. I am looking into the option of adding nomodeset to the bootloader, but not entirely sure how to do this. I can hit "e" and get to the console screen, but my lines look different than what I see posted on various forums, so I'm not sure exactly where to add the phrase.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pop_os/comments/c32ncx/how_to_set_nomodeset_on_install_with_systemdboot/

I wish I could help you. I haven't run into an issue installing any distro on any system in a very long time unless it was bad hardware (like the dying SSD that blew up my first attempt at NextCloud three weeks ago). Hell I installed the new version of Pop when it was released to take a look at COSMIC. It simply installed lol. COSMIC is nice but not for me.

You need to sacrifice a chicken to the computer gods or something lmao.

 

[idkau]

I'm revisiting this again, because I'm stuck at the same issue on two additional computers. I am looking into the option of adding nomodeset to the bootloader, but not entirely sure how to do this. I can hit "e" and get to the console screen, but my lines look different than what I see posted on various forums, so I'm not sure exactly where to add the phrase.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pop_os/comments/c32ncx/how_to_set_nomodeset_on_install_with_systemdboot/

I signed up for an account just to reply to you lol. I had the same issue with the OS not booting in vmware. I ended up just getting a premade .vmdk and did it that way. Download from the link below and just create your own user account, then delete the default one. It boots right up.

https://www.osboxes.org/pop_os-21-04-virtual-machine-images-available-for-virtualbox-and-vmware/

 

[cybereality]

Welcome and thanks for sharing.