Help me install Linux on external SSD, this shit is COMPLICATED

[Blizzforte]

OK, so I have the external SSD in my pc via USB-C and the USB with Mint is running. I clicked on install and now I have to choose the disk. I got the option between installing alongside Windows 10, deleting Windows 10 (and some odd LVM security option wtf) or "something else". I'm not sure which to click on. I tried going with "something else" but I understand NOTHING. It lists things like:

 

/dev/nvme0n1

Free space

/dev/sdc

 

And a lot more. How do humans understand this shit!? Please help!! Why the F is this so complicated I though Linux wants people to use it and newcomers etc. No f-ing wonder people want MacBooks!! At least they're CLEAN and INTUITIVE! 

 

 

 

[jaslion]

You chose mint a more complex distribution. Yeah it's not as polished as windows or mac os which is kinda logical because well it's made by people in their spare time basically.

 

Either way you need to find out which drive is which here as your drive will be listed there. Simplest way is to go back a step unplug and then go forward seeing which drive is what.

 

Btw mac os and windows would also not identify which driv is what for installing here :p.

[Lightwreather]

54 minutes ago, Blizzforte said:

something else

Ah yes. That's where the ubuntu installer fails. They should've named it advanced, that's what it's supposed to be. I haven't toyed around with the ubuntu installer for a while, so I might not be of much help rn, but it is undergoing a redesign iirc.

[Mattias Edeslatt]

Why don't you do a quick search on the webb and read up on how to do a Linux install?

 

It is not complicated but you must understand the basics of how it works and how Linux use the filesystem and partitions. 

 

In it doesn't matter if you are trying to install Linux, MacOS or Windows on something else than default installation, when you are doing something that is more then simply click next you must know what you are doing and understand the basics of what the system are going to do. If you don't, you are going to F something up, most likely your data that you don't want to loose. 

 

I highly recommend that you do a backup of your important files. 

 

And the easiest way to not F up a Windows installation when installing another OS is to disconnect that drive physically and when you want to use your other OS you chose to boot from the other disc separately from the BIOS boot-menu you can activate with F2, ESC or what the activation key for the boot-menu is for your specific motherboard. And if you don't select a boot-drive it will boot from the Windows-drive by default.

[Blizzforte]

1 hour ago, Mattias Edeslatt said:

Why don't you do a quick search on the webb and read up on how to do a Linux install?

 

It is not complicated but you must understand the basics of how it works and how Linux use the filesystem and partitions. 

 

In it doesn't matter if you are trying to install Linux, MacOS or Windows on something else than default installation, when you are doing something that is more then simply click next you must know what you are doing and understand the basics of what the system are going to do. If you don't, you are going to F something up, most likely your data that you don't want to loose. 

 

I highly recommend that you do a backup of your important files. 

 

And the easiest way to not F up a Windows installation when installing another OS is to disconnect that drive physically and when you want to use your other OS you chose to boot from the other disc separately from the BIOS boot-menu you can activate with F2, ESC or what the activation key for the boot-menu is for your specific motherboard. And if you don't select a boot-drive it will boot from the Windows-drive by default.

I already took out the GPU to see where the SSD and HDD were located in my Desktop but it's nowhere to be seen so it's probably under this one metallic lid that you can't take off. So no chance to get them out without professional help. I just need to know where to install this damn Mint on. Where is it what do I do?

[Mattias Edeslatt]

Disks and partitions under Linux

https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/partitioning.html

 

A beginner’s guide to disks and disk partitions in Linux

https://linuxbsdos.com/2014/11/08/a-beginners-guide-to-disks-and-disk-partitions-in-linux/

 

Understanding the Linux File System

https://etutorials.org/Linux+systems/red+hat+linux+9+professional+secrets/Part+II+Exploring+Red+Hat+Linux/Chapter+7+Red+Hat+Linux+Basics/Understanding+the+Linux+File+System/

 

Installing Linux Mint on the computer

https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html#installing-linux-mint-on-the-computer

[Needfuldoer]

Just to be extra safe, remove your boot SSD so you can't accidentally erase it. (It's kind of easy to do that if you're not 100% sure of what you're doing.)

 

If you just want to play with Linux, it's easier to spin up a virtual machine in VirtualBox than it is to install alongside an existing OS on bare metal hardware. 

[Blizzforte]

3 hours ago, Needfuldoer said:

Just to be extra safe, remove your boot SSD so you can't accidentally erase it. (It's kind of easy to do that if you're not 100% sure of what you're doing.)

 

If you just want to play with Linux, it's easier to spin up a virtual machine in VirtualBox than it is to install alongside an existing OS on bare metal hardware. 

I've now installed Mint on the external SSD. It's plugged in on the front USB-C on my PC. But it won't boot into it or let me choose between Linux and Windows. It always boots into Windows. I've tried changing the boot order in the UEFI. I've checked in the Windows settings and it says it's set to show the operating systems for 30 seconds on boot. But nothing happens, only Windows boots. I've also disabled fast boot in the UEFI. I've also now removed the Windows SSD and the HDD and the only thing in my PC now is the external SSD with Linux installed but when I boot I get the message:

 

Checking Media Presence...

Media Present...

Start PXE over IPv4...

 

 

[Mark Kaine]

3 hours ago, Blizzforte said:

so it's probably under this one metallic lid that you can't take off

you really should remove the OS drive to be safe and its very unlikely that lid cant be taken off, its probably just the ssd cover…

 

at this point you should probably also post full specs of your system so people can help you properly (for example  how to remove the OS drive)

[Blizzforte]

2 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

you really should remove the OS drive to be safe and its very unlikely that lid cant be taken off, its probably just the ssd cover…

 

at this point you should probably also post full specs of your system so people can help you properly (for example  how to remove the OS drive)

I've managed to remove the SSD see my last post above. It's an 

MSI

i7

16gb

500GB SSD

2TB HDD

 

[TeraBot452]

I hate that ubiquity (ubuntu & mints installer) does this.  When you partition the drive in "something else/Manual" you have to make sure of 2 things.  At the bottom there is a (Device to Install Bootloader On) dropdown or something like that.  Make sure this is the same device that you partitioned.  2nd make sure that you have a partition (usually around 512M) that is an "EFI System Partition" (Under Filesystem) on the drive that you partitioned .