No OS found after installation

[Steve Jones]

please see next post

[Steve Jones]

I tried installing the Devuan version several times on a Lenovo ThinkCentre 64-bit computer (inix file follows). When I boot from the hard disk I get a "No operating system found" message.
The BIOS is set to UEFI and Fast Boot is OFF. I wiped the hard disk with Gparted, ran the command "efibootmgr -v" (as suggested in another post) and let the installer use the whole disk with EFI/GPT formatting.
After installation, GParted reports the disk is set up like this:
2MB unallocated
/dev/sda1 fat 300MB boot, swap
/dev/sda2 root f2fs 465GB
unallocated 2.5MB
Can anybody offer a suggestion as to what I might do differently?

System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-10-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 Distro: PeppermintOS Devuan daedalus
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: LENOVO product: 5032W95 v: ThinkCentre M81
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: LENOVO model: N/A serial: <superuser required> UEFI: LENOVO
    v: 9HKT58AUS date: 06/10/2014
CPU:
  Info: quad core model: Intel Core i7-2600 bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    arch: Sandy Bridge rev: 7 cache: L1: 256 KiB L2: 1024 KiB L3: 8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1786 high: 2893 min/max: 1600/3800 cores: 1: 1800
    2: 1600 3: 1600 4: 2893 5: 1600 6: 1600 7: 1600 8: 1600 bogomips: 54277
  Flags: avx ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics
    vendor: Lenovo driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-6 bus-ID: 00:02.0
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: crocus gpu: i915 resolution: 1440x900~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 3.3 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 2000 (SNB
    GT1) direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio
    vendor: Lenovo 6 driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-10-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PulseAudio v: 16.1 status: active
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network vendor: Lenovo driver: e1000e
    v: kernel port: f080 bus-ID: 00:19.0
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Ralink RT5370 Wireless Adapter type: USB driver: rt2800usb
    bus-ID: 1-1.4:5
  IF: wlx7cdd90fb6990 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 469.42 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD5000AAKX-753CA1
    size: 465.76 GiB
  ID-2: /dev/sdf type: USB vendor: Alcor Micro model: 6387 size: 3.66 GiB
Partition:
  Message: No partition data found.
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 44.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 220 Uptime: 2m Memory: 7.58 GiB used: 786 MiB (10.1%)
  Init: SysVinit runlevel: 2 Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 Packages: 1627 Shell: Bash
  v: 5.2.15 inxi: 3.3.26

[Steve Jones]

I have additional information.
When I installed Lubuntu using the same procedure as above, it also was not able to boot from hard disk. (Lubuntu uses the very same installer program.) So I changed the BIOS to Legacy boot and reinstalled Lubuntu and now it boots from hard disk..
The problem is that if I try to install Peppermint when the boot mode is set to Legacy, the installation does not finish and reports that it could not access a Debian repository.

[Peppermint OS]

Peppermint needs a internet connection. that is probably why you see that error.

[Anonymous]

Hi Steve,

I do not have fond memories of either of Lenovo Thinkpad T420, I owned, both laptops, bought 2nd hand from ebay functioned with their M$ install in Legacy. Both were 2nd gen Intel spec with i5 CPU, RAM maxed out. Both were a mare to install any Debian based OS. Fedora and M$ being the only systems that would install. Nor install any OS in UEFI. Go figure.

As you have found with your machine's UEFI quirk, this was Lenovo's first production batch of UEFI equipped machinery and they were flaky, with their BIOS option of UEFI-First, then Legacy-Second, and finally a Legacy-Only setting.

My 7th gen gaming rig's mobo was as fragile with it employing a similar set up and changing from one setting such as UEFI to Legacy then back, while enjoying distro hopping, killed this Z370 mobo. Ouch. Never again.

This afternoon I managed an off-line install of Devuan, set up in my usual UEFI and Secure Boot, this afternoon to my donor laptop, an ageing Dell Latitude 5430 i3 CPU with 3rd gen Intel specs.

See enclosed screenshots.

[Steve Jones]

I installed 3 other distros successfully (Lubuntu, LMDE and Devuan) and Grub even gives me a menu I boot up. It's Legacy boot and an MBR formatted disk. However, none would install and boot with UEFI. So I think Cavy is right, the fact that I can't install any distro to boot with UEFI is probably some quirk with my ThinkCentre computer.