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I've been trying to install this for 3 days :(. First time Linux user.

I'm trying to get Ubuntu fully installed on an external SSD connected with a USBC cable. The problem is that when I get the screen that asks whether I want to erase a drive or something else, neither of these options are able to detect the SSD.

I flashed the ISO onto the external ssd, without realising that I needed a USB to have the flashed linux thingy. So I flashed linux onto an 8GB USB. The BIOS detects both drives and can launch from either. Secure boot is disabled. Fast boot is disabled. I've tried this on 2 laptops. The first one I tried, an HP laptop, doesn't have an option for AHCI. The second one I tried did. When I get to the installation screen on linux, the SSD is missing. I can see where windows is installed on each computer, but not the external SSD drive. GParted can see the external ssd, with the flags boot, lba and the fat32 file system.

I opened the disk manager on linux and tried reformatting the disk - it says it is busy for some reason. Completely lost here.

Any thoughts?

Specific information:

  • Version of linux: 22.04 LTS https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop
  • The second computer is an Acer i7-3537u, 2.0ghz, 4GB memory, 500TB HDD, with USB 3.0 and a nvidia geforce grafics card. Windows is installed on the HDD (I do not want to touch this HDD).
Chessnut
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  • ...and what is "linux installer"? – mikewhatever Jun 11 '22 at 07:53
  • I've edited to make it more clear in the first paragraph I think. @mikewhatever – Chessnut Jun 11 '22 at 07:56
  • @mikewhatever It's the Ubuntu 22.04 installer that is linked to in the 2nd to last paragraph. – karel Jun 11 '22 at 07:56
  • @Chessnut The way it was written meant you tried installing a linux kernel with an installer, which made zero sense. Ubuntu provides a linux kernel, there is no need or way to install alone. I think karel is right, you meant Ubuntu installer. – mikewhatever Jun 11 '22 at 08:02
  • @mikewhatever I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying. From that website, I used the ISO to flash a usb. I then plugged both the USB and SSD into my computer, and booted from the USB. The linux installer than didn't see the SSD to put linux on. – Chessnut Jun 11 '22 at 08:05
  • There is no "linux installer". :~) – mikewhatever Jun 11 '22 at 08:07
  • Ahh oops! The ubuntu installer then :) – Chessnut Jun 11 '22 at 08:09

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I clicked the try linux option, then did: sudo umount -l [DISK LOCATION]

When I tried installing linux again, I got the option to install on the SSD. I also got a second option, which I had not got before, saying to install linux alongside windows.

Edit: I fully installed linux on the SSD it seems, but I can't boot from it now. My HP doesn't recognise it at all, even at BIOS, and the other computer recognises it but skips it during boot.

Chessnut
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  • Ubiquity installer only installs boot files to first drives ESP. If you need to boot second or external drive from any other system, you need an ESP on external drive & install grub to that. See this bug & many work arounds. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1396379 Or removing boot flag/esp flag from first drive, so only ESP is install drive. Or if you have ESP on second or external drive, edit fstab with that ESP's UUID & then you can just reinstall grub, either manually or using Boot-Repair's advanced mode & full reinstall of grub to correct drive. – oldfred Jun 11 '22 at 18:27