How do I install Ubuntu 22 onto my Librem 14?

Hello, I encrypted my hard drive with LUKS and forgot my password a few days ago. As a result I have decided to wipe the hard drive and install Ubuntu instead of PureOS since I cannot regain access. I created a Bootable Ubuntu USB drive and just installed Ubuntu 22 onto my Librem 14, but when I turn it on it just shows a red screen saying “no bootable OS was found on the default boot device /dev/sda1”

If I try to boot in any way at all it just shows me the error on the screen. What do I do? How do I get Ubuntu working now on my Librem 14? It doesn’t seem like I can get it to boot at all including from a USB now. Please help.

Is there something I can put in the recovery shell to recover from this? I can access the recovery shell but not sure what to do now. I need this laptop for work so getting it fixed today is ideal.

I just did a factory reset and I am able to get back to the option to boot from USB, but now that I am here, how do I install Ubuntu as the default OS for this machine?

I am now seeing this when I go to install Ubuntu.

Pureboot requires a dedicated unencrypted /boot partition, which the Ubuntu installer doesn’t do by default. Assuming you want to keep using Pureboot with the Librem Key, you’ll need to manually create the partitions via the ‘Something Else’ option:

  • Remove all existing partitions
  • create a 3GB ext partition with mount point /boot
  • create another ext partition using the rest of the available space, with mount point / (root)
  • select the option to encrypt the root partition using LUKS if/when presented
  • reboot when done
  • perform a Pureboot factory reset (it should prompt you for this)
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Is there a more detailed walkthrough of this? How will I remove all existing partitions and make new ones? Is there a GUI?

The installer lets you do it. Choose “Something else”.

it’s literally part of the Ubuntu installer. Read their documentation on using it.

Do I need to install Ubuntu into the /boot partition or just leave it blank?

the OS gets split into / installed into both the /boot and / (root) partitions

Maybe just try. It’s a new install so what’s the worst that can happen?

Maybe noone in this forum uses Ubuntu with Pureboot. There are probably better fora in which to ask about installing Ubuntu generally.

I would guess that if you reflash the firmware to replace Pureboot with Coreboot (conventional BIOS arrangement) then you could do a default install of Ubuntu.

I just tried to install Ubuntu into the new /boot partition I created and everything is working perfectly now. Problem solved!

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I hope that only the kernel is installed to /boot, otherwise verifying file hashes is going to take a looooonnnggg time at every boot