A side issue just came up, before getting your latest message, I ran the terminal command “sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade” and it was taking a long time to complete and towards the end a grey colored box covering the whole black terminal screen appeared. The grey screen is titled “Configuring grub-pc” and starts by saying: The grub-pc package is being upgraded. This menu allows you to select which devices you’d like grub-install to to be automatically run for, if any etc…now I am not sure how to properly get past the grey box that is covering the black terminal screen except by just closing the terminal but then I get a warning stating that sudo apt full-upgrade is still running and closing it may cause problems. Do you have any suggestions to get past this problem?
You should be able to navigate the menu with the Tab key, an external keyboard and/or scaling PureOS UI to a different percentage.
Below is the text from the (grey colored) screen which is covering the active terminal window and I can’t get past it without stopping the full-upgrade while it is currently paused at 87% complete…Any suggestions?
Package configuration
┌──────────────────────────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├──────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ any.
│
│ Running grub-install automatically is recommended in most situations, to
│ prevent the installed GRUB core image from getting out of sync with GRUB
│ modules or grub.cfg.
│
│ If you’re unsure which drive is designated as boot drive by your BIOS,
│ it is often a good idea to install GRUB to all of them.
│
│ Note: it is possible to install GRUB to partition boot records as well,
│ and some appropriate partitions are offered here. However, this forces
│ GRUB to use the blocklist mechanism, which makes it less reliable, and
│ therefore is not recommended.
│
Progress: [ 87%] [##################################################…]
You can try pressing the Enter/Return key.
Thanks for your help Frankly! Your suggestion to use the Tab key worked great but now I don’t know how to correctly select these three options:
Package configuration
┌──────────────────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├───────────────────┐
│ GRUB install devices: │
│ │
│ [ ] /dev/nvme0n1 (1024209 MB; KINGSTON SKC3000S1024G) │
│ [ ] - /dev/nvme0n1p2 (1071 MB; /boot) │
│ [ ] /dev/dm-0 (1023119 MB; ... │
│ │
│ │
│ <Ok> │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Usually checkboxes can be toggled using the → arrow key, and you can continue to navigate the rest of the menu using the Tab key as usual.
The right arrow key and up and down arrow keys allow me to toggle between the three options but so far I haven’t been able to select any of the three boxes and if I hit Enter it goes to this screen:
Package configuration───────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├──────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ You chose not to install GRUB to any devices. If you continue, the boot │
│ loader may not be properly configured, and when this computer next │
│ starts up it will use whatever was previously in the boot sector. If │
│ there is an earlier version of GRUB 2 in the boot sector, it may be │
│ unable to load modules or handle the current configuration file. │
│ │
│ If you are already using a different boot loader and want to carry on │
│ doing so, or if this is a special environment where you do not need a │
│ boot loader, then you should continue anyway. Otherwise, you should │
│ install GRUB somewhere. │
│ │
│ Continue without installing GRUB? │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
… and there are two questions there:
- what keys are needed to toggle these on and off,
- and how the heck a user knows where to put GRUB anyway.
Caution is advised in respect of the second bullet point.
I think the answer is “the first one only” i.e. /dev/nvme0n1
Right, I believe the Space key toggles the checkboxes.
Yes, the space bar worked to toggle the checkboxes. Thanks
How would you address the issue below?
Package configuration
┌─────────────────────────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├──────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ GRUB failed to install to the following devices: │
│ │
│ /dev/dm-0 │
│ │
│ Do you want to continue anyway? If you do, your computer may not start │
│ up properly. │
│ │
│ Writing GRUB to boot device failed - continue? │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Dude, I said “first one only”.
I would guess that the third one is an encrypted root partition. Are you using disk encryption? You don’t want GRUB on that. It is too late in the boot process anyway.
I would go back to the menu with the checkboxes, select the /dev/nvme0n1p2 namespace/partition containing /boot, and continue from there.
I am not sure where to go from here because I get the message above that says GRUB failed to install to one of the three devices which seems to make it extremely risky if I go forward with the full-upgrade under that circumstance but if I cancel the full-upgrade from what I know, that is very risky also. Any suggestions?
Well, you are actually free to go back and clear all the checkboxes and not update GRUB at all. To be fair, that is something that you should then later on go back and sort out properly - but maybe right now, you just want to move on. Whether that is fine depends on what the changes are to GRUB - minor changes or major changes.
I AM STUCK, PLEASE HELP! To recap…I ran the terminal command “sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade” thinking that this is a normal and totally safe thing to do. However, now my Librem 11 is paused at 87% of the full-upgrade while it is asking me to select up to three “devices” to install GRUB to. When I follow the recommendation and select all three “devices”, I get the message that GRUB failed to install to “/dev/dm-0”. The terminal gives me strong warnings not to continue without installing GRUB, but as I mentioned GRUB won’t install properly (at least not to one of the three devices) and to my understanding, it would be harmful if I closed the terminal prematurely and stopped the full-upgrade before it completes. Can someone please help me get a definitive answer of exactly what steps to take next that won’t risk harming my L11? Is it possible that someone that works for Purism like @dos could provide an official response? Thanks for everyone’s help!
Follow what recommendation?? I suggested “first one only” i.e. /dev/nvme0n1
@dos technically does not work for Purism, so if you want an official response, contact Purism support:
Sorry irvinewade, I somehow missed your two previous suggestions to select the “first one only” which is this one:
/dev/nvme0n1 (1024209 MB; KINGSTON SKC3000S1024G)
and also, I just discovered that FranklyFlawless previously suggested that I select the second one which is this one:
/dev/nvme0n1p2 (1071 MB; /boot)
As just pointed out by ASwyD2, the recommendation that appeared on the terminal was
“If you’re unsure which drive is designated as boot drive by your BIOS,
it is often a good idea to install GRUB to all of them.”
However, the next paragraph on the terminal states:
“Note: it is possible to install GRUB to partition boot records as well,
and some appropriate partitions are offered here. However, this forces
GRUB to use the blocklist mechanism, which makes it less reliable, and
therefore is not recommended.”
So the summary is, you recommend installing GRUB only to the first one, FF recommends installing to the second one, the terminal recommends installing to all of them but then in the next paragraph if I am understanding it correctly (which I may not be), says it will make it less reliable and therefore is not recommended.
My first guess would be inline with FF’s recommendation to install to the second one because it indicates that one is for boot, in parenthesis.
However, I have found advice online that supports every recommendation given so far, so I still don’t know what the correct answer is.
The reason that I turned to the Forum for help instead of just reaching out to support, is that I am currently waiting and have been for an extended period for other questions.
Is there anyway to get a response from support@puri for this issue asap on the forum?