Acer Spin 1 (SP111-32N) can't install any linux build - always fails on grub install step

phil2022

Hi, this laptop originally came with Windows 10, after all the updates etc it was running like a dog, so decided to rebuild using Debian / Fedora / Manjaro etc

I can't get ANY linux build to successfuly install, all installs fail at installing the grub menu step - can anyone please point me to a list of steps that I can perform to correctly creat the grub menu?

I've read that it may be possible to run the installation but to use the --no-nvram option when the installer runs the grub-install part but don't know where to add/change this on say the Debian or Fedora builds?

At the moment, the laptop although I love it will end up being bin'd as it's soo much trouble to try and install a working linux build, I'm trying to gift the laptop to a friend with a linux build so at least it will run with a decent speeed.

Any help would be great..... hoping this laptop isn't too old that everyone has moved on from it.

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billsey

Is the Linux install wiping your Windows install and redoing the partitions? Likely if the Windows partitions are still there you have no room for Linux. How big of drive is in your SP111-32N?

phil2022

Yes any attempt at installing any Linux version is completely wiping and repartitioning the internal 64GB EMMC drive.

Using a live Linux build, I know everything is there, it just always fails when the install tries to create the grub menu and I'm just struggling to try and manually create the entries to allow any Linux system to boot from the EMMC - the grub menu always boots to a blank minimal "Grub>" prompt.

phil2022

Well I have now figured it out for the installation of Manjaro at least.

It's a combination of remounting the newly created root and efi partitions while still in the live environment and as thought re-installing grub using the --no-nvram option.

All in all a combination of 4x different websites/forums - I now just either stick with Manjaro or attempt to find the right alternative instructions for Debian/Fedora either way I'm now in a much better position than a non booting laptop.

phil2022

Just to wrap this up, same procedure for installation of Debian 11, all sorted

Ketwol

phil2022, if you are still active - can you tell me how exactly you managed to install it? I have the same laptop and still cant do it!

phil2022

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1149720#Comment_1149720

I'll see later if I still have the link to the procedure used, but it's basically as I described above, using a collection of information from sites like: -