How to install Ubuntu 18.04 on Acer Aspire A715-71G-554N?

Andrwxzc
Andrwxzc Member Posts: 1 New User
edited October 2023 in Linux
I bought a Acer Aspire A715-71G-554N and I want to remove windows 10 and install Ubuntu 18.04 on this. Can I do this simply by configuring my laptop to start USB first with Ubuntu and do a normal installation to erase the entire disk? What else should I do?

Answers

  • Jack22
    Jack22 ACE Posts: 3,652 Pathfinder

    Here is what you have to do :

    1. Backup your data !
      All of your data will be wiped with your Windows installation so do not miss this step.


    2. Create a bootable USB Ubuntu installation.
      Here is the official guide on Windows and on Ubuntu.
      Alternatively you can follow those instructions to create the bootable media.

    3. Boot the Ubuntu installation USB drive and choose Install Ubuntu.

    4. Follow the installation process
      At the step Installation Type select Replace Windows 10 with Ubuntu.

    enter image description here

    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    It's a lot less risky just shrinking the Windows system partition to a minimal size to make a lot of room for ubuntu and its swap, installing ubuntu dual boot in dual boot mode, and put grubx64 ahead of Win boot manager. You'll forget that Win is even there and available should you ever need it for something. Jack E/NJ
    UBUNTU
    ( 0) Pre-shrink Windows partition to desired unallocated space for Linux installation. Shrink it a lot if you want
    ( 1) Make bootable GPT/FAT32(default) stick from the Linux installation iso with Rufus, a freeware download.
    ( 2) Set BIOS supervisor password(SECURITY), disable secure boot(BOOT)& enable F12 Windows boot mgr (MAIN). Save BIOS settings & exit. May not be needed with some Linux installations like Mint.
    ( 3) Shutdown & insert bootable Linux stick
    ( 4) Turn back on while immediately tapping F12. Select Linux stick to run.
    ( 5) Preferrably select a default Linux install option
    ( 6) Follow on-screen instructions to install alongside Windows.
    ( 7) Let Linux automatically set & resize partitions for Linux & its swap. Adjust for more or less space only if absolutely necessary.
    ( 8) Shutdown & remove Linux stick.
    ( 9) Turn back on while tapping F2.
    (10) Re-enable secure boot(BOOT) & select UEFI file as trusted(MAIN). Select HDD0, SSD0 or eMMC0, then <EFI>, then <ubuntu>, then grubx64.efi the UEFI file. Enter grubx64.efi in the space provided if selecting it doesn't automatically enter it. Save BIOS setting and exit.
    (11) Boot into Windows. Then shutdown again.
    (12) Turn back on while tapping F12.
    (13) If desired, put grubx64.efi ahead of Windows boot manager in UEFI bootstrapper
    (14) Pretend Windows isn't there anymore

    Jack E/NJ

  • Jeremy_J7
    Jeremy_J7 Member Posts: 3 New User
    Hi Guys. I have Windows 10 Installed on my HDD and a partitioned LM19.1 with swap. However I didn't want to mess up my Windows by installing Linux so I installed Grub onto a flash drive. So to boot into Linux I insert my flash drive then boot into bios and change from UFEI to Legacy and then only does my USB with grub become readable otherwise it's not possible in UFEI. Now I want to install another Linux Distro however I have set a Supervisor Password but my boot manage still only shows 'Windows Boot Manager' in the bios boot section.
    So how can I make it show a Bootable USB to Dual Boot My Linux without Messing Up My Windows?

    Your Help is Much Appreciated.
    Jeremy_J7
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    As  noted in #1 above --- https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/598047/#Comment_598047 --- ( 1) Make bootable GPT/FAT32(default) stick from the Linux installation iso with Rufus, a freeware download

    Your boot LM iso installation stick must be GPT partitioned, not MBR partitioned, or UEFI bootstrap won't see it.

    Jack E/NJ


    Jack E/NJ

  • Jeremy_J7
    Jeremy_J7 Member Posts: 3 New User
    Thank You. I will try this out when I get time this Week as I am Busy With College.

  • HarshV9
    HarshV9 Member Posts: 3 New User
    You can go through this youtube video, to install ubuntu alongside windows.

    https://youtu.be/vl0g-3D5xds
  • pmash
    pmash Member Posts: 4 New User
    I tried to follow the mentioned steps to make my machine ( Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52 with Windows 10) dual boot with Ubuntu 16.04. I made a bootable USB from different applications (Linux live, Rufus, PowerISO) but the USB bootable doesn't show up in boot menu. Possible solutions that didn't work for me.
    1. Changing boot mode option to legacy - I disabled the secure boot option but I still don't see any option of boot mode to select legacy or whatever.
    2. Making bootable with GPT partitioned on rufus - As soon as I select the ubuntu 16 iso the partition is automatically selected to MBR and it is the only option in drop down with "target system" as BIOS (or UEFI - CSM).

    Anyone has more suggestions??? or can point out if I missed anything. please help me. I am adding screenshot of how my BIOS looks like. 

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer

    Immediately change your BIOS back to UEFI mode or you will lose your Windows installation!!! Make sure it still boots to Windows after you change back to UEFI mode.

    Then re-enter the BIOS. Set, save and exit with a BIOS supervisor password.

    Then re-enter the BIOS with the supervisor password to disable secure boot. Also make sure the F12 option is enabled in the BIOS main tab.  

    Then re-do your Linux iso installation stick with Rufus. It MUST be partitioned GPT for UEFI BIOS, You must change this setting in Rufus if it automatically comes up MBR partitioned. MBR partitioning will NOT be recognized by UEFI mode.

    Jack E/NJ 

    Jack E/NJ

  • pmash
    pmash Member Posts: 4 New User
    edited January 2020
    @JackE
    1. Where to do this "Immediately change your BIOS back to UEFI mode"?? can you point me to the exact setting. I don't see any setting where I modified anything related to UEFI.
    2. I did these 2 steps : "
    Then re-enter the BIOS. Set, save and exit with a BIOS supervisor password. Then re-enter the BIOS with the supervisor password to disable secure boot. Also make sure the F12 option is enabled in the BIOS main tab.  
    3. Rufus doesn't give an option of selecting GPT partition. Refer the attached images. In the dropdown there is no option of selecting GPT. I tried with rufus 3.8 and 3.6
    Edit: I also tried with dual boot option enable (alt + E) of rufus, but there was no difference. The USB doesn't show up in boot menu. 
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    edited January 2020
    You apparently don't have the BIO legacy option. So this is good. You are in UEFI mode. This is what you want. In Rufus, you want the target system to be UEFI only not BIOS. If that doesn't work please post screenshot of the BIOS Main tab. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • pmash
    pmash Member Posts: 4 New User
    Update: I was able to resolve the issue. I found the problem in creating the bootable, I missed a step wherein Boot selection dropdown "FreeDOS" was supposed to be selected before selecting the ISO. 
    Thanks guys for the help and comments on other posts as well. It really helped.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Good for you. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • vsha041
    vsha041 Member Posts: 5 New User
    Had the same issue. The option to boot from USB was not appearing in the Boot Menu. Turns out the reason was that I didn't format my USB drive in FAT32 format. But the issue was that the FAT32 option was not appearing for me. The reason is because my USB was 64 GB and FAT32 option is only available for disks smaller than 32 GB. So I bought a new USB of size 16 GB and then created a bootable disk using Rufus and GPT. I didn't had to change any of the BIOS settings either. It worked then as the option to boot from USB started appearing.

    By the way the FAT32 limit of 32GB is mentioned and explained here.

    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/winpe--use-a-single-usb-key-for-winpe-and-a-wim-file---wim?view=windows-11

    https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/04/windows_format_fat32/
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