I'm trying to install Linux on an old machine that uses legacy BIOS, but I'm running into issues with the bootloader. I've set up my partitions as follows: Boot (mounting point /boot, ext4, flagged), Swap (encrypted, flagged), Home (mounting point /home, encrypted, ext4), Root (mounting point /, encrypted, ext4), and a required GPT partition that's just 8MB and unformatted.
After installing on both sda and sdb, whenever I restart, it gets stuck on the Parrot OS logo, and when I force restart, I see a GRUB error stating 'no such device'. I've read that EFI might be required for some setups, but I doubt my PC supports that since I can only switch between legacy and UEFI. I tried using a USB for UEFI but got a message saying it's not supported.
I've also heard conflicting advice regarding whether to install on sda or sdb, but either way, I end up with the same GRUB error. My hardware does support CSM but doesn't seem to handle UEFI properly.
If I need to switch to an MBR partition scheme, it looks like it would wipe my entire disk, which I can't do since I have important Windows data. I'm really exhausted after spending six hours troubleshooting this! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
2 Answers
A common issue can be with how the installation media was created. Did you use a tool like Rufus or Etcher to create your USB? Sometimes the settings for compatibility with various BIOS modes can make a difference, especially with legacy vs UEFI. Also, be sure to install while connected via Ethernet if possible, as that can sometimes help with detection during installation.
Sounds like you're on the right track with your partitions! Just to clarify, booting from a GPT drive in legacy mode requires a BIOS boot partition—not the same as your /boot partition that you set up. You'll need to ensure that partition is correctly flagged as a BIOS boot partition. It usually has no filesystem, so it's just there for GRUB to load properly. Make sure it's about 1-2MB in size and flagged accordingly.
Thanks for the tip! I actually included a 134MB partition with the BIOS boot flag on my second and third installs, but I still ran into problems. Any ideas on what else I could check?
I did use Rufus with the MBR partition scheme selected, but I’ll double-check my settings. I’ll also try an Ethernet connection next time. Thanks for the suggestion!