I'm completely new to Linux and am trying to install Linux Mint XFCE on an older ASUS laptop that originally came with Windows 8. I chose XFCE because I wanted a lightweight desktop, and I'm only experimenting on this laptop rather than my main computer.
I burned the Mint ISO from the official website to a DVD and attempted the installation twice. Both attempts ended with a fatal "grub-install /dev/sda" failure. After the first attempt, rebooting left me at a GRUB prompt, which I don't know how to use.
On the second attempt, I tried running the installer again so I could potentially repair the bootloader, but the installer instead crashed with a ubi-partman Exit Code 10 error. Pressing "Try Again" repeatedly didn't change anything.
What should I check or try next to get Mint installed?
4 Answers
The exact laptop model, CPU, graphics, amount of RAM, Mint version, and full error messages would be important. Also verify the ISO checksum before writing it to the installer media. The ubi-partman exit code is only a general failure code; the installer logs should contain the actual reason partitioning failed.
Make sure the installation mode matches the laptop’s firmware settings. Older machines may be booting the installer in legacy BIOS mode while the disk or existing partitions are configured for UEFI, or vice versa. Boot the USB in the intended mode and use the installer’s disk setup carefully, after backing up anything important.
Try installing from a USB flash drive instead of the DVD. Use a tool such as Rufus to write the Mint ISO to the drive, then boot the laptop from USB. Modern Linux installers generally work more reliably from USB than from burned optical media.
Repeatedly choosing “Try Again” won’t help unless something changes. Partitioning and GRUB errors can indicate a damaged or failing hard drive, especially in a laptop that is more than a decade old. Check the drive’s SMART health and consider replacing it before troubleshooting the installation further.
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