I am trying to install Linux Mint on my Dell laptop (Dell G5 15 8 gen core i7, gtx 1060 max-Q, 16 gb). The installer freezes on the Mint logo loading screen. I have tried using two different USB drives, 4 different distros, rufus and universal usb installer, and yes secure boot is disabled. I was able to successfully install Pop Os (with the Nvidia drivers packaged in the ISO). The error seems to be occurring when the DE tries to start up (needs Nvidia drivers most likely). I do not see any options in the BIOS to disable the Nvidia gpu (to run off of the igpu for installation). Any ideas?
Maybe linux mint and Ubuntu LTS dont really play nice with your particular hardware.
Since your laptop is fairly new, and Ubuntu / Mint work with 4.15 kernels out of the box.
That could be a reason why it wont work.
It could verywell be a Nvidia driver issue in that instance yep.
Another thing you could check out if iommu is disabled in the bios.
If that all does not work, did you also tried the point releases of Ubuntu?
Like Ubuntu Mate 18.10 or Kubuntu 18.10?
Those have newer kernels.
Other option are just going with a different distro family.
Maybe Fedora or Manjaro or Open suse tumbleweed.
Those are cutting edge distro’s with newer kernels out of the box.
If still prefer to stay with a debian based distro.
Then maybe MX18 might be something to try out.
Press ‘e’ on the screen that says “Install Mint/Ubuntu”
Find the line (use arrow keys) with linux… quiet splash and add nomodeset after both of those words.
Press Control X or F12/something. The console should tell you.
Let us know if you’re able to boot the installer after that. You may have to do it until you get Nvidia drivers installed, even after the installation
Are you able to take out the SSD, install the Distro and get it setup on a desktop, and then pop it back into the laptop?
MisteryAngel: Kubuntu 18.10 was one of the ones that I tried. I really would prefer Mint though.
AdminDev: ok thanks.
2bitmarksman: no not really possible in my situation (dont have a second computer or any of my tools with me atm).
All: So just had the strangest thing happen. Reflashed the Mint ISO onto the usb with rufus. opened the grub edit thing and typed in something that it then complained about not being a valid command. It then preceded to boot right into Mint with no issues. Only thing I did differently this time was used the check for bad blocks in rufus.
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Possible that the burn went bad, or bad sectors on the usb… some USB drives over time have damaged sectors.
I had a couple of bad burns with rufus aswell a couple of times.
So yeah that could definitelly be an issue.
I understand why you like Mint allot.
Its an awesome distro.