So I've been working on installing something other than ubuntu for months now, but every other install fails. With Debian, either Jessie or Stretch, it will fail at the select and install software section. With Arch I will complete the install, but then it can't find my disc. I am using an EFI system, and I have properly told rufus to make the bootable USBs for a GPT install. And booted all the install discs in EFI mode.
Debian tells me earlier in the install where it's setting up the network that it's missing firmware. I acquire the firmware, no more error there. Still fails on select and install software.
I have tried removing all other disks and just letting debian do it's thing. Still failed at the same point.
I'm at the point where I'm thinking there's just something wrong with my motherboard, and I should just think about replacing it.
Really, I don't need any help on this one. I'm going to install kubuntu because I don't want to deal with windows and after doing my due diligence I will be happy with it until I have other hardware to test it on.
I just used EFI + GPT for the first time this week. Some things to bear in mind.
For EVERY OS you install, you have to have separate FAT32 /boot/efi partition with the flags BOOT & ESP. No one seems to know what size the partition should be but 500 megs should be safe. It's not much anyway. During install you can partition Fat32 /boot/efi. Click apply and then go to same partition and now choose the flags BOOT & ESP. Install your distros EFI there. / or Root can be anywhere else (not sure if different harddisk works, haven't tried).
Keep track of which EFI partition is for which OS. When I tried installing /boot/efi on same EFI partition for multiple distros, I ended up with a GrubRescue-prompt. Not good.
I also have 4 HDDs or something. So I have 1 dedicated to all my Linux Distros. I chose to put Grub2 on that disk for all installs. So when I go to BIOS, BOOT- section and select my UEFI HDD, it boots to Grub and I have the option to boot any of my 4 distros. There might be 2 UEFI HDDs with the exact same name, there was for me. Try booting both (not at the same time of coz), see which one works.
XFS with Opensuse boots, BTRFS might work, ReiserFS probably wont boot. Stick with EXT4 for the Distros install if unsure.
Yeah, tried stretch (current testing version). Same error.
Yes, I learned this like I do most things, the hard way. It's the reason I stayed with EFI. I can have all the bootloader information on each seperate disk and not have to redo everything should I switch out drives or fuck up something on the disc that has the MBR.
I don't have the other distros running either, but I do have windows, which is also using EFI. I thought maybe windows was fucking with it and just unplugged all the drives except the one I was using to install.