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  • VAIO Tap 20 - Unable to Clean Install Ubuntu 20.04 (Multiple Issues)
VAIO Tap 20 - Unable to Clean Install Ubuntu 20.04 (Multiple Issues)
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Cyba.Cowboy Apr 29, 2020
When I try to "clean" install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS ("Focal Fossa") onto a Sony VAIO Tap 20 SVJ20215CGB with secure boot enabled, everything goes fine, until I restart... Once I restart the computer, I see the "VAIO" logo, then only a black screen - this is before the full-disk encryption password box appears.

As is to be expected, I cannot access Terminal or anything else at this time.

If I try to "clean" install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS ("Focal Fossa") with secure boot disabled, everything seems to install just fine - but after the reboot, various components are missing - the Ubuntu Software Center is the most obvious example, but there are plenty of others (yes, I picked a "normal" installation - I did it twice, just to be sure!).

In an attempt to fix this, I also tried installing Ubuntu 18.04 ("Bionic Beaver") with Secure Boot enabled, with the intention of waiting for the first "point" upgrade (e.g. Ubuntu 20.04.1 or higher), but I get this error message on startup (immediately after the manufacturer logo):
Failed to open \EFI\BOOT\mm64.efi - Not found
Failed to load image \EFI\BOOT\mmx64.efi: Not found
Failed to start MokManager: Not found
Something has gone seriously wrong: import_mok_state() failed: Not found

This installation media has been used to "clean" install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS ("Focal Fossa") on multiple other computers (different manufacturers and models), *without issue*, so there is nothing wrong with the installation media.

At this point, I suspect either the UEFI is corrupt - which I don't know how to fix - or the UEFI is faulty - which I can't fix (Sony haven't manufactured computers in a long, long time)... But I'm out of ideas, so if anyone has any suggestions, it would be appreciated.

Last edited by Cyba.Cowboy on 29 April 2020 at 2:07 am UTC
Dragunov Apr 29, 2020
I'm not really sure why Ubuntu 20.04 LTS isn't working, but I did stumble across this:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1085550/cant-install-ubuntu-18-10-on-xps-15-efi-boot-mmx64-efi-not-found

"I booted an Ubuntu Live USB stick, went into my hard disk drive's /boot/efi folder and renamed the file grubx64.efi to mmx64.efi

Reboot the machine and it should work."


so in theory if you can manage to rename that file, you should be able to get Ubuntu 18.04 working at least...
Cyba.Cowboy Apr 29, 2020
How do I change the permissions to allow a live session - with no username or password (because it automatically logs-in) - to read / write in /boot/efi?

I found a couple of suggestions online, but they were all for an installed system and when I tried to do this from a live session, it kept whinging at me that it wasn't allowed, even when I used "su" or "sudo" (which is what I would have expected, due to the fact that there is no username / password associated with a live session)... I also tried re-mounting the filesystem as writable, but I'm still getting "read-only" errors.

I hope think your suggestion might work, but I need to work out how to get that filesystem writeable before I can test this theory.

Last edited by Cyba.Cowboy on 29 April 2020 at 11:17 am UTC
Salvatos Apr 29, 2020
If UEFI is the blocker, maybe you could boot the hard drive in a different computer? Rename the file there and pop it back in. Otherwise maybe maintenance mode would help you get to your files to edit the one. This video helped me recently with a hard drive that wouldn’t boot (though for completely different reasons):
https://youtu.be/9D3hvnnby9A?t=240

You have minimal features, but it allowed me to act on a drive that was seen as read-only from a live media.
Cyba.Cowboy Apr 29, 2020
Quoting: SalvatosIf UEFI is the blocker, maybe you could boot the hard drive in a different computer? Rename the file there and pop it back in.

This is the only "desktop" we have (it's one of those stupid all-in-one things); everything else is a laptop...


Quoting: SalvatosOtherwise maybe maintenance mode would help you get to your files to edit the one. This video helped me recently with a hard drive that wouldn’t boot (though for completely different reasons):
https://youtu.be/9D3hvnnby9A?t=240

You have minimal features, but it allowed me to act on a drive that was seen as read-only from a live media.

Never heard of "maintenance mode", but I'll check that video out in the morning, see if it's any help to me...

--

Another thing I tried, which someone suggested elsewhere is this, from root (/)...

Input:
fdisk -l


Output:
/dev/sdb1 (type is "empty")
/dev/sdb2 (type is "EFI")
/dev/sdb3 (type is Linux)


Input:
mkdir efi


Output:
mkdir: cannot create directory 'efi': Permission denied


Input:
sudo mount /dev/sdb2


Output:
mount: /dev/sdb2: can't find in /etc/fstab


What I want is to delete mmx64.efi and rename grubx64.efi as mmx64.efi (I figure if I am going to rename grubx64.efi as mmx64.efi, I might as well delete mmx64.efi first), like is discussed over here ( my problem is different, but very, very similar and it has been suggested that this solution might fix my problem as well).
damarrin Apr 29, 2020
You must be super user to create directories in the root of the drive, so you’d need to do sudo mkdir. It’s not necessary, though, you already have /mnt to mount random partitions.

To mount a partition, you have to indicate where to mount it, unless it’s already listed in /etc/fstab, hence the error. So you need to do sudo mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt

Then go into /mnt and see if the files are there.

Last edited by damarrin on 29 April 2020 at 4:22 pm UTC
Salvatos Apr 29, 2020
Quoting: Cyba.Cowboy
Quoting: SalvatosIf UEFI is the blocker, maybe you could boot the hard drive in a different computer? Rename the file there and pop it back in.

This is the only "desktop" we have (it's one of those stupid all-in-one things); everything else is a laptop...
Depending on the kind of drive it has, that can be worked around, though you might not have the parts for it lying around. My external HDD happens to have a detachable adapter so I can pop any hard drive out of a laptop and run it on a different machine via USB in place of the actual backup drive. Something like this. I also have a thing my uncle made for bigger desktop drives but that one is more like a DIY assemblage of cables :) Actual converters do also exist, though it might be a slightly expensive solution to your current problem.

Just putting that out there, of course if you can resolve it from within that would be ideal, but I don’t know anything useful on that front :)
Cyba.Cowboy Apr 29, 2020
Ugh, I can't win.

I managed to get the file renamed, but now I get a new (albeit similar) error message on startup
Failed to open |EFI\BOOT\grubx64.efi - Not found
Failed to load image \EFI\BOOT\grubx64.efi: Not found
start_image() returned Not found


Quoting: SalvatosDepending on the kind of drive it has, that can be worked around, though you might not have the parts for it lying around. My external HDD happens to have a detachable adapter so I can pop any hard drive out of a laptop and run it on a different machine via USB in place of the actual backup drive. Something like this. I also have a thing my uncle made for bigger desktop drives but that one is more like a DIY assemblage of cables :) Actual converters do also exist, though it might be a slightly expensive solution to your current problem.

It's one of those "plug-in" SATA "laptop" drives... Might have to get one of those adapters; I never really thought about it, but I suppose it makes sense that something like that would exist (me - showing my age - pictures the solution as a plug-in caddy from the early-mid '90s).

Last edited by Cyba.Cowboy on 29 April 2020 at 11:56 pm UTC
Dragunov Apr 30, 2020
Do any other Distros based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS install properly? If they don't, then maybe the Newer kernel just doesn't play well with the old hardware.

Maybe see if Ubuntu Mate 20.04 installs, and if it does, just install Unity.

I've ran into this problem before with older computers that just refused to work with certain kernels/distros.

Edit: Another option is to try setting the UEFI to legacy mode and doing a legacy install and see if that makes any difference.

Last edited by Dragunov on 30 April 2020 at 1:54 am UTC
Cyba.Cowboy May 1, 2020
Quoting: DragunovDo any other Distros based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS install properly? If they don't, then maybe the Newer kernel just doesn't play well with the old hardware.

No dice. Even Ubuntu Mate doesn't want to run after I install it... Just a plain, black screen after the manufacturer logo.


Great, now I need to spend more money in the middle of a pandemic.

Grumble, grumble, grumble.


Thanks for your help, anyway guys... Unsurprisingly, the GamingOnLinux Community has been more helpful than other communities I have sought help in.

Last edited by Cyba.Cowboy on 1 May 2020 at 12:17 am UTC
Dragunov May 1, 2020
Ubuntu 16.04 is still receiving security updates until 2024 if you wanna give that one a go, but yeah, i'm out of ideas.
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