Installing Ubuntu-Mate 18.04 - what to do if the bootloader breaks

[alpinejohn]

Hallo

I've just upgraded my main system from 16.04 to 18.04. It was a fight. I have two drives and an Intel BIOS. When installing via "The something else method" the bootloader broke.

I was technically out of my depth, all I could get was a GRUB prompt.

Ubuntu-Mate solved the problem for me. Here is how that happened.

I had installed from a USB thumb drive, but I could not re-start a fresh installation attempt from it, I kept being left in front of a GRUB prompt. I had a magazine (Linux Welt) DVD with a copy of 18.04 and booted from that. This time a new installation process was launched. On the Ubuntu-Mate "Welcome" window that appeared there was a "button" to repair boot problems. I clicked it and let it run its course. I then continued with the installation process which went smoothly (except for some difficulties with my QWERTZ keyboard (for details and solution see this post):

Non-qwerty keyboard at login?

Hallo Herve5 Thank you for posting your last piece of information. I’ve just upgraded my main system from 16.04 to 18.04. It was a fight (the bootloader broke). When I had 18.04 up and running the system registered my keyboard as “QWERTZ” (with some special signs) - but - the logon screen still thought it was a standard “QWERTY” keyboard. Once running, the keyboard was then recognised as “QWERTZ”. I applied a “fix” that I had previously found. It did not work. I then applied your: (yo…

Serious praise.
I do not know who put that "repair boot problems" button on the Welcome screen. That was a wonderful idea. You have my gratitude.

[lah7]

@alpinejohn

I do not know who put that "repair boot problems" button on the Welcome screen. That was a wonderful idea. You have my gratitude.

I did, commited 2+ years ago.

Add boot-repair to live session.

My thanks goes out to the boot-repair developers who are the heroes to repair the bootloader in just a few clicks.

[mdooley]

Please let me know where I can find the “repair boot problems” button - can’t seem to find it on the live USB nor in an installed system. Thanks alpinejohn .

[ele]

@mdooley It’s in Welcome > Installation guide > Dual booting and there you can Install it.

I only know it’s there, because I was translating Welcome and had to explore what it is to translate it correctly.

[mdooley]

Ahh. I finally found it in a live USB (MATE 18.04.1) under Installation Help > Dual Booting > Repair Boot Problems > Download Boot Repair. Thanks ele.