The problem: I want to install Ubuntu on my HDD, but after the installation process from the Installation-USB, the HDD won't boot up and does not get shown as possible boot device.
I have a 5TB WD Elements HDD. I have yet no storage on it so I can totally mess around at that HDD. Since I want to use 4,8TB of my HDD for pure storage (exFAT) and only 200GB for Ubuntu, I pre-partioned the HDD that way.
In the Ubuntu installation progress, running from a live-USB-Stick, I choosed "something else" as an option, formatted the 200GB to ext4, primary, / as root and below my external HDD as device for the bootloader. Finished the installation, rebooted and no device was found.
I also tried other stuff:
Preformatting in gparted
Creating an additional swap-partition of something like 10GB (always used different sizes from 5-10GB)
Creating an additional bios-partition
Using the 200GB partition for the bootloader instead of the whole drive
Using the whole drive as an installation medium (not preformatting it myself)
Trying to boot up the HDD on different computers
There probably seems to be a problem that the boot partition is not working or something like that. The system partition seems to exist and the installation progress was always finished successfully (until the reboot)
I successfully did several installations of Ubuntu before on internal HDDs. So I am wondering why this is not working on my portable HDD. Neverless what I do, neverless what tutorial or forum post I read, I did not get it to work. I did at least 10 full installations. I just want a portable HDD that can boot up while beeing connected at any PC.
Can anyone help?
Best Answer
Install Ubuntu from a Pre-built Image File that boots BIOS and UEFI
It looks like you are doing everything right. At this point it might be worth installing Ubuntu from an image file. The image file will turn tour disk into a clone of a working, external Full install system, that boots in both BIOS and UEFI modes. It is quick and simple and always works.
If working in Windows:
Download Image File: https://phillw.net/isos/linux-tools/uefi-n-bios/dd_unb_ubuntu-20.04_15GB_2020-06-26.img.xz
Download Rufus*: https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/releases/download/v3.11/rufus-3.11.exe
Double click Rufus exe file.
Select USB drive as Target drive in Rufus.
Select above Image File in Rufus.
Click Rufus start button.
Wait for flashing to complete... Done.
Password is "changeme", change it
The USB drive should boot on almost any modern X86-64 computer.
Thanks to sudodus for the image file.
In Windows it may be necessary to install 7Zip before proceeding. Rufus will use it when working with the .xz image: https://www.7-zip.org/a/7z1900-x64.exe
If working in Ubuntu: you can use mkusb, Disks or Etcher to flash the USB drive. P7zip may be needed to extract the image.