I have succeeded in booting to GRUB2.00 with Ubuntu by first default option but with Win8 as an option.
I tried the 'Ubuntu Boot Assistant' as postulated in the question - but it did not work.
The solution is:
Open Ubuntu
Download and install a program called Boot-Repair
Run the 'Recommended Repair' option
Boot-Repair cannot be accessed from Ubuntu's Software Center :-(
For full instructions on how to download and install the software see here. I used the Terminal option and it worked just fine.
It sounds like you've already installed Ubuntu in BIOS mode. If I'm mistaken, you can either do so or try my first suggestion and/or a rEFInd installation to boot the installer in EFI mode to do the installation directly in that way.
First, try disabling Secure Boot and booting the Ubuntu installer in EFI mode. Secure Boot support is brand-new in Ubuntu 12.10, and it may yet be buggy, so eliminating Secure Boot as a possible troublemaker is worth trying.
If that works, you can boot the Ubuntu disc into live CD mode and use it to install the EFI boot loader of your choice. Ubuntu 12.10 uses GRUB 2, but several others are available, and you may prefer one of them. You could try something similar with the System Rescue CD, which supports an EFI-mode boot.
If you can't seem to get Ubuntu or System Rescue CD booted in this way, try installing my rEFInd boot manager from within Windows. (You'll need to either disable Secure Boot or jump through some extra hoops to get it working, though.) A basic installation with no extra changes will present a menu with Windows and nothing else; but you can enable a boot to Ubuntu in either of two ways:
- You can edit the
refind.conf file, uncomment the scanfor line, and add hdbios to the list of options. This will enable scanning for, and booting to, BIOS-based OSes, such as your Ubuntu installation. This option works with many, but not all, UEFI-based PCs.
- You can install the ext4fs driver that comes with rEFInd 0.6.0. This will enable rEFInd to search for Linux kernels and launch them from your regular installation. You'll also need to create a
refind_linux.conf file and put it in your Linux /boot directory, though; without it, the kernel will launch but it won't be able to find your root filesystem. You could do a one-time boot by selecting the Linux icon, hitting the Insert key a couple of times to bring up the editor, and adding ro root=/dev/sda3 (or whatever the Linux root partition's identifier is) to the boot options. Once Linux is up, running the mkrlconf.sh script that comes with rEFInd should generate a suitable configuration file to obviate the need for manually entering this option.
The last I heard, none of the BSDs had a working EFI-mode boot loader. If I'm misinformed or if this has changed recently, you should be able to install BSD and select it with rEFInd. If the BSDs are still behind the EFI times, though, you'll need to use either your firmware's selection tool or rEFInd to switch between Windows and BSD; AFAIK, no other boot program can switch BIOS/EFI boot modes on UEFI-based PCs. (rEFIt can do this on Macs, though.)
Best Answer
The last I heard, WUBI didn't work well on UEFI installations; however, I don't follow WUBI very closely, so that may not be accurate. If it is accurate, your best bet is to ignore any WUBI-style boot options and instead boot the Ubuntu CD/DVD directly using the firmware's boot manager (usually accessed by hitting a function key soon after you power on). You may see two CD/DVD device entries in the list; be sure to select the one that's marked as being for "EFI" or "UEFI" and not one that's marked as "BIOS" or "Legacy." Once the installer is booted, I recommend dropping to a shell and checking for the presence of a directory called
/sys/firmware/efi. If it's present, you've booted into EFI mode; if not, you've probably accidentally booted into BIOS/legacy mode. Do not proceed with installation in BIOS/legacy mode. Although you can get it to work this way, you'll need to jump through some extra hoops, so it's better to go back and at least try to get the installer started in EFI mode.Ubuntu 12.10 does support Secure Boot, but this is a brand-new feature and so it may yet be buggy on some systems. If you want to eliminate Secure Boot as a possible source of trouble, you can certainly disable it using your firmware setup utility, but the details of how to do so vary from one system to another.
FWIW, part of the problem with UEFI systems right now is that, despite a strict and detailed UEFI standard, manufacturers are introducing their own unique bugs, quirks, and idiosyncratic ways of doing things. It's like a cross between the Wild West and the Soviet Union. The point of this is: If you get a computer and it's giving you too much grief getting the Ubuntu installer to boot, return it, and make it very clear why you've done so. You might end up with something a little less mind-bendingly dysfunctional. FWIW, I've seen more problem reports about Sony and HP machines than most others, but I don't know if that's because they're worse than others or because they're more popular than others.