Cannot boot Ubuntu on Optiplx 7070 -- no bootable devices found

Question

I purchased a new refurbished Optiplex 7070 with preinstalled windows 10 on 512GB M.2.

I want to run CentOs 7.7 on this with a 2TB M.2 drive... so I swapped and tried the install. dracut emergency mode stops the install and I can't get further with Centos.

I then tried Ubuntu 18.04... it seemed to install, but the system will not boot from the drive, it reports "No bootable devices found".

I've tried disabling secure boot, turning on legacy ROM, and other advice I've found in forums for older products with no success.

How can I install and run linux on the Optiplex 7070?

savvy2 · Answer

surely this is no dual boot dream , right? as W10 does not like that.

so erase the m2. and install unbuntu. (i presume linux install on usb stick right?)

F2 settings.

legacy on.
secure boot off.
safe boot off (so usb can boot)
TPM never turn that on ever if seen CIA doom mode.
PXE (in NIC ) set to off.
turn off RST if not doing raid turn this off in BIOS ( SATA + ACHI, NO RAID, no RST.
set boot order to (usb then m.2)
erase the m.2.
boot USB ubuntu flash mem. stick.
install USB ubuntu, and remove usb stick at the right time, so it does not boot loop the stick.

savvy2 · Answer

so the PC is new and m.2 is set to secure boot on all new PC by dell ,

so linux sees that and knows it can;t touch that secure drive., and stops you.

UEFI secure boot is a secure volume. so erase it. (fresh and clean)

I use killdisk.exe free to do that, there are vast other tools to do that. ( a single pass of 0s will do it)

I have not seen 2019 bios , look in there see if erase drive is there, on some makers PC they do that now, and would a cool feature, in the firmware. I always look first, in F2 screen lean what is there, and use what I see.

I use killdisk, CD or usb made from ISO. to boot it and erase any thing I want at any time, in my kit.

also this may void your warranty, a way to avoid that? might?) is put in another SDD drive and remove m.2.

and run off new drive, ready to reverse back to old drive if warranty issues pop. (if legit,IDK that)

speedstep · Answer

Dell only supports Linux on models that came with linux.

No model boots legacy mode past 2016 skylake.

Newer models are 64 bit only UEFI Only, Windows 10 only.

That said It is certified for Ubuntu

https://certification.ubuntu.com/hardware/201810-26611

This system was tested with 18.04 LTS, running the 4.15.0-1035-oem kernel.

Hardware summary

This system was tested with these key components:

Network

Intel I210 Gigabit Network Connection Ethernet Server Adapter I210-T1 (8086:1533)

Intel Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (7) I219-LM (8086:15bb)

Processor

Intel Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9900 CPU @ 3.10GHz

Hardware details

Audio	Intel Cannon Lake PCH cAVS (8086:a348) Intel Unknown
Cdrom	KIOXIA Corporation HL-DT-ST DVD+/-RW GU90N
Disk	KIOXIA Corporation TOSHIBA DT01ACA050
Network	Intel I210 Gigabit Network Connection Ethernet Server Adapter I210-T1 (8086:1533) Intel Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (7) I219-LM (8086:15bb)
Processor	Intel Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9900 CPU @ 3.10GHz
USB	Intel Cannon Lake PCH USB 3.1 xHCI Host Controller (8086:a36d)
Other	KIOXIA Corporation Dell AIO WMI hotkeys KIOXIA Corporation Dell WMI hotkeys KIOXIA Corporation HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=10 KIOXIA Corporation HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=3 KIOXIA Corporation HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=7 KIOXIA Corporation HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=8 KIOXIA Corporation HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=9 KIOXIA Corporation HDA Intel PCH Headphone Mic KIOXIA Corporation HDA Intel PCH Line Out KIOXIA Corporation Power Button KIOXIA Corporation Sleep Button KIOXIA Corporation Video Bus Texas Instruments XIO2001 PCI Express-to-PCI Bridge (104c:8240) Intel Sky Lake Gaussian Mixture Model (8086:1911) Intel Unknown Logitech, Inc. Unifying Receiver (046d:c534) Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub (1d6b:0002) Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub (1d6b:0003)

skaucik555 · Answer

Hello Guys

I am writing to make it easier for others
maybe it will help someone

I'd the same problem and losted more time for run ubuntu 20.04 on Dell Optiplex 7070.
Instalation proces past without eny problem but when I tryed boot ubuntu from SSD or NVMe
system sayed that no system to boot.

I looked on different BIOS for ubuntu but Dell not deployed it. Look like the same for Win.

I solved the problem like this:

On machine with Win 10 I run Dell OS Recovery Tool and switch to "extended recovery mode",
in the middle panel I put path to ubuntu-20.04.4-desktop-amd64.iso file and tap Next...Next to write
on USB stick.
I run ubuntu-install from thats USB drive in UEFI and install it normally, reboot, go to the BIOS, switch boot to UEFI
(I see ubuntu option in UEFI:), save and exit BIOS and...

BIG BANG
I'v ubuntu boot witch logo DELL
System start without any problem.

good luck

It worked for me, I wonder if it will be possible to repeat it

Optiplex Desktops

Cannot boot Ubuntu on Optiplx 7070 -- no bootable devices found

Hardware details

Was this post helpful?