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How to install Ubuntu 18.04.05 on Alienware 15 R3 (2020)
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install_ubuntu_18.04.05_on_alienware_15_r3_year_2020.md

How to install Ubuntu 18.04.05 on Alienware 15 R3 (year 2020 edition)

Let windows install

Just next, next, next filling up your data.

I needed to shutdown the machine on a screen that seemed stuck forever. After starting again it all worked normally and got into Windows.

I found the Dell update application and installed all available updates (as I will probably never boot into Windows again).

Shrink the disk

Go to the disk manager (right click on Windows icon > Disk management) and Shrink the OS partition (right click on it, Shrink Volume...). I left 150GB for windows (from my 1TB disk).

Get Windows to boot on AHCI mode (SATA options)

For Ubuntu to see the NVME disk it needs to boot on AHCI not on RAID mode (the default). As you don't want to go to the BIOS to change the SATA mode every time you want to boot in one or another OS, we need to force Windows to be able to boot in AHCI mode.

For that follow the instructions (kindly taken from here):

  1. Run Command Prompt as Admin.
  2. Invoke a Safe Mode boot with the command: bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal.
  3. Restart the PC and enter your BIOS during bootup (F2 key).
  4. In tab Advanced change option SATA Operation from RAID on to AHCI mode then go to Exit tab and use Save Changes and Reset.
  5. Windows 10 will launch in Safe Mode.
  6. Right click the Window icon and select to run the Command Prompt in Admin mode from among the various options.
  7. Cancel Safe Mode booting with the command: bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot.
  8. Restart your PC once more and this time it will boot up normally but with AHCI mode activated.
  9. Enjoy your awesomeness.

Disable Secure boot

I'm not sure if it is actually necessary, but I needed to do it in the past.

Enter your BIOS (F2 key on boot). Go to Boot tab and change Secure Boot option to Disabled.

Note that Boot List Option should be UEFI (it's the default).

Get the latest Ubuntu 18.04 and write it to a bootable pendrive

I got my image from the official Ubuntu releases link.

I use UNetbootin for writing my images.

I use Gparted to format my pendrive to FAT32.

Boot from the Live USB

Smash F12 until you can choose from which device to boot from.

Choose your USB device.

Now, by default, the live USB didn't boot for me, it got stuck in a black screen. To overcome that (from this askubuntu post):

Some computer's hardware may have problems with some of the Desktop drivers. You can fix this by typing e at the Try Ubuntu without installing option from the initial black screen menu. Then replace the words quiet splash with nomodeset. Then hit F10 to boot.

Now install as normal.

You could find some extra generic instructions in a previous version of this gist: https://gist.github.com/awesomebytes/e4556b06bedf860189378428b508c043

First boot(s)

You'll need to do the same trick of hitting e and adding nomodeset to boot for the first time.

Then once in Ubuntu you can make it permanent doing (from this post):

You should add this option to /etc/default/grub, firstly:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

and then add nomodeset to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT:

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

And then save by hitting Ctrl+O, then exit nano with Ctrl+X, then simply run:

sudo update-grub

Once you reboot, you won't need to do anything.

You may want to install the nvidia drivers too, I did this graphically using the software-properties-gtk command, going to the Additional Drivers tab, and selecting nvidia-driver-460. Afterwards I rebooted and everything was fine.

HOWEVER, then I could not install CUDA (via the official instructions), I got the error:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 cuda : Depends: cuda-11-3 (>= 11.3.1) but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

So I needed to undo it and do:

sudo apt clean
sudo apt update
sudo apt purge nvidia-* 
sudo apt autoremove
sudo apt install -y cuda
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