Replacing an Operating System with Solus

BuzzPCSOS

If your PC has previously enjoyed a different operating system then you may find that just deleting all the partitions on your hard drive is not enough for a successful install of Solus.
This method is not endorsed by the Solus team but it is a method that has worked for me on numerous occasions when distro hopping or reinstalling Windows. I am sure that there are more elegant methods but I feel more comfortable with a GUI, so this is the way that I do it.
To get a cleaner hard drive I like to delete the MBR. Everything on the hard drive will no longer be accessible so back up everything you want to keep before you start.
Various operating systems use the MBR section of the hard drive, deleting it ensures that any interaction with previous installations is removed. Also some viruses bury their payload here so removal can prevent recurring security problems.
Ventoy is a USB boot tool and will usually support UEFI or BIOS without adjustment. If the PC is a model that has both legacy and UEFI boot enabled you will be presented with a choice when you boot from a Ventoy enabled USB. UEFI is preferred if available.
Download and set up Ventoy on a 8+GB USB memory stick. Read the instructions. The Ventoy control program can be run by executing VentoyGUI.x86_64 as Root. Make sure that the Secure Boot Support box is checked in the Ventoy options menu for maximum compatibility. Everything on the target USB will be wiped so back it up.
Get Super Fdisk Bootable CD version (SFbootablecd.iso)
Both SFbootablecd.iso and a Solus ISO should be copied to the Ventoy folder on the USB that has been created.
Boot from the Ventoy USB. Choose SFbootablecd.iso and boot in Memdisk mode. There will be messages about unrecognised file systems which can be ignored. Select the hard drive (not the Ventoy disk) and press F3 to delete the MBR. Confirm your choice and restart.
Boot from your Ventoy stick again but this time choose to boot Solus ISO in normal mode. Run the Solus installer from the live environment.
That's it! Issues involving a successful installation and restart of Solus due to previously installed software should be over.
I hope this helps anyone who has been having Issues.

brent

if solus gets its own drive it's also standard operating procedure for me to gparted>reformat entire drive, every partition til it's one big clean partition, like you described. Completely agree with this post and sequences.

BuzzPCSOS

brent It is probably just me, I found a tool that I use for nothing other than for deleting the MBR. I know it works and have never had an issue with its operation. Never really had faith in other partition tools for this simple operation.
Press F3. MBR gone. Get on with the install. I never worry about creating partitions because the OS installer can do that on the next boot.
Super Fdisk will also wipe completely unrecognised file systems from drives that were previously not fitted in a computer. Making them easy to recycle into computer parts.

elfprince

Doesn't the Solus installer erase the entire disk anyway (when entire disk install is selected)?

brent

elfprince speaking only for me, the answer is probably yes. but my method of gparted for the heavy lifting then let solus installer make its own paritions has never bit me. maybe its superstitious? maybe solus performs the same action I just performed (wipe and gpt) or skips that step? Good question.

BuzzPCSOS

elfprince I always thought it did but the number of issues that people have had sound very similar to symptoms that I cured with the above recipe ;-)

elfprince

brent Strange. In all my installs and reinstalls of Solus and other OSs, I never had to pre-wipe a disk prior to installations. Things just worked as expected.

Axios

BuzzPCSOS I tried to get that point across elsewhere
With windows back in the day sometimes just a simple setup and format did the trick (Before Install)
But for the nasty ones I usually did a disk wipe which got rid of it for sure. (Only sure way)
Also have had HHD start failing in the MBR and just kinda snowball to death Causing issues
along the way.

I agree with what you said,If it is not their cant cause issues
Never really looked deep into why when it was a issue just know what worked.

[deleted]

What if I want to replace Solus with an operating system?

BuzzPCSOS

[deleted] Now why would you want to do that?

But to be fair, if you are moving on - a clean disk is nicer than a dirty one ;-)

brent

elfprince . parted may be a component or backend (do I have the language for that function right?) part of any given installer. which would mean both methods work. I have no idea where I got in the habit of bringing to the solus installer a perfectly formatted GPT disk...when it was going to do it itself anyway? Redundant then.
[that said I never made my own boot/root partitions, always let installer do what it wanted.]

You are probably right. If someone brought to the solus installer an entire FAT-formatted disk, and told the installer to put Solus on the whole disk, then I imagine Solus would do the GPT part. My own prep, if it's redundant and it probably is, is just habit for sure.

BuzzPCSOS

brent I know this is an old(ish) thread now but...
The MBR is a piece of information stored outside of the partitions. If grub (or any OS specific information) has been stored in the MBR then simply deleting the partitions will not clear the MBR. I found that it was necessary to delete the MBR when regressing from some versions of Linux to Windows. Using the Windows installer to clear the disk was not enough to make Windows bootable without first deleting the MBR.
I don't know how Solus erases the hard drive during install but if the MBR remains untouched then there is a good chance that a Solus install would fail if a previous OS install had written information to the MBR.

Axios

BuzzPCSOS Well Put that should be posted all over the walls...haha
I just couldnt convey it like that. Duh

brent

BuzzPCSOS I don't know how Solus erases the hard drive during install but if the MBR remains untouched then there is a good chance that a Solus install would fail if a previous OS install had written information to the MBR.

That's why I use Gparted before install (just in case). I agree with @Axios: great post and info about MBR and booting and old debris.

nolan

my way would be using rufus for a usb drive installer, boot solus, open gparted, make a new partition table, select mbr for old systems or gpt for new systems (will delete existing partitions in the ssd/hdd) then make a new ext4 partition, probably not necessary, then install solus. I thing it's simple.

BuzzPCSOS

nolan More ways of killing a cat...
Any way that the MBR is wiped is good. What I question is the ability of the Solus 'Erase entire Disk' feature used on install to erase the MBR. Certainly MS in all it's wisdom could not manage it (although I can't remember if that was W7 or W10, never bothered with W8)
It is an important point because many folks migrating from other OSs may well need to delete the MBR but will rely on the Solus install to do all the donkey work.

Axios

I think for us that tend to do this method we dont have issues.
Was reading on the installers website they recommend you format the mbr so they
must know something to.
But I am like Buzz why cant the installer handle it?

WetGeek

Axios But I am like Buzz why cant the installer handle it?

In my experience, Calamares can handle it. I've stopped preparing disks manually, and I've never regretted it.

BuzzPCSOS

WetGeek I think individual experiences may vary depending on you running BIOS and a previous OS writing GRUB or a boot virus into the MBR. There have only been a few occasions where my installs failed due to information being previously written into the MBR and these were exclusively on legacy devices that did not use UEFI.