Ubuntu 18.04 will not boot up - "error communicating to TPM chip"

If you upload the image to something like imageshack so that a URL is made then you can post that as an update on your question

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/9886/O6l6kZ.jpg

I hope this will work. Never having used image shack before... This is the only thing I could figure out comes close to a "URL is made". At first It looked like I had to give imageshack a url of my own before I uploaded the image but I didn't know where to go to get one so I uploaded the image and there was this link above that I am sharing with you which appeared before I put the image in a folder.
Try it and if it does not work then maybe I can try something else - as you recommend-
But in any case, thanks!

it's good, really useful. You should run a full fsck from liveCD on /dev/sda1

It looks unhappy.

Do you have a TPM option in BIOS? It may need enabling.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1178285/how-to-solve-ima-error-communicating-to-tpm-chip-messages-during-boot

Not sure what a full fsck from liveCD means... as I said I am a neophyte at best.
However, I think I can check bios for a TPM option - see if it is enabled.

use:

sudo parted -l

to see the file systems then use the below as a guide
https://linuxize.com/post/fsck-command-in-linux/

You will do this using the media you installed Ubuntu with (or similar) so that the file system isn't mounted. This will check the file system for errors and issues

TPM embedded security has 3 options: Change, View, Hide. This is under "system configuration" heading and Set Security level sub-heading.
Under the "Security" heading TPM embedded security is not available but the title is in a faded presentation so that it looks like it could be available if something were somehow set differently. .. but right now I cannot access it.

I do have a memory stick with Ubuntu 18.04 on it - what I used to install this a while ago.
So I guess this will act as my "liveCD", right?

Anyway I'll have to pick this up again in about 6 - 8 hours since I have a job to manage right now.
Thanks again...

Any linux based OS that can boot from CD or USB will do it

Open BIOS in the security section move to TPM -> Disable TPM -> Save & Exit
This might help.

In BIOS security section TPM is blocked out - it is in a faded state so my cursor or arrow keys do nothing - I'm guessing that it is off. .. but if not off then unavailable to change. I can click on it but it does nothing. .. just sits there in its faded condition.

as far as using the sudo parted -l command, it is not recognizing sudo ...
it responds with:
"sh: sudo: not found
(initramfs) _" that last character, the underline, is flashing, and leaves when I enter another command...

it tells me to enter "help" for a list of built-in commands
so after the (initramfs I entered "help" and got a list of commands... which I don't know how to use but sudo is not on the list...

so here's the list:
. : [ alias break cd chdir command continue echo eval exec exit export false getopts hash help history let local printf pwd read
readonly return set shift test times trap true type ulimit umask unalias unset wait [ [[ acpid ash awk basename blockdev cat chmod chroot chvt clear cmp cp cut deallocvt deluser devmem df du dumpkmap echo egrep env expr false fbset fgrep find fstrim grep gunzip lzop mkdir mkfifo mknod mkswap mktemp modinfo more mount mv openvt pidof printf ps pwd readlink reset rm rmdir sed seq setkeycodes sh sleep sort stat static-sh stty switch_root sync tail tee test touch tr true tty umount uname uniq wc wget
which yes
(initramfs)_" again the last characte, the underline is flashing - waiting for me to use one or more of those commands.

Thanks. I think it probably is disabled - not responding so that's why I
think it is disabled.

On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 3:20 PM Bernard Stafford <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #699484 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/699484
>
> Bernard Stafford proposed the following answer:
> Open BIOS in the security section move to TPM -> Disable TPM -> Save & Exit
> This might help.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/699484/+confirm?answer_id=9
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/699484
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

So far I have been trying to do something with the TPM and entered a Bios administrative password and it looks like I have come to a place where I can turn on the TPM as it has been turned off.
Do I want to turn it on?
Actionparsnip said early on in this communication string that it might need to be turned on - so here I am ready to turn it on.
I suppose I can try it and see what goes. And turn it off if it's a worse mess or does nothing.

It made zero difference. .. So
on to the next suggestion from Manfred to use a memory stick with 18.04 on it etc.

I used Manfred's advice and booted 18.04 from the memory stick ... went to terminal and used "sudo parted -l"
I got a description of the hard disk drive followed by a "Warning" that Linux says the block size is 512 bytes but the driver descriptor says it is 2048 bytes...
then an option to "Ignore or cancel?"
which one should I choose?
This discrepancy seems a likely reason for my issue or at least it may be linked to it.

guess I'll "Ignore" so I can move forward into it...
after "Ignore" it gave a description of my boot stick. No surprises here.
then...
sudo fsck/dev/sda - yielded - sudo: fsck/dev/sda: command not found
sudo fsck/dev/sda1 - yielded the same as above - command not found
fsck/dev/sda1 - yielded - bash: fsck/dev/sda1: no such file or directory
fsck/dev/sda - yielded the same as above- bash: fsck/dev/sda1: no such file or directory

Now what?

There is a space after "fsck". You also can't fsck /dev/sda. It is a disk but you can fsck /dev/sda1 as this is a file system.

The output of the parted command will show you the file systems available in the system. You need to read the output to see which name is your internal Linux file system and then check it.

OK so there is a space after "fsck" that helps.
So I did sudo parted -l again and the file system is named ext4
So I did sudo fsck /dev/sda/ext4 and it said:
"fsck from util-linux 2.31.1
e2fsck 1.44.1 (24-Mar-2018)
fsck.ext2: Not a directory while trying to open /dev/sda/ext4

The superblock could not be read or does not describe a valid ext2/ext3/ext4 filesystem.
if the device is valid and it really contains an ext/ext3/ext4 filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b 8193 <device>
or
e2fsck -b 32768 <device> "

I kind of figured on the "corrupt" file part.
Not really sure how to proceed here...
Thanks...

You misread the output of the parted command and constructed a wrong parameter.
ext4 is not the name, but the type of the file system.

In the upper part of the parted -l output you should see the name of the disk.
Either
Disk: /dev/sda
or
Disk: /dev/sdb
or some other letters.

And in the lower part you see the partitions with their numbers.
It should show something like
Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32kB 1078MB 1077MB primary ext4 boot
2 1078MB 2155MB 1078MB primary linux-swap

Identify the number at the beginning of the line that contains "ext4" and append this number to the disk name, giving a command like
sudo fsck /dev/sda1
(if the ext4 partition is number 2, then it has to be /dev/sda2, if the disk name is /dev/sdb, then it has to be /dev/sdb1 respectively /dev/sdb2 etc.)

I followed your directions and the "sudo fsck /dev/sda1" command worked. it yielded quite a few corrupted inodes that I allowed to be fixed, a couple of extent trees I allowed to be optimized, and quite a few Free blocks that were of a wrong count to be changed to the right count, and a handful of block bitmap differences that were fixed, and a few inode bitmap differences that were corrected, and a few Free inodes of a wrong count that were made to a correct count.
I took pictures with my phone camera just in case...
rebooted the system...
and
IT WORKS AGAIN !!!!
Thank you - Thank you - Thanks you
Actionparsnip
&
Manfred Hampl

Kudos to you for getting this old neophyte back into action.
You guys are Amazing!!!

Thanks Manfred Hampl, that solved my question.

step 20 in this session from Manfred Hampl is what solved the problem, and Actionparsnip helped me get into position to use this information. I am most grateful.

Alas now the Wi-Fi does not work... I can use a LAN cable with this computer until I get the Wi-Fi module to be recognized and used...
I hope something else is not broken