mount error special device /dev/nvme... does not exist

richt · 2024-04-08 18:03:20

I'm following the installation guide attempting to install the latest arch iso from USB to a 30GB ext4 partition on my Lenovo Carbon X1 7th Gen SSD (currently configured as dual boot - Windows and Ubuntu). I am able to boot to the USB okay, and connect to wifi using iwctl, but my mount commands fail as follows:

# mount /dev/nvme0n1p6 /mnt
mount: /mnt: special device /dev/nvme0n1p6 does not exist

I've tried blockdev –rereadpt, and I've screened dmesg without finding any related errors.

fdisk -l follows:

Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 476.94 GiB, 512110190592 bytes, 1000215216 sectors
Disk model: WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G-1001          
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 90E9597A-9D08-46FF-84A7-94E303EAE1A2

Device             Start        End   Sectors   Size Type
/dev/nvme0n1p1      2048     206847    204800   100M EFI System
/dev/nvme0n1p2    206848     239615     32768    16M Microsoft reserved
/dev/nvme0n1p3    239616  332271615 332032000 158.3G Microsoft basic data
/dev/nvme0n1p4 998377472 1000210431   1832960   895M Windows recovery environment
/dev/nvme0n1p5 390703104  998377471 607674368 289.8G Linux filesystem
/dev/nvme0n1p6 332271616  390703103  58431488  27.9G Linux filesystem

lsblk follows:

NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
loop0         7:0    0 788.2M  1 loop /run/archiso/airootfs
sda           8:0    1  14.5G  0 disk 
├─sda1        8:1    1   940M  0 part 
└─sda2        8:2    1    15M  0 part 
sdb           8:16   1 115.5G  0 disk 
└─sdb1        8:17   1 115.5G  0 part /mnt
nvme0n1     259:0    0 476.9G  0 disk 
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0   100M  0 part 
├─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0    16M  0 part 
├─nvme0n1p3 259:3    0 158.3G  0 part 
├─nvme0n1p4 259:4    0   895M  0 part 
├─nvme0n1p5 259:5    0 289.8G  0 part 
└─nvme0n1p6 259:6    0  27.9G  0 part

I expect this is related to the type of drive (NVDe) as I was able to install arch successfully on a mechanical hard drive, but I'm not able to track it down.

Last edited by richt (2024-04-08 21:10:18)

ua4000 · 2024-04-08 19:05:49

# mount /dev/nvme0n1p6 /mnt
mount: /mnt: special device /dev/mvne0n1p6 does not exist

--> /dev/nvme0n1p6
--> /dev/mvne0n1p6

You see your typo now ?
Also it seems you didn't copy+pasted us the real used terminal command+output.

richt · 2024-04-08 21:18:33

It's true I didn't direct the error to a text file to copy and paste here (as I did with fdisk and lsblk output). I've corrected the typo in my post, but of course the problem remains outstanding. I rebooted a few times and tried the command mount /dev/nvme0n1p6 /mnt a number of times (also tried mount /dev/nvme0n1 /mnt a few times for fun, same error).

bschnei · 2024-04-09 00:45:10

I'm not sure it would result in the error you've posted, but your lsblk output shows /dev/sdb1 already mounted to /mnt. Have you simply ls /dev to see if the device file is indeed there? blkid is another useful command for querying attached block devices.

Edit: also consider a potential workaround noted here: https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/692486

Last edited by bschnei (2024-04-09 00:47:57)

seth · 2024-04-09 07:16:12

Given that /mnt is mounted there's an incredibly high chance that the OP is trying this from a (botched) chroot
=> Why is /mnt mounted to sdb1 at this point and what actual steps have you taken before you end in this situation?

richt · 2024-04-09 21:12:52

I can't explain it, but these mount commands worked today. I rebooted to the USB iso numerous times yesterday and consistently received the error "special device /dev/nvme0n1p6 does not exist"... but not today, despite my efforts to recreate the error. It's like when you take the car to the mechanic and it stops making that noise...

Both of you noted that sdb1 was mounted at /mnt, but I had only mounted that USB drive AFTER failing to mount the nvme0n1p6 (root) and p1 (efi) partitions so I could tee the fdisk and lsblk outputs to the USB to copy them above. Nothing was mounted to /mnt while I was attempting to mount the nvme.

@seth: I hadn't reached the arch-chroot step of the installation yet when I experienced this error.
@bschnei: The stackexchange posts looked quite promising... had my error not magically disappeared!

Many thanks for considering this!

Arch Linux

#1 2024-04-08 18:03:20

mount error special device /dev/nvme... does not exist

#2 2024-04-08 19:05:49

Re: mount error special device /dev/nvme... does not exist

#3 2024-04-08 21:18:33

Re: mount error special device /dev/nvme... does not exist

#4 2024-04-09 00:45:10

Re: mount error special device /dev/nvme... does not exist

#5 2024-04-09 07:16:12

Re: mount error special device /dev/nvme... does not exist

#6 2024-04-09 21:12:52

Re: mount error special device /dev/nvme... does not exist

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