Grub from arch installer fails to install

Gremnon · 2011-04-02 17:06:59

Using the pre-release core (i686) iso 2011.03.23 because the standard iso doesn't have the drivers to support my wireless device (though neither seems to have a driver for the wired interface, interestingly)
When at the 'Install Bootloader' step, it attempts to build the GRUB device map, then the arch installer quits, printing this at the bottom along with a console prompt:
ERROR: device_is_raid needs a blockdevice as $1 ( given)

Attempted to then run 'grub-install' from said console as follows:
[root@archiso ~]# grub-install /dev/sda --root-directory=/mnt
Probing devices to guess BIOS drives. This may take a long time.
The file /mnt/boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly/
[root@archiso ~]#

I found I had to pass the root-directory argument, as otherwise it couldn't find the stage1 file.

This hard disk is not using raid in any way, and for reference has a partition layout as follows
/dev/sda1 ntfs as PQSERVICE
/dev/sda2 ntfs as SYSTEM RESERVED
/dev/sda3 ntfs as Acer
/dev/sda4 extended partition containing:
/dev/sda5 ext3 as /
/dev/sda6 swap

The first three were already present on the disk with Windows 7, which incidentally continues to boot without issue. The only modification made was to shrink the Acer (aka C:\) partiton with GParted to make room for Arch.

Would rather use GRUB than other bootloaders unless unavoidable.
Thanks for any help offered.

oboedad55 · 2011-04-08 19:36:26

Hi, have you had a look here? https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide
I used Gparted to create four partitions for Arch; small /boot with ext3, /root-ext4, /home-ext4 and /swap, 2 gigs. Arch seems to want that /boot partition for its boot files. You can boot Parted Magic or an Ubuntu CD and use Gparted to create the partitions ahead of time if the Arch partitioner is too difficult. Here's a link to Parted Magic; http://partedmagic.com/doku.php

Best of luck!

Gremnon · 2011-04-08 19:40:34

Out of habit, I always use the Beginners Guide, and always use GParted to prepare the partitions in advance. Bad blood between me and Parted Magic writes it out of the book entirely.
Will try again with a boot partition included, but I don't see why it would make any difference.
Any particular reason for ext3 over ext2 for /boot?

oboedad55 · 2011-04-08 19:49:50

Gremnon wrote:

Out of habit, I always use the Beginners Guide, and always use GParted to prepare the partitions in advance. Bad blood between me and Parted Magic writes it out of the book entirely.
Will try again with a boot partition included, but I don't see why it would make any difference.
Any particular reason for ext3 over ext2 for /boot?

I don't see why it would make a difference either, but my install failed until I did it. Ext3 is more robust than Ext2, so if your system crashes there's a better chance of it not being hosed. I don't think it's a big deal either way, but I feel safer with Ext3.

pyther · 2011-04-08 20:00:18

There was a bug in AIF. https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/23494
Should be fixed in the next ISO that is generated.

Gremnon · 2011-04-08 21:46:56

Ah, that's good to know. I was half afraid I'd found an anti-linux laptop.
As to the ext2/3 /boot partition... I remember learning that because the partition isn't used that much, it's perfectly safe not to need a journal on it. I guess if you're the kind to build your kernel reglularly from sources, it might make a difference though.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-04-02 17:06:59

Grub from arch installer fails to install

#2 2011-04-08 19:36:26

Re: Grub from arch installer fails to install

#3 2011-04-08 19:40:34

Re: Grub from arch installer fails to install

#4 2011-04-08 19:49:50

Re: Grub from arch installer fails to install

#5 2011-04-08 20:00:18

Re: Grub from arch installer fails to install

#6 2011-04-08 21:46:56

Re: Grub from arch installer fails to install

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