[Solved] Installed archlinux installation media | internal harddrive

JuseBox · 2012-02-22 05:06:07

I am sitting here with a buddies laptop and I have no idea how to solve this. He was trying to install the archlinux media to usb for a netbook installation. Instead of issuing the command.

sudo dd if=archlinux.iso of=/dev/sdb

for his usbstick, he instead used sda which is his internal harddrive. After a reboot of his system of course doesn't work. Now while trying to reinstall we are unable to install grub to sda anymore no matter what we try. Has anyone done this before?

Solved:
After doing some research on this I found out that when I mounted sda it would only mount 180MB for the live image. I issued this command.

dd bs=4M if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda

After this lengthy process completed the hdd was completely wiped. Allowing me to install just fine.

Last edited by JuseBox (2012-02-27 22:51:23)

karol · 2012-02-22 05:20:54

How are you (re)installing Arch - using the latest official iso?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Be … bootloader

hadrons123 · 2012-02-22 06:03:32

You probably borked the MBR of the internal HDD.Try formatting the sda disk writing a new partition table.

DSpider · 2012-02-22 10:48:52

Most laptops have only one HDD, but he should've checked anyway if sdb was the USB stick or not (using something like "sudo fdisk -l"), because dd is a very powerful program. He learned that the hard way.

Now you need something like Parted Magic or GParted Live, either from a CD or a USB stick.

JuseBox · 2012-02-22 12:24:01

Ok, this is what I have tried.

During the Archlinux installation I can't even get the usb to install to boot up. Gives me this error.

Waiting 30 Secs for device /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108
ERROR: Mounting was successful, but the '/bootmnt/arch/aitab' file doesn't exist.

then drops to ramfs shell.

Ubuntu works fine during the install up onto the installation (live works) when it tries to install grub it fails saying that /dev/sda doesn't exist when it does.

If I go to install windows back that works fine. It installs, I applied updates, then rebooted and still fine. We don't want windows though. Thats the issue.

Is it that my MBR is messed up? If this is the case I have no idea why all restoration attempts have failed. Or why windows is able to install.

Last edited by JuseBox (2012-02-22 12:38:02)

meph · 2012-02-22 12:54:32

Plug the usb stick into some other computer, say a windows machine, and manually change its label to ARCH_201108. I don't know if that's the proper solution, but it worked some time ago when I ran into similar issue.

hadrons123 · 2012-02-22 12:56:24

DSpider wrote:

Now you need something like Parted Magic or GParted Live, either from a CD or a USB stick.

try this...

JuseBox · 2012-02-27 22:50:36

After doing some research on this I found out that when I mounted sda it would only mount 180MB for the live image. I issued this command.

dd bs=4M if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda

After this lengthy process completed the hdd was completely wiped. Allowing me to install just fine.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-02-22 05:06:07

[Solved] Installed archlinux installation media | internal harddrive

#2 2012-02-22 05:20:54

Re: [Solved] Installed archlinux installation media | internal harddrive

#3 2012-02-22 06:03:32

Re: [Solved] Installed archlinux installation media | internal harddrive

#4 2012-02-22 10:48:52

Re: [Solved] Installed archlinux installation media | internal harddrive

#5 2012-02-22 12:24:01

Re: [Solved] Installed archlinux installation media | internal harddrive

#6 2012-02-22 12:54:32

Re: [Solved] Installed archlinux installation media | internal harddrive

#7 2012-02-22 12:56:24

Re: [Solved] Installed archlinux installation media | internal harddrive

#8 2012-02-27 22:50:36

Re: [Solved] Installed archlinux installation media | internal harddrive

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