BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

xer01ne · 2013-09-02 09:31:59

I just installed arch on my laptop (or attempted). It seems I've made an error when setting up the boot process, and now, the BIOS only detects what it calls "arch_grub" entry instead of actual devices. (No USB devices are listed in the boot priority section, just arch_grub). So, I can't boot back onto the arch livecd (I think). When it boots, It drops me into the grub console. There, it sees the USB stick and the SSD (hd0 and hd1), but I don't know how to boot from the USB;

Question 1: How to I boot from the arch livecd (USB) from grub console?

Question 2: How do I fix my BIOS to show USB and other device boot priorities?

Thanks

Wll

Last edited by xer01ne (2013-09-02 11:44:18)

xer01ne · 2013-09-03 10:34:17

So I found that the following will start the boot, however, it halts for about 30 seconds and then stops the boot and won't get me into the full arch livecd. Am I missing something?

grub> linux (hd0,msdos5)/arch/boot/x86_64/vmlinuz
grub> initrd (hd0,msdos5)/arch/boot/x86_64/archiso.img
grub> boot

Last edited by xer01ne (2013-09-03 10:35:17)

clfarron4 · 2013-09-03 10:42:44

xer01ne wrote:

So I found that the following will start the boot, however, it halts for about 30 seconds and then stops the boot and won't get me into the full arch livecd. Am I missing something?
grub> linux (hd0,msdos5)/arch/boot/x86_64/vmlinuz
grub> initrd (hd0,msdos5)/arch/boot/x86_64/archiso.img
grub> boot

Did you set the location of the root filesystem?

xer01ne · 2013-09-03 11:28:02

No... When I do that, same results...

/dev/disk/by-label/ device did not show up after 30 seconds...
Falling back to interactive prompt
sh: can't access tty: job control turned off

I tried root=/dev/sda1 (USB) and sdb3 (where arch is installed)

clfarron4 · 2013-09-03 15:56:59

I'm re-reading the post just to get my head around things, and I have a few questions:

1) Are you using UEFI/EFI hardware? If Yes, are you using it in Compatability mode?
2) What is the partition layout of your drive?

xer01ne · 2013-09-04 09:17:23

It is UEFI (Razer Edge Tablet) and the partitions are

Free space 1007kb (possible bios area)
EFI partition 512MB
SWAP Partition 4GB
EXT4 Partition 40GB. (Root Arch)
EXT4 partition 74GB (home)

xer01ne · 2013-09-04 13:46:15

I have successfully booted an Ubuntu live usb, so I know this is possible to boot something. I am still having problems with my bios not seeing anything but the grub menu though.

luisgmarine · 2013-09-04 21:31:37

Did you try downloading another copy, or perhaps checked the MD5SUM of the .img file?

cfr · 2013-09-04 23:55:06

xer01ne wrote:

It is UEFI (Razer Edge Tablet) and the partitions are
Free space 1007kb (possible bios area)
EFI partition 512MB
SWAP Partition 4GB
EXT4 Partition 40GB. (Root Arch)
EXT4 partition 74GB (home)

You installed from a USB stick, correct? (You didn't burn a CD.) How did you create the installation media?

In your BIOS setup, is your machine set to boot EFI-only, BIOS/legacy-only or both? If both, which has priority?

Is the "possible bios area" marked as such or did you just mean that's free space you could turn into such a partition, if you decided to?

To boot the live USB in EFI mode, you have to create it a little differently than if you are using a CD or if you plan to boot in BIOS mode. So if you didn't do this, but you tried to set up grub to use EFI booting, it will not have installed properly. On the other hand, if grub is showing up in the EFI boot menu, that shouldn't be the case...

What happens if you reboot without the USB stick in?

Have you installed any version of Linux on this machine before? If so, did it use grub to boot?

xer01ne · 2013-09-05 06:45:01

Yes, I installed from USB (the tablet doesn't have a CD drive, and I didn't use a portable CD drive either). As for how I created the media; I just dumped the arch linux installer onto the USB stick. (dd bs=4M if=archlinux.iso of=/dev/sdb)

As for the BIOS, it is EFI only. There is no legacy options. The partition I was referring to (1007kb) is actually an offset partition on the harddrive that I haven't messed with. I setup the EFI (512MB) partition during the installation process.

Since my last post, I tried something different and installed Ubuntu (and yes, I had arch installed before, but with windows 8 ad all of the crap I had to do, i.e. repair the boot from windows 8, it screwed with everything, hence the reinstall of arch and full removal of 8). I wanted to see if the "boot-repair" tool would fix the disappearing USB device in my boot list, which it didn't. Right now I have Ubuntu 13.04 installed successfully. In order to get that working, from the grub2 rescue menu, I had to insmod some modules and set the kernel and initrd (i followed this guide http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1599293 ) which seemed to work fine. Now, there are 2 entries in my BIOS, arch_grub and ubuntu. My new partition tables are:

1007kb unallocated (same as before, possible bios area)
512MB EFI partition (unused)
4096 SWAP
120GB ubuntu.

My goal is to obviously have arch linux installed over Ubuntu, but again, I am in the same boat. I still can't boot from a USB stick. The good news is that I can install linux, and I am getting better at grub2. I just need to figure out what is modifying my BIOS and how do I add USB back onto it.

Lastly, I have tried putting the USB stick in before, and after, I have tried seeing if there are any other options, but nothing.

Please let me know if there is anything else you need from me.

WonderWoofy · 2013-09-05 07:11:15

UEFI USB live media needs to be created in a special way. This is displayed somewhat prominently on this page.

xer01ne · 2013-09-05 08:48:20

Thanks, I am learning more about UEFI with every post and every search... The problem isn't that I didn't format the USB stick properly, I used the one I made and successfully installed arch linux the first time (where windows jacked it up). I then used the same stick and installed ubuntu properly using the same technique to copy the ubuntu ISO to the USB stick. The issue is that somehow, after installing arch the second time, removed USB support from my BIOS and now the only way I can boot anything USB is through grub rescue. I have tried my own USB sticks, the recovery stick from the manufacturer and external USB hard drives. Ultimately, I am looking on what modifies the bios boot devices and how can I reincorporate USB into that list.

xer01ne · 2013-09-05 09:03:48

I just thought of something....

Since I am still new to UEFI and don't fully understand how all of this works..... I have a partition that is 512MB formatted as EFI and I have the Ubuntu partition (i didn't mount boot separately in fear of not being able to boot if the 512MB EFI partition was deleted or modified).

Noticing that now there are 2 options to boot from (the 512MB arch_grub boot partition I setup and ubuntu)...

Since I have an EFI partition, is that overriding the original menu in "BIOS" since it is all EFI anyway and I don't have legacy support anymore? If so, if I remove the EFI partition, will that basically revert back to it's normal status (having the original menu?)

cfr · 2013-09-05 22:07:20

Sorry but what you are saying you did doesn't make sense.

If you created the USB stick for Arch with dd, then you cannot have booted it in EFI mode. Therefore if your hardware will only boot in EFI mode, you cannot have booted (or, therefore, installed) Arch at all. So something somewhere is not quite as you think.

Ubuntu should have used your EFI partition when it installed - if it installed in EFI mode, that is.

What is the output of gdisk -l /dev/sda (if sda isn't your disk substitute appropriately).

The EFI partition is essential to EFI booting. It is not the same as the EFI boot menu and the partition will not block any boot menu as far as I know.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-09-02 09:31:59

BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#2 2013-09-03 10:34:17

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#3 2013-09-03 10:42:44

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#4 2013-09-03 11:28:02

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#5 2013-09-03 15:56:59

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#6 2013-09-04 09:17:23

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#7 2013-09-04 13:46:15

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#8 2013-09-04 21:31:37

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#9 2013-09-04 23:55:06

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#10 2013-09-05 06:45:01

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#11 2013-09-05 07:11:15

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#12 2013-09-05 08:48:20

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#13 2013-09-05 09:03:48

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

#14 2013-09-05 22:07:20

Re: BIOS not detecting devices (USB) but instead, detecting "arch_grub"

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