[SOLVED] Installed Win 7, now Arch won't boot

sultanoswing · 2013-10-30 07:49:34

Edit: To save anyone reading this all the way, the problem turned out to be a badly edited fstab. Sigh.

PROBLEM:
Grub loads, then loads the kernel, but the boot hangs a few seconds later with no real error messages.

BACKGROUND:
1) I needed to boot a native Windows 7 partition on my 128GB laptop SSD.

2) So, I used gparted in an Ubuntu Live USB to resize my existing Arch partition and create an NTFS partition for Win 7:

sda > sda1=Arch > sda2=ntfs > sda3=linux swap

Arch still booted fine after this (sda1).

3) I then installed windows 7 (BIOS install) onto the second partition (sda2). I don't know where or if it puts some system reserved partition - but I can't see anything in gparted.

4) chrooted from an Arch Live USB, reinstalled GRUB, including mkconfig step

5) *If* I recall, Arch then booted OK.

6) Booted into Windows and applied all updates, set windows to use UTC clock and updated my laptops BIOS. Reboot.

7) Win 7 boots fine from the grub menu from (hd0,2)

8) Arch starts booting, loads the kernel, then hangs after the kernel has loaded, but before gdm appears. With the following on screen:

[2.104597] INFO @wl_cfg80211_attach : Registered CFG80211 phy

I have tried chrooting and reinstalling linux and linux-headers and grub. But so far to no avail.

[SOLVED with face palm]

I installed syslinux using chroot, as it displays more startup messages. The boot was hanging at [a disk task is starting] or words to that effect. It was my USB stick, which I'd foolishly added to fstab with the "auto" option. Editing that out of fstab - and it's all good.

I'll leave this here in case anyone else does something this dumb.

Last edited by sultanoswing (2013-10-30 08:09:03)

Arch Linux

#1 2013-10-30 07:49:34

[SOLVED] Installed Win 7, now Arch won't boot

Board footer