gummiboot menu does not appear

toni · 2014-11-14 21:37:30

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

As I have already said, you have to copy the contents of your original /boot over.
vmlinuz can be re-created using:
# pacman -Syu linux
If you haven't copied /boot over, then there is no kernel for gummiboot to, er, boot...

Yes, I have copied from the old /boot but I wanted to be sure that this was correct.

It is a weird behaviour, on sytem boot, I can see my external hdd usb acitivity led is blinking but for some reason screen appears totally blank and the Windows boots up. No gummiboot menu is shown even if I press space bar during boot.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-14 21:42:04

Are you sure your machine is booting in EFI mode?

Check your firmware (BIOS) options and de-select "CSM" or "Legacy" mode.

Is Windows booting in EFI-mode?

toni · 2014-11-14 21:53:56

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Are you sure your machine is booting in EFI mode?
Check your firmware (BIOS) options and de-select "CSM" or "Legacy" mode.
Is Windows booting in EFI-mode?

Yes, I am completely sure. In my firmware secure boot is disabled and only UEFI mode is selected. CSM (Legacy mode) is not selected in the firmware.
Windows 8.1 boots perfectly in EFI mode.

In the past I installed arch linux as BIOS-GTP so in order to boot arch linux in UEFI mode I have created the ESP partition (EF00 flag and FAT32 and 1GB space. This partition is at the end of the disk). Finally I installed gummiboot in the ESP partition.

**** EDIT ****

I have checked that Windows boots in UEFI mode by doing the following as explained in this wiki https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … _dual_boot:

   1) Boot into Windows
   2) Press Win key and 'R' to start the Run dialog
   3) In the Run dialog type "msinfo32" and press Enter
   4) In the System Information windows, select System Summary on the left and check the value of BIOS mode item on the right
   5) If the value is UEFI, Windows boots in UEFI-GPT mode. If the value is Legacy, Windows boots in BIOS-MBR mode.

and it shows UEFI BIOS mode

Last edited by toni (2014-11-15 08:13:49)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-14 22:12:25

It is considered best practice to share the ESP with your Windows installation -- copy the contents of your boot partition there, remount /boot at the Windows-generated ESP and re-install gummiboot...

TheSaint · 2014-11-15 01:33:13

If OP does't want to download again he need just to do

# mkinitcpio -p linux

toni · 2014-11-15 08:05:21

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

It is considered best practice to share the ESP with your Windows installation -- copy the contents of your boot partition there, remount /boot at the Windows-generated ESP and re-install gummiboot...

Yes, maybe it is the best but I prefer to leave untouched Windows EFI partition and since I have arch linux and Windows installed on diferent/separate drives, I want them to have their own EFI partition. I always use arch linux so I connect my external USB HDD and work from there. When I want to do something in Windows 8.1, then I do not connect my external USB HDD so my system boots into Windows using Windows EFI System Partition. I think you can have different devices with its own ESP and it should not interfere. As you define the boot order in firmware, it should work, Windows and Linux should dual boot from the different disks so in my case, as Arch is installed in UEFI-GPT mode in one disk (external USB HDD) and Windows is installed also in UEFI-GPT in another disk (internal HDD) , I think that the bootloader (gummiboot) should chainload UEFI installed Windows in the other disk and also arch linux in the same disk where bootloader is installed. What I find very strange is that nothing appears in the screen, completely blank and even, no error messages are shown complaining about something so sometimes I wonder if there is a problem with:

1) External USB HDD root partition cannot be found
2) There is something wrong with gummiboot loader
3) External USB HDD is found but for some reason linux images cannot be loaded

I rule the first option since I can see external USB HDD is accessed because external USB HDD's led activity is blinking so maybe options 2) and 3).... are failling?

Another question is, why there is a grub folder in my /boot partition? it was created after installing new gummiboot 0.11.

Also could my old grub bios partition being interfering? Or Can co-exist with the existing new EFI system partition?

Last edited by toni (2014-11-15 08:41:26)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 11:13:20

Last question first: I have a BIOS boot partition on my fully-functioning EFI system and there is no interference.

I'm not sure if gummiboot has the capability to boot Windows from another disk.

You could make a direct entry for Arch in your firmware's NVRAM using efibootmanager and try booting Arch directly from your firmware ("BIOS") menu.
At least then you will know that the drive can be booted.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/EF … bootmgr.29

TheSaint · 2014-11-15 11:46:36

toni wrote:

Yes, maybe it is the best but I prefer to leave untouched Windows EFI partition and since I have arch linux and Windows installed on diferent/separate drives, I want them to have their own EFI partition.

2 points

Maybe your BIOS will find the ESPs. I suppose it's like when you put a CD/DVD with EFI stuffs or an USB drive with ESP, like mine.
I suspect that Win8 won't boot from connected drives, yet. Maybe winPE

You can have win8 internally installed AND Arch anywhere.

toni · 2014-11-15 12:12:27

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Last question first: I have a BIOS boot partition on my fully-functioning EFI system and there is no interference.
I'm not sure if gummiboot has the capability to boot Windows from another disk.
You could make a direct entry for Arch in your firmware's NVRAM using efibootmanager and try booting Arch directly from your firmware ("BIOS") menu.
At least then you will know that the drive can be booted.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/EF … bootmgr.29

I have tried what you say by typing:

efibootmgr -d /dev/sdb -p 4 -c -L "Arch Linux" -l /vmlinuz-linux -u "root=UUID=b43132f0-7cee-4d3a-a634-40f3ce4f133f rw initrd=/initramfs-linux.img"

but still no working.

The new entry I have created is Boot0002. I have set next boot to be 0002 and also I have set boot order. See below.
The behaviour is the same, laptops restarts, external USB HDD where arch linux is installed is accessed (as activity led is blinking) and blank screen is shown all the time without no message of any kind. After a few seconds, windows 8.1 starts. I do not know if ESP partition in external USB HDD can be accessed, it is very strange. For example I have arch linux live in a USB with EFI Partition and when system boots, this is working. Instead my external USB HDD also have an ESP partition but for any reason arch linux does not boot.

efibootmgr output:

BootNext: 0002
BootCurrent: 0008
Timeout: 2 seconds
BootOrder: 0002,0001,0008,0000
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager
Boot0001* Linux Boot Manager
Boot0002* Arch Linux
Boot0008* UEFI: Generic Flash Disk 8.07

efibootmgr -v output (I have removed some entries to ensure NVRAM is not limited to a maximum number of entries):

BootNext: 0002
BootCurrent: 0008
Timeout: 2 seconds
BootOrder: 0002,0001,0008,0000
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager	HD(2,200800,32000,977cd65a-eba5-11e3-b3df-60029210ec8f)File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}....................
Boot0001* Linux Boot Manager	HD(4,2522e800,200000,1af51a36-df2b-48ce-b0df-727d1dacdf30)File(\EFI\gummiboot\gummibootx64.efi)
Boot0002* Arch Linux	HD(4,2522e800,200000,1af51a36-df2b-48ce-b0df-727d1dacdf30)File(\vmlinuz-linux)r.o.o.t.=.U.U.I.D.=.b.4.3.1.3.2.f.0.-.7.c.e.e.-.4.d.3.a.-.a.6.3.4.-.4.0.f.3.c.e.4.f.1.3.3.f. .r.w. .i.n.i.t.r.d.=./.i.n.i.t.r.a.m.f.s.-.l.i.n.u.x...i.m.g.
Boot0008* UEFI: Generic Flash Disk 8.07	ACPI(a0341d0,0)PCI(14,0)USB(3,0)HD(1,800,1dfc00,0002ffa3)..BO

gummiboot status output:

Boot Loader Binaries:
          ESP: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/1af51a36-df2b-48ce-b0df-727d1dacdf30
         File: /EFI/gummiboot/gummibootx64.efi (gummiboot 45)
         File: /EFI/Boot/BOOTX64.EFI (gummiboot 45)

Boot Loader Entries in EFI Variables:
        Title: Arch Linux
           ID: 0x0002
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/1af51a36-df2b-48ce-b0df-727d1dacdf30
         File: /vmlinuz-linux

        Title: Linux Boot Manager
           ID: 0x0001
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/1af51a36-df2b-48ce-b0df-727d1dacdf30
         File: /EFI/gummiboot/gummibootx64.efi

        Title: Windows Boot Manager
           ID: 0x0000
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/977cd65a-eba5-11e3-b3df-60029210ec8f
         File: /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

Last edited by toni (2014-11-15 12:21:44)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 12:21:43

Do those PARTUUIDs (and the UUIDs in the .conf files) match?

EDIT: I mean to say -- are they correct?

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2014-11-15 12:23:18)

toni · 2014-11-15 12:24:18

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Do those PARTUUIDs match?
EDIT: I mean to say -- are they correct?

Yes, when creating directly in NVRAM I have used following UUID:

b43132f0-7cee-4d3a-a634-40f3ce4f133f

See my previous post, I have just edited, in there I show how I have created directly the entry in NVRAM using efibootmgr.

Yes, they are correct my /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf continue being as follows:

title        Arch Linux
linux      /vmlinuz-linux
initrd      /initramfs-linux.img
options root=UUID=b43132f0-7cee-4d3a-a634-40f3ce4f133f rw

Last edited by toni (2014-11-15 12:28:03)

TheSaint · 2014-11-15 12:26:45

Can you boot Windows?
What says

$ lsblk -o NAME,PARTUUID
# parted -l |grep -i efi

I suspect the BIOS doesn't find ESP.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 12:28:54

I'm sorry I haven't a clue why this isn't working...

I've only ever seen this done with a shared ESP.

toni · 2014-11-15 12:30:24

TheSaint wrote:

Can you boot Windows?
What says
$ lsblk -o NAME,PARTUUID
# parted -l |grep -i efi
I suspect the BIOS doesn't find ESP.

Yes, I can boot into Windows without problems, in fact, now I am writing it from Windows.

Here are the results.

lsblk -o NAME,PARTUUID output:

NAME                    PARTUUID
sda                     
|-sda1                  
|-sda2                  
|-sda3                  
|-sda4                  
`-sda5                   
sdb                     
|-sdb1                  
|-sdb2                  
|-sdb3                  
| |-VolGroup00-lvolswap 
| |-VolGroup00-lvolhome 
| |-VolGroup00-lvolroot 
| `-VolGroup00-lvolvar  
`-sdb4         <------------------ IT IS THE ESP PARTITION   /boot
sdc                     
`-sdc1                  
sr0                     
loop0                   
loop1                   
`-arch_airootfs         
loop2                   
`-arch_airootfs

and parted -l | grep -i efi outputs nothing (no results).

Last edited by toni (2014-11-15 12:50:16)

toni · 2014-11-15 14:31:58

I have destroyed my current ESP partition and I have built one new again. Now I have reduced the ESP parition and it has 100MB size. I thought this could be the cause.
I have installed gummiboot on ESP partition (/boot) using "gummiboot install", re-generated again vmlinuz-linux, initramfs-linux-fallback.img and initramfs-linux.img using "mkinitcpio -p linux".
Finally I have created an entry, arch.conf file in /boot/loader/entries and configure /boot/loader/loader.conf again to point to the arch.conf (without .conf) as default

In arch.conf file the content is the same as posted in previous posts.

When restarting system, it behaves in the same way: blank screen is presented all the time (no messages are printed out in the screen), external HDD's led activity begins to blink continuously and finally windows 8.1 boots without problems (not arch linux )

Last edited by toni (2014-11-15 14:32:56)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 14:36:23

Your firmware is booting up the Windows-generated ESP and ignoring the other one.

This may be why you are advised to share the ESP...

Are there any booting options in your firmware ("BIOS") menu?

toni · 2014-11-15 15:10:24

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Your firmware is booting up the Windows-generated ESP and ignoring the other one.
This may be why you are advised to share the ESP...
Are there any booting options in your firmware ("BIOS") menu?

Thanks for all your support.

In the firmware the only boot options is boot mode: UEFI or CSM (Mine is configured as UEFI)
Also the possibility to enable/disable Secure Boot (Mine is configured as disabled)

And you can configure boot order between: HDD/SSD, USB, ODD, LAN (This is the default order but I changed to USB, HDD/SSD, ODD, LAN)

Well, I am not sure at all firmware is ignoring my external USB HDD ESP partition because when system is restarted I can see my external USB HDD is accessed (HDD activity led blinks continuously. it seems it is trying to do somethings in it.... but as it can't, finally win 8.1 boots).

If firmware was ignornig my ESP in external HDD why is not ignoring ESP in my arch linux live in USB pendrive?

PS. My laptop is a toshiba P50-B-10V. I don't know if it has some kind of limitation regarding to firmware in motherboard or something.

Last edited by toni (2014-11-15 15:16:15)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 15:17:03

toni wrote:

If firmware was ignornig my ESP in external HDD why is not ignoring ESP in my arch linux live in USB pendrive?

Excellent question -- what have you done differently with the HDD?
Is it possible to set the HDD up the same as your USB stick?

EDIT: Firmware implementations do appear to be quite patchy in their quality -- it could be that you have poorly written firmware.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2014-11-15 15:18:05)

toni · 2014-11-15 16:55:01

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

toni wrote:
If firmware was ignornig my ESP in external HDD why is not ignoring ESP in my arch linux live in USB pendrive?
Excellent question -- what have you done differently with the HDD?
Is it possible to set the HDD up the same as your USB stick?
EDIT: Firmware implementations do appear to be quite patchy in their quality -- it could be that you have poorly written firmware.

Well, my USB stick where arch linux live is installed, was created using a windows tool called rufus. I only select the arch iso and then it makes all the work, a working UEFI bootable stick.

My HDD was set manually:
1) Create ESP partition as fat32 and 100MB size. Activating boot and esp flags using gdisk or gparted.
2) Installing gummiboot package using pacman and then gummiboot install.
3) Execute mkinitcpio -p linux to generate necessary files at new /boot partition
4) Create and arch.conf file in /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf
5) Configure correctly /boot/loader/loader.conf file to point to the correct root partition, etc.

so I don't know to set the HDD up the same as my USB stick. I have checked the usb stick structure and it looks like my /boot partition. There is a entries folder and a conf file. Also there is a EFI folder and some other files.

I would like to know what the system searches for in ESP partition when it starts. It seems like gummiboot in ESP partition (/boot) cannot start for some reason since no gummiboot menu is shown.

Last edited by toni (2014-11-15 16:59:48)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 17:19:43

toni wrote:

3) Execute mkinitcpio -p linux to generate necessary files at new /boot partition

This step is wrong.

You should copy the entire /boot directory over to the ESP from it's original location.

TheSaint · 2014-11-15 18:03:00

Strange that there aren't partuuid in my commands and EFI not found by parted -l | grep -i efi
What it says

$ ls -lF /dev/disk/by-partuuid

toni · 2014-11-15 18:51:34

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

toni wrote:
3) Execute mkinitcpio -p linux to generate necessary files at new /boot partition
This step is wrong.
You should copy the entire /boot directory over to the ESP from it's original location.

Ok, I have copied the entire old /bood directory in the new /boot one. But restarting the system, same behaviour....

toni · 2014-11-15 18:55:43

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

toni wrote:
If firmware was ignornig my ESP in external HDD why is not ignoring ESP in my arch linux live in USB pendrive?
Excellent question -- what have you done differently with the HDD?
Is it possible to set the HDD up the same as your USB stick?
EDIT: Firmware implementations do appear to be quite patchy in their quality -- it could be that you have poorly written firmware.

In my arch linux live in USB stick I have added an entry to point to the external USB HDD.

So I restart the system and when I boot from USB stick the menu of arch iso appears and my new added entry as well. Then, I select the new added entry pointing to my external USB HDD where my arch linux resides and I can boot into arch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so why from usb stick pointing to my external USB HDD I can boot and not directly booting from my external USB HDD? Some wrong in my external USB HDD ESP partition? why gummiboot cannot be loaded and the gummiboot menu is not shown when I boot from my USB HDD?

Last edited by toni (2014-11-15 18:57:09)

toni · 2014-11-15 19:17:13

TheSaint wrote:

Strange that there aren't partuuid in my commands and EFI not found by parted -l | grep -i efi
What it says
$ ls -lF /dev/disk/by-partuuid

Below the ls -lF /dev/disk/by-partuuid results:

total 0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Nov 15 21:07 1af51a36-df2b-48ce-b0df-727d1dacdf30 -> ../../sda4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Nov 15 21:07 5cbfd28a-df68-4752-86d8-9863f2a0969f -> ../../sda2
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Nov 15 21:07 6d28aac9-0ca1-4345-9257-a4d97508e98d -> ../../sda1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Nov 15 21:07 7ede7fc5-3852-11e4-9167-d897ba11434f -> ../../sdc5
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Nov 15 21:07 7f33830c-d668-4cfa-92f5-84835f4c9fbf -> ../../sda3
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Nov 15 21:07 977cd652-eba5-11e3-b3df-60029210ec8f -> ../../sdc1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Nov 15 21:07 977cd65a-eba5-11e3-b3df-60029210ec8f -> ../../sdc2
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Nov 15 21:07 977cd65c-eba5-11e3-b3df-60029210ec8f -> ../../sdc3
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Nov 15 21:07 977cd664-eba5-11e3-b3df-60029210ec8f -> ../../sdc4

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 19:18:00

toni wrote:

In my arch linux live in USB stick I have added an entry to point to the external USB HDD.

How have you done this?

I can only repeat my suggestion that the Windows-generated ESP is over-riding the HDD ESP.
I don't know why this doesn't apply to the USB stick -- maybe your firmware treats USB sticks & HDDs differently.

Arch Linux

#26 2014-11-14 21:37:30

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#27 2014-11-14 21:42:04

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#28 2014-11-14 21:53:56

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#29 2014-11-14 22:12:25

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#30 2014-11-15 01:33:13

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#31 2014-11-15 08:05:21

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#32 2014-11-15 11:13:20

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#33 2014-11-15 11:46:36

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#34 2014-11-15 12:12:27

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#35 2014-11-15 12:21:43

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#36 2014-11-15 12:24:18

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#37 2014-11-15 12:26:45

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#38 2014-11-15 12:28:54

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#39 2014-11-15 12:30:24

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#40 2014-11-15 14:31:58

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#41 2014-11-15 14:36:23

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#42 2014-11-15 15:10:24

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#43 2014-11-15 15:17:03

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#44 2014-11-15 16:55:01

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#45 2014-11-15 17:19:43

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#46 2014-11-15 18:03:00

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#47 2014-11-15 18:51:34

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#48 2014-11-15 18:55:43

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#49 2014-11-15 19:17:13

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

#50 2014-11-15 19:18:00

Re: gummiboot menu does not appear

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