Arch Linux

jdumars

Member

Registered: 2015-04-05

Posts: 2

Need basic assistance with installation

Hello All,

I am a newbie trying to install Arch and ran into a basic
problem.

When typing the command:
pacstrap /mnt base base-devel

I am getting an mkdir: cannnot create directory /mnt/var: Read-only file system.

Can someone assist me with this problem so I can continue the installation process?

I also followed the basic instructions here:

www.wikihow.com/Install-Arch-Linux

According to the instructions, I need to follow the MBR partition instructions because
typing efivar -l gives "error listing variables: Function not implemented" error message.

I am trying to "revive" a old ACER 5750 laptop and "break away" from windows. I
found some websites where I could update the BIOS and impement the UEFI mode
on my motherboard, but I wanted to see if I could use legacy BIOS mode.

Thanks in advance.

Last edited by jdumars (2015-04-05 03:33:19)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,612

Re: Need basic assistance with installation

Did you mount your root partition read-only? Check the output of `mount`.

jdumars

Member

Registered: 2015-04-05

Posts: 2

Re: Need basic assistance with installation

When I use the mount command I receive the output:

/dev/sda1 on /mnt type ext4 (ro,realtime,data=ordered)
/dev/sda2 on /mnt/home type ext4 (rw,realtime,data=ordered)

If I am understanding this correctly, somehow my root partition (/dev/sda1) is
"ro" or read only and my home partition /dev/sda2 is "rw" or read-wright,
correct?

So, I wonder how I made my root partition read only and how do I change
it to read write (sort of a chmod on the directory :-)).

Thanks again!

Toqoz

Member

Registered: 2015-04-01

Posts: 13

Re: Need basic assistance with installation

You've probably tried unmounting and remounting?

umount -R /mnt
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/home

How's the output afterwards?

runical

Member

From: The Netherlands

Registered: 2012-03-03

Posts: 896

Re: Need basic assistance with installation

I also followed the basic instructions here:

www.wikihow.com/Install-Arch-Linux

According to the instructions, I need to follow the MBR partition instructions because
typing efivar -l gives "error listing variables: Function not implemented" error message.

Please, only use the Beginner's guide and Installation guide when installing. Other sources tend to become outdated really fast.

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ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,804

Re: Need basic assistance with installation

I know it says ext4, but is there any chance you created an ntfs file system?
Post the output of fdisk -l /dev/sda

And please, use our documentation.  You are likely to find yourself on your own otherwise.   The nice thing about using the supported documentation, aside from it being excellent is that we consider it to be the canonical guide.  It is easy for us to determine where things go awry.

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