[Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

dhalverson · 2015-12-22 16:48:33

First post, new user. Not sure if I should be adding my problems to this post...

I've installed Arch successfully on an old Toshiba Satellite Pro, so I thought I could install it again on a brand new HP Pavilion. I have been getting a black screen after selecting Arch Linux archiso x86_64 UEFI CD(booting this on a usb). The screen flashes and then stays black for about 30 seconds and then restarts the whole system.

Anyone else having this issue?

HP Pavilion Notebook 15-ab188ca bought from Best Buy.
AMD A10-8700P Radeon R6, 10 Compute Cores 4c+6G
Windows 10 pre installed

BIOS Vendor American Megatrends
Version is F.15

Arch Linux 201508(in the middle of trying the newest version)

I've tried booting the kernal with nomodeset nothing changes.

A side note I have been able to boot Arch non-UEFI and that works until I get to the point of installing grub... which I understand has its own issues being installed on a UEFI system.

Please direct me if I should be creating a new thread with this.

Last edited by dhalverson (2015-12-24 21:27:25)

ewaller · 2015-12-22 17:03:01

Welcome to the Arch Linux forums

Please direct me if I should be creating a new thread with this.

Split from the original thread.

ewaller · 2015-12-22 17:05:16

What do you mean by being able to boot non-UEFI and that works? Have you enabled legacy mode?

tom.ty89 · 2015-12-22 17:10:10

grub-install does NOT have problem installing on either UEFI or BIOS (and hence CSM). It's all about your understand to it, the partition scheme you choose, etc. FWIW you can even run grub-install with --target x86_64-efi and --target i386-efi when booted in legacy mode on a UEFI system, as long as you use the --removable option, so that it does not require touching of your NVRAM.

I have no idea about the black screen issue though. Perhaps some very bad Secure Boot implementation that you haven't disabled yet?

P.S. In case you didn't know, the Arch ISO does not use grub to boot for either UEFI mode or BIOS mode.

Last edited by tom.ty89 (2015-12-22 17:11:06)

dhalverson · 2015-12-22 17:47:38

I have enable legacy mode and when I selecte the option Arch Linux archiso x86_64 UEFI CD, the screen goes black for about 30 seconds and then restarts.

What I meant about non-UEFI (this shows my newbieness) I can force my computer into a boot manager and in there I have the option of running:
"USB Hard Drive(UEFI) - USB DISK 2.0 PMAP" ( this is the same as if I let the boot sequence take its course... See first paragraph)

Or

"USB Hard Drive - USB DISK 2.0 PMAP" which loads the screen I am use to when installing arch, it has the large arch logo at the top with 7 options
Boot Arch Linux (x86_64)
Boot Arch Linux (i686)
Boot existing OD
Run Memtest86+ (RAM test)
Hardware Information
Reboot
Power Off

If I select that first option Arch will boot up, I proceed with Beginners wiki and try to verify that I am booted in UEFI mode by typing
ls /sys/firmware/efi/efivars
... "No such file of directory"

I proceed down the Beginners wiki where I got to install the UEFI boot loader by typing

bootctl install and I get this result
File system "/boot" is not a FAT EFI System Partition (ESP) file system.

**I'm assuming I am getting these results because I did not get the USB to boot in "USB Hard Drive(UEFI) - USB DISK 2.0 PMAP".??

As a side note I tried installing grub and I got this message
"
grub-install: warning: this GPT partition label contains no BIOS boot partition; embedding won't be possible.
Grub-install: warning: embedding is not possible. Grub can only be installed in this set up by using block lists. However, blocklist are unreliable and their uses discouraged...
grub-install: error: will no proceed with blocklists.
"

Sorry I don't mean to be talking about two different issues... My main question has to do with why, when I have enable legacy and the USB boots, does the screen goes black and restarts my computer after 30 seconds.

dhalverson · 2015-12-22 18:02:09

tom.ty89 wrote:

I have no idea about the black screen issue though. Perhaps some very bad Secure Boot implementation that you haven't disabled yet?

Secure boot is also disabled.

tom.ty89 · 2015-12-22 18:02:25

dhalverson wrote:

I have enable legacy mode and when I selecte the option Arch Linux archiso x86_64 UEFI CD, the screen goes black for about 30 seconds and then restarts.

Enabled legacy mode doesn't mean you prioritised it or disabled UEFI booting, so this is normal.

dhalverson wrote:

What I meant about non-UEFI (this shows my newbieness) I can force my computer into a boot manager and in there I have the option of running:
"USB Hard Drive(UEFI) - USB DISK 2.0 PMAP" ( this is the same as if I let the boot sequence take its course... See first paragraph)
Or
"USB Hard Drive - USB DISK 2.0 PMAP" which loads the screen I am use to when installing arch, it has the large arch logo at the top with 7 options
Boot Arch Linux (x86_64)
Boot Arch Linux (i686)
Boot existing OD
Run Memtest86+ (RAM test)
Hardware Information
Reboot
Power Off
If I select that first option Arch will boot up, I proceed with Beginners wiki and try to verify that I am booted in UEFI mode by typing
ls /sys/firmware/efi/efivars
... "No such file of directory"

I knew what you mean, and yes by seeing that blue arch boot menu i means you are booting the arch iso in legacy mode, and you will not find /sys/firmware/efi/efivars (NVRAM) there, that's normal too.

dhalverson wrote:

I proceed down the Beginners wiki where I got to install the UEFI boot loader by typing
bootctl install and I get this result
File system "/boot" is not a FAT EFI System Partition (ESP) file system.
**I'm assuming I am getting these results because I did not get the USB to boot in "USB Hard Drive(UEFI) - USB DISK 2.0 PMAP".??

This probably has nothing to do with how you booted Arch ISO, it's just you need /boot to mounted on the ESP, which needs to be FAT-formatted, if you use bootctl (systemd-boot). However, you should not run `bootctl install` when booted in legacy mode anyway because it ALWAYS requires /sys/firmware/efi/efivars (NVRAM) to be available AFAIK, unlike grub-install.

dhalverson wrote:

As a side note I tried installing grub and I got this message
"
grub-install: warning: this GPT partition label contains no BIOS boot partition; embedding won't be possible.
Grub-install: warning: embedding is not possible. Grub can only be installed in this set up by using block lists. However, blocklist are unreliable and their uses discouraged...
grub-install: error: will no proceed with blocklists.
"

Because if you run grub-install without --target specified in legacy mode, it assume you want the installation to be for legacy mode too, and for GPT+BIOS+GRUB, you need an unformatted EF02 (as in gdisk) partition for grub image embedding.

dhalverson wrote:

Sorry I don't mean to be talking about two different issues... My main question has to do with why, when I have enable legacy and the USB boots, does the screen goes black and restarts my computer after 30 seconds.

Again, the only concrete thing I can think of is Secure Boot.

Last edited by tom.ty89 (2015-12-22 18:04:27)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-22 18:18:29

It is possible to install a system that will boot in UEFI mode from an ISO image booted in non-UEFI mode.

As @tom.ty89 says, GRUB can use the `--removable` flag to write it's .efi loader to the default location booted by all UEFI motherboards.

To do the same with systemd-boot, copy $ESP/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi to $ESP/EFI/Boot/Bootx64.efi or $ESP/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi, or both (do not use the latter if dual-booting with Windows).

For 32-bit systems, change "bootx64.efi" to "bootia32.efi"

For more on this, see:
http://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloader … ive-naming

However, if your system won't boot the live ISO in UEFI it probably won't boot the installed system either.

@tom.ty89 -- the Arch live ISO image supports Secure Boot.

See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Se … ecure_Boot

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2015-12-22 18:20:13)

dhalverson · 2015-12-22 18:36:40

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

@tom.ty89 -- the Arch live ISO image supports Secure Boot.

I have tried following this link and I get the same results as when Secure boot is disabled.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

As @tom.ty89 says, GRUB can use the `--removable` flag to write it's .efi loader to the default location booted by all UEFI motherboards.
To do the same with systemd-boot, copy $ESP/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi to $ESP/EFI/Boot/Bootx64.efi or $ESP/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi, or both (do not use the latter if dual-booting with Windows).

I have not tired this yet as I am too newbish and scared I need to do some more reading.

dhalverson · 2015-12-22 18:39:06

tom.ty89 wrote:

Enabled legacy mode doesn't mean you prioritised it or disabled UEFI booting, so this is normal.
[

I'm assuming prioritised means boot order? I am looking in my boot options now and there is a UEFI Boot order and a Legacy boot order.

I have both set the same
UEFI Boot order:
USB CD/DVD ROM Drive
USB Diskette on key/USB Hard Disk
Internal CD/DVD ROM Drive
(Black arrow)OS Boot Manager
Network Adapter

Legacy Boot order:
USB CD/DVD ROM Drive
USB Diskette on key/USB Hard Disk
Internal CD/DVD ROM Drive
Notebook Hard Drive
Network Adapter

It also says "when legacy support is enabled, BIOS will load compatibility support module (CSM) to support legacy OS such as windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and.. When legacy support is disabled, by us will boot in UEFI mode without CSM to support newer OS such as Windows 8"

Not sure where else I can make sure UEFI is disabled ...

tom.ty89 wrote:

Because if you run grub-install without --target specified in legacy mode, it assume you want the installation to be for legacy mode too, and for GPT+BIOS+GRUB, you need an unformatted EF02 (as in gdisk) partition for grub image embedding.

I guess I need to do some more research...

tom.ty89 · 2015-12-22 21:02:27

@Head_on_a_Stick,

Yeah, he can definitely try that, it's just the chance it works with grub but not with systemd-boot is a bit low. Suddenly I think of UGA and GOP though. Does systemd-boot support UGA?

I know the Arch ISO supports Secure Boot. But I also recall hearing cases similar to this that the user simply cannot see the hash enrolling thing at all but a black screen anyway.

@dhalverson,

You don't really need to bother about the boot order for now, since you are capable of booting into either the UEFI or Legacy Boot menu of Arch ISO. I just meant to tell you that enabling it doesn't mean you don't need to choose every time which way to boot.

You can't really "disable UEFI", I only meant for some board you can choose to make "UEFI booting" not available. Anyway this is irrelevant to your problem too. Instead, have you tried disabling legacy boot, or better, if there's such an option, disabling compatibility support module (CSM)?

Also is this a laptop? Maybe you can search about the model and "backlight" issue as well, if you're really out of other ideas.

dhalverson · 2015-12-22 21:10:26

tom.ty89 wrote:

Instead, have you tried disabling legacy boot, or better, if there's such an option, disabling compatibility support module (CSM)?
Also is this a laptop? Maybe you can search about the model and "backlight" issue as well, if you're really out of other ideas.

It is a laptop I haven't read up on the "backlight" issue, will do soon. Haven't noticed an option on disabling CSM and disabling legacy doesn't seem m to matter.

I am pursuing, slowly, what you guys suggested with messing around with the bootx64.EFI files... I'm just slow... Need to read a bunch so as not to destorying this fresh new piece of plastic

Thanks for all the help by the way. You guys are awesome.

satanselbow · 2015-12-22 21:30:01

I had a very similar problem on my Samsung laptop when I moved from BIOS/MBR to UEFI/GPT ... Being a hardcore arch warrior (lol) I cursed the sloppy implementation of the specification by Samsung and then burned the iso to CD.

If you do not have a blank CD / CD burner available I think you are a bit stuffed

dhalverson · 2015-12-24 21:08:46

Update: I got it working by installing rEFInd

Disclaimer: What your about to read is described in newbie terminology as I am quite fresh to Linux and dont have a computer background.

-For those of you who didn’t read the beginning of this, I installed legacy Arch or non-UEFI Arch, for when I tried going UEFI Arch my screen would go blank and 30 seconds later it would restart my computer.

-I installed rEFInd after reading Rod’s Books:

(while in legacy mode running off of my usb I mounted my proper partition as per Beginner’s Guild and mounted my booting partition to /boot in my case:
mount /dev/sda1 /boot

-Installed rEFInd:
pacman -S refind-efi

-I then typed in:
refind-install

-But that didn’t seem to change anything for me so I typed in:
refind-mkrlconf
refind-install

-I ended up double checking that the UUID numbers where the same in these two files
less /etc/fstab
less /boot/refind_linux.conf

-This enabled me to access my new Arch Linux install.

As a side note I noticed when Arch was booting up that it said the current partition it was installed on wasn’t proper(I forget the wording). I ended up changing the “ro” to “rw” in the /boot/refind_linux.conf file, this seemed to solve that warning.

As a side note to the side note: I still have issues with the screen randomly blacking out, sometimes before Arch completely loads and other times spontaneously after minutes of operation. I am also having issues with the sound (no sound) and once I got lxde installed my track pad needed some extra love and attention (wasn’t working, but got it working thru installing xf86-input-synaptics). I also am having issues with my netctl and wifi-menu giving me error codes and not connecting back to the internet. Only way I have found so far to get around this is by deleting the profile files wifi-menu makes in the /etc/netctl folder and restarting wifi-menu.

Anyways thanks for all the help in getting my Arch working.

dhalverson · 2015-12-24 21:09:41

Oh and how do I mark this as Solved as I have seen others do?

2ManyDogs · 2015-12-24 21:23:20

edit the title of your first post

Arch Linux

#1 2015-12-22 16:48:33

[Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#2 2015-12-22 17:03:01

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#3 2015-12-22 17:05:16

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#4 2015-12-22 17:10:10

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#5 2015-12-22 17:47:38

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#6 2015-12-22 18:02:09

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#7 2015-12-22 18:02:25

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#8 2015-12-22 18:18:29

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#9 2015-12-22 18:36:40

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#10 2015-12-22 18:39:06

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#11 2015-12-22 21:02:27

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#12 2015-12-22 21:10:26

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#13 2015-12-22 21:30:01

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#14 2015-12-24 21:08:46

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#15 2015-12-24 21:09:41

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

#16 2015-12-24 21:23:20

Re: [Solved] HP Pavillion Unable to boot a USB copy of Arch ISO

Board footer