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#1 2016-11-21 09:01:42

na5m
Member
From: Rancho Cordova, CA
Registered: 2008-11-19
Posts: 30

Installing Arch with netboot image trouble

I downloaded the ipxe.efi file from this page

https://www.archlinux.org/releng/netboot/

Now, how the hell do I boot this efi file and start the install process?
I have a blank hard disk (no OS) and my motherboard
is UEFI capable.

Thanks for any help!

chris


Let's go check out Hades!

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#2 2016-11-21 12:35:09

teateawhy
Member
From: GER
Registered: 2012-03-05
Posts: 1,138
Website

Re: Installing Arch with netboot image trouble

This won't work with a blank hard disk, since the UEFI needs to read the .efi file from a fat filesystem that the UEFI can read.
I think the easier alternative to that would be to download the full archlinux iso instead of the netboot, and create a bootable usb stick as explained here:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … tion_media

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#3 2016-11-22 08:33:57

na5m
Member
From: Rancho Cordova, CA
Registered: 2008-11-19
Posts: 30

Re: Installing Arch with netboot image trouble

teateawhy wrote:

This won't work with a blank hard disk, since the UEFI needs to read the .efi file from a fat filesystem that the UEFI can read.
I think the easier alternative to that would be to download the full archlinux iso instead of the netboot, and create a bootable usb stick as explained here:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … tion_media

Thanks for the reply. I renamed the Arch efi file to "Shellx64.efi" because that is what my bios says it is looking for. So now the Arch efi file actually loads from my USB thumb drive, but then freezes at
"iPXE initialising devices..."

So bummed.
I wonder why Arch supports net installing with EFI when the process is so tricky?


Let's go check out Hades!

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#4 2016-11-22 12:45:51

Trilby
Inspector Parrot
Registered: 2011-11-29
Posts: 29,441
Website

Re: Installing Arch with netboot image trouble

You are trying to do something that is not supported.  If you can hack a way to make it work, great, but don't fuss about it being "tricky".

Why don't you try the recommended method:

wiki wrote:

The ipxe.efi image can be used to launch Arch Linux netboot in UEFI mode. Only 64 Bit UEFI is supported. The ipxe.efi image can be added as a boot option via efibootmgr, chainloaded from a boot manager like systemd-boot or launched directly from the UEFI shell.

If you have a uefi shell already, do this.  If you don't then what makes you think renaming a netboot efi appliance to masquerade as a shell would work?


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#5 2016-11-25 04:22:15

na5m
Member
From: Rancho Cordova, CA
Registered: 2008-11-19
Posts: 30

Re: Installing Arch with netboot image trouble

Good call, Trilby. I spent a few hours researching efi booting, but made little progress.
Went ahead & downloaded the iso instead. But I'm frustrated that efi technology has kicked my ass :-(


Let's go check out Hades!

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#6 2017-08-31 16:05:40

fazky
Member
Registered: 2012-01-25
Posts: 34

Re: Installing Arch with netboot image trouble

Hi, I do not want to necro bump any threads, but I came across this one and hat the same problem.
You have to mount the USB drive that you have the efi file on (for me it was `blk0`), you can see the drives by typing `map`.

Then, enter the drive by typing `blk0:` (that's the weirdest part, looks like a windows shell command)

Then `ls` should work and you can run the efi file just by typing its name.

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#7 2017-09-01 02:02:07

ewaller
Administrator
From: Pasadena, CA
Registered: 2009-07-13
Posts: 19,739

Re: Installing Arch with netboot image trouble

Thank you for the relevant contribution. 
The OP has not been around since last year, so I will be using this opportunity to close this thread.


Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
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