Arch Linux

rcorre

Member

Registered: 2015-11-27

Posts: 65

[SOLVED] Second Linux install on UEFI

I have a UEFI system with the following setup:

sda      8:0    0 232.9G  0 disk
├─sda4   8:4    0     4G  0 part [SWAP]
├─sda2   8:2    0  31.5G  0 part /
├─sda5   8:5    0 108.5G  0 part
├─sda3   8:3    0    88G  0 part /home
├─sda1   8:1    0   512M  0 part /boot
└─sda6   8:6    0   450M  0 part

sda2 is my current archlinux install, sda5 is Windows. sda1 is the EFI system partition, which I believe was created by windows and is mounted to /boot on my current install. I'm using systemd-boot (gummiboot). This has been working fine for a year. I'm now adding a new SSD (sdb) which is to have a second Archlinux install.

Based on this article it sounds like I _don't_ want to create another EFI partition, so I just partitioned sdb as a single ext4 root.

I added the following to /boot/loader/entries/arch2.conf:

title 	Arch Linux 2
linux 	/vmlinuz-linux
initrd 	/intel-ucode.img
initrd 	/initramfs-linux.img
options root=/dev/sdb1 rw

fstab for the new install just contains

# /dev/sdb1
UUID=...	/         	ext4      	rw,relatime,data=ordered	0 1

# /dev/sda1
UUID=...      	/boot     	vfat      	rw,relatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,errors=remount-ro	0 2

The '...' are the correct UUIDs, I've checked them against /dev/disk/by-uuid. When I boot and select the entry for my new install, I see a few [OK] messages scroll by quickly and then get a black screen (my monitor seems to think it is getting no signal). I've also tried leaving /dev/sda1 out of fstab.

I'm wondering if I need to run

bootctl --path=/boot install

from the new install as suggested in this article, but it is not clear whether that is something you need to do for each separate installation or just once to set up the EFI partition. I'm a little concerned that trying that will screw up my existing setup.

I set up sdb1 from my existing install following all the steps on the installation guide, minus the bootloader bit due to my aforementioned confusion.

Any tips on how to do this? Thanks!

Last edited by rcorre (2016-12-14 14:25:03)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,575

Re: [SOLVED] Second Linux install on UEFI

If you want 2 Arch installs, you're going to have to do something about the kernels. You can't have both of them using the same kernel image/initramfs, so you need to either use a different kernel filename for the second install or you need to use a subdir on the ESP to hold the other kernel/initramfs.

rcorre

Member

Registered: 2015-11-27

Posts: 65

Re: [SOLVED] Second Linux install on UEFI

I copied the kernel images from /boot in /dev/sdb1 to a subdir in the main ESP (/dev/sda1) and referenced that in the loader entry. Same result: some boot log lines scroll by and then the screen goes blank.

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,575

Re: [SOLVED] Second Linux install on UEFI

What video drivers?

rcorre

Member

Registered: 2015-11-27

Posts: 65

Re: [SOLVED] Second Linux install on UEFI

nvidia. I have a GTX 970.

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204 [GeForce GTX 970] (rev a1)
        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 8508
        Kernel driver in use: nvidia

rcorre

Member

Registered: 2015-11-27

Posts: 65

Re: [SOLVED] Second Linux install on UEFI

Doh. I needed to install the nvidia package. For some reason I thought that wouldn't be necessary if I just wanted to see the tty.
Thanks!

Last edited by rcorre (2016-12-13 22:26:43)