Arch Linux

julesm

Member

Registered: 2014-07-29

Posts: 70

[SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

Hello,

I've been using Arch for 7 years and have successfully installed it over a dozen times. But this laptop installation just isn't working. All the installation steps seem to work but it won't boot. I just end up at the bios boot menu.

I've seen on the internet where others have installed Mint on this model but not Arch. I thought it would be straightforward but I'm struggling.

Here's what I've done:

BIOS:
- Intel Platform Trust Technology - Disabled
- Secure Boot - Disabled
- Boot Mode - Legacy Support
- Boot Priority - Legacy First
- PXE Boot to LAN - Disabled
- Boot Priority Order - 1) eMMC Disk; 2) USB

I then boot from my Arch installation usb to get to root@archiso.

Because it's an eMMC drive, it's designated /dev/mmcblk0 and I begin:

# get connected to internet
wifi-menu wlp3s0

# erase existing partitions
sgdisk --zap-all /dev/mmcblk0

# Use GPT as the partition table format
gdisk /dev/mmcblk0

# create 3 partitions all 8300 linux file system
# partition 1 - boot - 200M
# partition 2 - root - 14G
# partition 3 - home - remainder of space - 14G
# write changes and verify

# make file systems
mkfs.ext4 /dev/mmcblk0p1
mkfs.ext4 /dev/mmcblk0p2
mkfs.ext4 /dev/mmcblk0p3

# I won't list out the actual commands but here's what I do next which doesn't generate any errors or anything unexpected:
# - mount the partitions
# - select a mirror
# - install the base system
# - generate fstab - which I change to refer to /dev/mmcblk0p1, etc
# - chroot and configure - hostname, clock, networking software
# - create an initial ramdisk environment
# - install syslinux as bootloader
pacman -S syslinux
pacman -S gptfdisk
syslinux-install_update -i -a -m

# - configure syslinux.cfg to point to the right root partition: APPEND root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rw

# exit, unmount partitions and reboot

I'd be very grateful for any assistance.

Cheers,
Jules

Last edited by julesm (2018-03-19 11:46:29)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,544

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

First problem I see is that mkfs.ext4 now defaults to 64bit, which syslinux doesn't support.

julesm

Member

Registered: 2014-07-29

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

Thanks for that. But it's working with no problems on my other installations...  So, would that really be it???

julesm

Member

Registered: 2014-07-29

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

Okay - I get it - I think - the old installations still work because they were created before the 64bit support change, right?  But now - with a new installation - I need to disable the 64bit feature.  Will give that a try.  Thanks again.

julesm

Member

Registered: 2014-07-29

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

Unfortunately, I'm still ending up at the boot menu.

I started over and this time I disabled 64bit feature when I created the boot ext4 file system. Syslinux installed - and indeed no 64bit warning. So, it looked like it was going to work but then I keep getting dumped to the boot menu.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Jules

julesm

Member

Registered: 2014-07-29

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

When I do a lsblk, I can see:

loop0 - which I ignore
sda - which is my usb drive
mmcblk0 - which is my emmc disk
mmcblk0p1 - which is my boot partition 200M
mmcblk0p2 - which is my root partition 14G
mmcblk0p3 - which is my home partition 14.3G

BUT there's also this:
mmcblk0boot0 - 4M disk
mmcblk0boot1 - 4M disk
mmcblk0rpmb - 4M disk

I didn't do anything with these - just left them and used mmcblk0 which I partitioned and installed to.  Is that correct?  Could these have anything to do with my problem?  I've switched the BIOS to legacy and have the eMMC drive prioritised above the windows boot menu (even tried disabling it in the bios).

Cheers,
Jules

progandy

Member

Registered: 2012-05-17

Posts: 5,190

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

root=/dev/mmcblk0p1

Shouldn't your root be the second partition? mmcblk0p2 or better yet the UUID.

The three extra partitions should be left alone.

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 0#p1589600

You do not remove any of mmcblk0rpmb, mmcblk0boot0, mmcblk0boot1. They are not partitions as in the usual sense when we deal with harddrives. Truth is some devices even put (part of?) its UEFI (yes the firmware, not the ESP) in the "boot partition"(s). Read about eMMC specs if you want to know more about them.

Last edited by progandy (2018-03-17 12:02:09)

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julesm

Member

Registered: 2014-07-29

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

Yes, it is the second partition - sorry typo in my post.

Trilby

Inspector Parrot

Registered: 2011-11-29

Posts: 29,523

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

What do you mean when you say you end up at the "Bios boot menu"?  Is this a uefi machine?  If it is bios, there isn't any boot menu other than the one of the bootloader installed to the MBR.

Are you getting the syslinux boot menu?  Or are you getting an OS not found message?  Or something else?

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

julesm

Member

Registered: 2014-07-29

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

In the bios, I've turned off uefi. It's now legacy support and legacy boot. When I try to boot - without my usb plugged in - I get a bios menu prompting to select eMMC Disk: Ramaxel 32GB. If I select it and press enter, it just loops to the prompt again. I'm not getting to syslinux. I've got the boot priority order set to eMMC disk and then usb is second. I hope that helps. Not sure how else to explain it. Cheers.

julesm

Member

Registered: 2014-07-29

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

Great news - got it working. Here's the trick if anyone else has an issue with this laptop.

The key and correct BIOS options are:
- Boot Mode - Legacy Support
- Boot Priority - UEFI First (NOT Legacy First)

I then did a EFI install using systemd-boot.  After that, I was up and running and no issues at all!

Thanks for the input and assistance.

Cheers,
Jules

HarveyK

Member

Registered: 2015-10-05

Posts: 37

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

Also running Arch on a 110S-11IBR, really like this little machine.

Did you know it  has an internal M.2 slot and can easily be upgraded by a 3.3V SSD? See https://www.damianthater.com/2017/08/29 … grade.html (in German, but has a list of working SSDs at the end).

Regards,
   Heinz

julesm

Member

Registered: 2014-07-29

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] Can't boot install on Lenovo 110S-11IBR laptop

Thanks for the input - very interesting - will definitely look into this. Now that I've got the boot issue resolved, I too really like this Lenovo laptop with Arch on it!

Thanks again,
Jules