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#1 2019-01-14 19:48:03

nickademus4070
Member
Registered: 2019-01-14
Posts: 7

Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

My computer was configured to triple boot Ubuntu Server 16.04, Arch Linux, and Gentoo Linux.

After starting the Linux from Scratch project, (I know, I have a problem) I'd inadvertently made it to where my computer wouldn't boot. I was stuck in GRUB Menu. I used my Arch ISO to mount the boot and root partitions for Arch, Chroot into the system, and re-install Grub. I can now get Arch to boot, but when I run OS-prober, it can't find Ubuntu or Gentoo anymore. At one point, I could get Gentoo to boot, but after some tinkering, I managed to make that break too. In fact, the Grub entry for Gentoo shows the Gentoo kernel using the root partition for Ubuntu instead of the root partition for Gentoo.

>inb4 RTFM
>inb4 post to Ubuntu/Gentoo.
I'm at a loss and I'm unsure where to post this question, so I've decided to post this to forums for all three distros.

From what I understand, GRUB should be installed on one distro, then use os-prober to find the others. Initially, it was Ubuntu that held the GRUB installation. Now it's Arch. Is it for this reason that Ubuntu won't boot? And if so, how do I fix it? I am trying very hard to figure this out and troubleshoot the issue rather than re-installation.

sda2 is boot
sda3 is swap
sda4 is Ubuntu
sda5 is Arch
sda6 is Gentoo

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#2 2019-01-14 19:52:54

bugsmanagement
Member
Registered: 2017-04-21
Posts: 201

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

Hello there,

Out of curiosity, are you booting using UEFI or Legacy BIOS? This could give inclination to how the layout should for everything to work properly. Alternatively, is your /home separated for each distribution? Is backing up /home and reinstalling out of the question?

Regards

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#3 2019-01-14 19:55:58

nickademus4070
Member
Registered: 2019-01-14
Posts: 7

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

Legacy BIOS.

/home is separate for each distro

Last edited by nickademus4070 (2019-01-14 19:57:39)

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#4 2019-01-14 19:56:19

torors
Member
Registered: 2012-09-28
Posts: 107

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

Did yoy remember to mount sda4 and sda6 before running OS-prober?

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#5 2019-01-14 19:58:06

nickademus4070
Member
Registered: 2019-01-14
Posts: 7

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

Where should I mount them to?

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#6 2019-01-14 20:02:49

2ManyDogs
Forum Fellow
Registered: 2012-01-15
Posts: 4,648

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

os-prober ofen causes problems. If Arch is booting, it is simple to write grub stanzas for the other Linux systems. See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#GNU/Linux

You can either put these in /etc/grub.d/40_custom and then rerun grub-mkconfig, put them in /boot/grub/custom.cfg, or add them directly to grub.cfg (note that any changes you add directly to grub.cfg will be lost if you run grub-mkconfig again). Make sure you get the partitions and kernel and initrd names right.

If you still have problems, post your grub.cfg file (use [ code ] tags).

I should also mention that another alternative is to write your entire grub.cfg from scratch. This avoids the problems with grub-mkconfig and os-prober entirely. See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Us … figuration and https://ptpb.pw/mk7y

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#7 2019-01-14 20:32:26

nickademus4070
Member
Registered: 2019-01-14
Posts: 7

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

2ManyDogs wrote:

os-prober ofen causes problems. If Arch is booting, it is simple to write grub stanzas for the other Linux systems. See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#GNU/Linux

You can either put these in /etc/grub.d/40_custom and then rerun grub-mkconfig, put them in /boot/grub/custom.cfg, or add them directly to grub.cfg (note that any changes you add directly to grub.cfg will be lost if you run grub-mkconfig again). Make sure you get the partitions and kernel and initrd names right.

If you still have problems, post your grub.cfg file (use [ code ] tags).

I should also mention that another alternative is to write your entire grub.cfg from scratch. This avoids the problems with grub-mkconfig and os-prober entirely. See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Us … figuration and https://ptpb.pw/mk7y

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
insmod part_gpt
insmod part_msdos
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi
if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then
   set default="${next_entry}"
   set next_entry=
   save_env next_entry
   set boot_once=true
else
   set default="0"
fi

if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
  menuentry_id_option="--id"
else
  menuentry_id_option=""
fi

export menuentry_id_option

if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function load_video {
  if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then
    insmod all_video
  else
    insmod efi_gop
    insmod efi_uga
    insmod ieee1275_fb
    insmod vbe
    insmod vga
    insmod video_bochs
    insmod video_cirrus
  fi
}

if [ x$feature_default_font_path = xy ] ; then
   font=unicode
else
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,gpt5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt5' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt5 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt5  78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a
else
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a
fi
    font="/usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2"
fi

if loadfont $font ; then
  set gfxmode=auto
  load_video
  insmod gfxterm
  set locale_dir=$prefix/locale
  set lang=en_US
  insmod gettext
fi
terminal_input console
terminal_output gfxterm
if [ x$feature_timeout_style = xy ] ; then
  set timeout_style=menu
  set timeout=5
# Fallback normal timeout code in case the timeout_style feature is
# unavailable.
else
  set timeout=5
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Arch Linux' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a' {
	load_video
	set gfxpayload=keep
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_gpt
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd0,gpt2'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt2' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
	fi
	echo	'Loading Linux linux ...'
	linux	/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a rw  quiet
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/initramfs-linux.img
}
submenu 'Advanced options for Arch Linux' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a' {
	menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux linux' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-linux-advanced-78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a' {
		load_video
		set gfxpayload=keep
		insmod gzio
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,gpt2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt2' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		fi
		echo	'Loading Linux linux ...'
		linux	/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a rw  quiet
		echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
		initrd	/initramfs-linux.img
	}
	menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux linux (fallback initramfs)' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-linux-fallback-78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a' {
		load_video
		set gfxpayload=keep
		insmod gzio
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,gpt2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt2' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		fi
		echo	'Loading Linux linux ...'
		linux	/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a rw  quiet
		echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
		initrd	/initramfs-linux-fallback.img
	}
	menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.16-gentoo' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.16-gentoo-advanced-78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a' {
		load_video
		set gfxpayload=keep
		insmod gzio
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,gpt2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt2' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		fi
		echo	'Loading Linux kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.16-gentoo ...'
		linux	/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.16-gentoo root=/dev/sda5 rw  quiet
	}
}

### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry 'Gentoo/Linux (on /dev/sda4)' --class gentoo --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-simple-564c57d6-b6ea-45ee-b482-b5ac231af1f5' {
	insmod part_gpt
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd0,gpt2'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt2' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
	fi
	linux /vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a rw quiet
	initrd /initramfs-linux.img
}
submenu 'Advanced options for Gentoo/Linux (on /dev/sda4)' $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-advanced-564c57d6-b6ea-45ee-b482-b5ac231af1f5' {
	menuentry 'Arch Linux (on /dev/sda4)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/vmlinuz-linux--564c57d6-b6ea-45ee-b482-b5ac231af1f5' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,gpt2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt2' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		fi
		linux /vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a rw quiet
		initrd /initramfs-linux.img
	}
	menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux linux (on /dev/sda4)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/vmlinuz-linux--564c57d6-b6ea-45ee-b482-b5ac231af1f5' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,gpt2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt2' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		fi
		linux /vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a rw quiet
		initrd /initramfs-linux.img
	}
	menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux linux (fallback initramfs) (on /dev/sda4)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/vmlinuz-linux--564c57d6-b6ea-45ee-b482-b5ac231af1f5' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,gpt2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt2' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		fi
		linux /vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a rw quiet
		initrd /initramfs-linux-fallback.img
	}
	menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.16-gentoo (on /dev/sda4)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.16-gentoo--564c57d6-b6ea-45ee-b482-b5ac231af1f5' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,gpt2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt2' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
		fi
		linux /kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.16-gentoo root=/dev/sda5 rw quiet
	}
}

### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f  ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then
  source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg
elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
  source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

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#8 2019-01-14 20:33:29

nickademus4070
Member
Registered: 2019-01-14
Posts: 7

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

With Ubuntu on sda4 and Gentoo on sda6, how would you suggest I add/edit the entry?

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#9 2019-01-14 23:19:31

Kirill Bugaev
Member
Registered: 2018-08-03
Posts: 173

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

add menuentries identically to ArchLinux entry except the string
linux    /kernel root=UUID=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx rw  quiet
where kernel is your Ubuntu or Gentoo kernel file name and xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx is UUID of Ubuntu(sda4) or Gentoo(sda6) partitions.
EDIT: Also you can try to make experiment: load Ubuntu and Gentoo with Arch kernel.

Last edited by Kirill Bugaev (2019-01-14 23:26:29)

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#10 2019-01-14 23:33:17

2ManyDogs
Forum Fellow
Registered: 2012-01-15
Posts: 4,648

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

nickademus4070 wrote:

With Ubuntu on sda4 and Gentoo on sda6, how would you suggest I add/edit the entry?

Did you look at the information I linked? There are plenty of examples.

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#11 2019-01-14 23:34:01

bugsmanagement
Member
Registered: 2017-04-21
Posts: 201

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

@nickademus4070

This may seem a bit over your head but quite simple, the templates here https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#GNU/Linux in /etc/grub.d/40_custom are best choices I think. AFAIK, there is a pacman hook that gets run when you update grub. I fear, is those OS are bootable? You might end up to another challenge if they aren't?

Kirill Bugaev wrote:

linux    /kernel root=UUID=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx rw  quiet
where kernel

How would grub find the kernel? The below is not important

Alternatively let GRUB search for the right partition by UUID or label


Btw, kernel naming maybe an issue in /boot

Regards

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#12 2019-01-14 23:45:04

eschwartz
Fellow
Registered: 2014-08-08
Posts: 4,097

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

The simple solution is probably to use my pending rewrite of the grub wiki page. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Us … figuration

I'm in the process of merging to the main page, with the objective of making it more clear, how to write grub.cfg by hand. It's far, far easier than it looks, which I mostly blame on grub-mkconfig being quite stupid.

Managing AUR repos The Right Way -- aurpublish (now a standalone tool)

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#13 2019-01-14 23:47:59

Kirill Bugaev
Member
Registered: 2018-08-03
Posts: 173

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

bugsmanagement wrote:

@nickademus4070

Kirill Bugaev wrote:

linux    /kernel root=UUID=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx rw  quiet
where kernel

How would grub find the kernel? The below is not important

...
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1
...

b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1 is /boot partition.
Such configuration works on my machine: 

menuentry 'Arch Linux' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-677ae77d-7b09-4ab4-8326-f0e08b16909d' {
	load_video
	set gfxpayload=keep
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd0,msdos5'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,msdos5' --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5  b34c8789-9fb8-4c4c-a0df-f8c84f28e2b0
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root b34c8789-9fb8-4c4c-a0df-f8c84f28e2b0
	fi
	echo	'Loading Linux linux original ...'
	linux	/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=677ae77d-7b09-4ab4-8326-f0e08b16909d resume=UUID=31ffa7c2-871a-423e-b09c-d3eec054b6e5 rw  quiet
	echo	'Loading initial original ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/amd-ucode.img /initramfs-linux.img
}

Last edited by Kirill Bugaev (2019-01-14 23:52:50)

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#14 2019-01-15 14:53:19

nickademus4070
Member
Registered: 2019-01-14
Posts: 7

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

UPDATE:

I ran a GParted Rescue operation and I'm baffled as to how this could have possibly happened but my Ubuntu partition is gone. I must be mis-remembering because sda4 is indeed my Gentoo Root partition. sda5 is still Arch, sda6 appears to have become unformatted. 

$ lsblk -f
NAME   FSTYPE LABEL UUID                                 FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINT
sda                                                                     
├─sda1                                                                  
├─sda2 ext4         b066be4e-cbf0-499f-b14c-273c0f21cbc1    813M    10% /boot
├─sda3 swap         eea3b823-ad85-4fa2-96c3-c231b62d9b7c                [SWAP]
├─sda4 ext4         564c57d6-b6ea-45ee-b482-b5ac231af1f5                
├─sda5 ext4         78c45d10-b684-42a4-a048-4e8bd355596a   64.1G    39% /
└─sda6                                                                  
sr0

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#15 2019-01-15 14:54:41

nickademus4070
Member
Registered: 2019-01-14
Posts: 7

Re: Can't get other distros to boot w/ Arch

So I'm going to go ahead and end this in the Gentoo forums. I appreciate all your help and apologize for my stupidity lol

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