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#1 2022-12-06 18:38:48

rhodie
Member
Registered: 2012-03-19
Posts: 45

Install Arch Linux from existing Linux: Issue with leftover files

I am following this guide: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Instal … ting_Linux

I have gotten up to "3.4 You can now proceed to Installation guide#Mount the file systems and follow the rest of the Installation guide."

The installation guide then says to mount /dev/root_partition /mnt and then run pacstrap -K /mnt base linux linux-firmware

The problem with this is that the existing linux is on the /dev/root_partition, so pacstrap generates a lot of "file already exists" errors and a lot of .pacnew files.  There also end up being a lot of leftover config files from the previous distro.

What is the best way to handle this?

Edit: Forgot to mention that this is a remote server that I have no physical access to.

Last edited by rhodie (2022-12-06 19:23:31)

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#2 2022-12-06 19:30:46

d.ALT
Member
Registered: 2019-05-10
Posts: 914

Re: Install Arch Linux from existing Linux: Issue with leftover files

What's the layout of the (remote)storage you want to install Arch onto?
What distribution are you actually (remotely) on?
Can you issue a

# lsblk -f

from within the running (remote)distribution?


<49,17,III,I>    Fama di loro il mondo esser non lassa;
<50,17,III,I>    misericordia e giustizia li sdegna:
<51,17,III,I>    non ragioniam di lor, ma guarda e passa.

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#3 2022-12-06 19:36:16

Slithery
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From: Norfolk, UK
Registered: 2013-12-01
Posts: 5,776

Re: Install Arch Linux from existing Linux: Issue with leftover files

You can't use this method (or any method) to install over an existing root partition, you need to have free space available to create a new root partition to install Arch onto.


No, it didn't "fix" anything. It just shifted the brokeness one space to the right. - jasonwryan
Closing -- for deletion; Banning -- for muppetry. - jasonwryan

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#4 2022-12-06 20:25:34

rhodie
Member
Registered: 2012-03-19
Posts: 45

Re: Install Arch Linux from existing Linux: Issue with leftover files

d.ALT wrote:

What's the layout of the (remote)storage you want to install Arch onto?
What distribution are you actually (remotely) on?
Can you issue a

# lsblk -f

from within the running (remote)distribution?

It’s currently Rocky Linux 9

lsblk -f:

NAME      FSTYPE            LABEL       UUID                                 MOUNTPOINT
sdb                                                                          
├─sdb4    swap              swap-sdb4   382bc002-49e3-422c-ba62-036d8e68bd30 
├─sdb2    linux_raid_member md2         262401b9-f5a6-3655-ce4e-c59cf67600a7 
│ └─md126 ext4              boot        79485a34-a4bd-4efb-9306-078e01339e1a 
├─sdb3    linux_raid_member md3         5ee95b72-86e8-1099-a45a-de7dac406e58 
│ └─md127 ext4              root        fd2e5876-1aaa-4b18-b202-83f4bd02923a /mnt
└─sdb1    vfat              EFI_SYSPART 22D2-BCBA                            
sda                                                                          
├─sda4    swap              swap-sda4   f6a6a660-1609-4f73-8795-a484260d8837 
├─sda2    linux_raid_member md2         262401b9-f5a6-3655-ce4e-c59cf67600a7 
│ └─md126 ext4              boot        79485a34-a4bd-4efb-9306-078e01339e1a 
├─sda5    iso9660           config-2    2022-12-06-14-31-35-00               
├─sda3    linux_raid_member md3         5ee95b72-86e8-1099-a45a-de7dac406e58 
│ └─md127 ext4              root        fd2e5876-1aaa-4b18-b202-83f4bd02923a /mnt
└─sda1    vfat              EFI_SYSPART 22A4-7410                            

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#5 2022-12-06 20:26:13

rhodie
Member
Registered: 2012-03-19
Posts: 45

Re: Install Arch Linux from existing Linux: Issue with leftover files

Slithery wrote:

You can't use this method (or any method) to install over an existing root partition, you need to have free space available to create a new root partition to install Arch onto.

I was afraid of that.

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#6 2022-12-06 20:40:35

d.ALT
Member
Registered: 2019-05-10
Posts: 914

Re: Install Arch Linux from existing Linux: Issue with leftover files

rhodie wrote:
Slithery wrote:

You can't use this method (or any method) to install over an existing root partition, you need to have free space available to create a new root partition to install Arch onto.

I was afraid of that.

Yup, indeed. The partition /dev/md127 you'll mount into /mnt must be empty!

Last edited by d.ALT (2022-12-06 20:40:58)


<49,17,III,I>    Fama di loro il mondo esser non lassa;
<50,17,III,I>    misericordia e giustizia li sdegna:
<51,17,III,I>    non ragioniam di lor, ma guarda e passa.

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#7 2022-12-07 08:17:11

nl6720
The Evil Wiki Admin
Registered: 2016-07-02
Posts: 592

Re: Install Arch Linux from existing Linux: Issue with leftover files

Slithery wrote:

You can't use this method (or any method) to install over an existing root partition

I may be possible by installing to a subdirectory and using the X-mount.subdir=directory mount option in rootflags and fstab. But for some reason I couldn't get it to mount in the initramfs.

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