Arch Linux

ttoirrah

Member

Registered: 2015-01-29

Posts: 52

ARCH_202312 failing to boot with syslinux

I've installed Arch on many machines, and been using it for over 6y as my main OS.
I set up one of my long-running installations 2y ago with archlinux-2021.11.01-x86_64.iso on my Crucial BX200 SSD, preformatted with the necessary partitions and fitted in my old Packard Bell iMedia S i34G1TU02. All went smoothly.
I recently needed to rebuild my Arch installation on that hardware configuration and found that I've not been able to complete the booting of archlinux-2023.12.01-x86_64.iso.
To prepare for the re-installation, I booted with systemrescue-10.02-amd64.iso and zapped my Crucial BX200 SSD - the only drive in that machine - then preformatted it minimally like so:

parted /dev/sda -s mklabel msdos mkpart primary ext4 1MiB 40GiB set 1 boot on

Then my USB flash drive, loaded with ARCH_202312, which boots fine on my other machines, doesn't boot with syslinux, as the Installation guide states, rather it tries to boot with GRUB version 2:2.12rc1-5, using the first (default) selection "Arch Linux install medium (x86_64, x64 UEFI)" then complains like so,

[    0.265386] Initramfs unpacking failed: invalid magic at start of compressed archive

and goes no further.
I can still boot that machine with systemrescue-10.02-amd64.iso, which is now Arch-based, so I'm stumped as to why I can't complete the ARCH_202312 boot.
Any ideas?

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 51,684

Re: ARCH_202312 failing to boot with syslinux

Add "maxcpus=1" to the kernel parameters, https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 2#p2128072 (and some more threads)

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

ttoirrah

Member

Registered: 2015-01-29

Posts: 52

Re: ARCH_202312 failing to boot with syslinux

Nope, no luck with maxcpus=1, and, having moved onto archlinux-2023.10.14-x86_64.iso, neither any luck with either of these lines in GRUB:

linux /arch/boot/;x86_64/vmlinuz-linux archisobasedir=arch archisodevice\=UUID=$(ARCHISO_UUID} nosmp
linux /arch/boot/;x86_64/vmlinuz-linux archisobasedir=arch archisodevice\=UUID=$(ARCHISO_UUID} acpi=off

This does appear to me some kind of fault in the installation ISO as my system was working fine before I elected to rebuild, and, as stated, still runs the Arch-based SystemRescue 10.02, and lastly, why is the installation ISO even booting into GRUB when it should be going for syslinux on this machine...

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 7,744

Website

Re: ARCH_202312 failing to boot with syslinux

why is the installation ISO even booting into GRUB when it should be going for syslinux on this machine

It must be booting in UEFI mode. Do you have an option for "Legacy" mode (CSM) in the firmware?

You can install Arch from the SystemRescue ISO image: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Instal … Arch_Linux

---

Are you infected with Wetiko?

ttoirrah

Member

Registered: 2015-01-29

Posts: 52

Re: ARCH_202312 failing to boot with syslinux

The old machine concerned has only a BIOS Setup Utility, and I took care not to have any GPT's on the hard disk, so it does seem to be a failure of the Arch installation media. (I first detected this problem with archlinux-2023.10.14-x86_64.iso.)
Delighted to discover I could install from SystemRescue, which I've now done, thanks.

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 51,684

Re: ARCH_202312 failing to boot with syslinux

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 1#p2120081 ?

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

nl6720

The Evil Wiki Admin

Registered: 2016-07-02

Posts: 601

Re: ARCH_202312 failing to boot with syslinux

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 1#p2120081 ?

If you suspect that it's a IA32 UEFI, then it would be best to try archlinux-2024.01.01-x86_64.iso. It's very likely that archlinux/packaging/packages/grub#5 has been fixed in grub 2.12.