Arch Linux

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

[Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

I use and old (14 yrs) Arch installation and it's time to upgrade.
Upgraded to:
MB : MSI mag z790 tomahawk max wifi + i5-13600k + 64gb.
nvme: Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB

Used dd to copy my old ssd to the nvme and tried to boot, but no success.  No message, just staying in the BIOS screen.  *the nvme is recognized by the board).

Used a SystemRescue dok, booted with no problem and could actually boot into the nvme.  But not DIRECTLY from bios to nvme.
Mounted the boot partition and there was no "grub" sub-folder so understood that something happened to the grub install (but why?)
so, followed this advice with a fresh Arch iso, and still - can't boot.

GParted  shows the partition with flags "boot,esp".

Any help will be appreciated.

Last edited by ben-arch (2024-01-04 12:32:07)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,599

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

What bootloader/manager are you using? Was the old system BIOS or UEFI? GPT or dos/MBR partition table?

Don't follow some random steps someone posts on the forum. Figure out what your setup is and redo it.

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

GRUB.

THE efi folder was there also on the SSD.

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,599

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

Answering one of my questions, and from the first post, I'm not even sure that is correct.

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

GRUB.  uefi.  gpt.

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,599

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

Alright then, where are you mounting your ESP and what commands did you run exactly?

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

At what stage?

I guess you mean when I reinstalled GRUB.  A i Wrote in my first post : I "followed this advice with a fresh Arch iso"

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,599

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

And reading that advice it's shit. It's not even consistent with itself. The next post after it even tells you it's shit.

Again, DON'T COPY AND PASTE THINGS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.

Read your fstab, figure out where your partitions should be mounted, and run the correct mount and grub-install commands.

Last edited by Scimmia (2024-01-03 15:53:29)

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

LABEL=Root          	/         	ext4      	rw,relatime	0 1
LABEL=Home              /home           ext4            defaults        0 2

I'm sorry, but it seems I don't get your meaning.

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,599

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

So your ESP wasn't being mounted at all. Why is that?

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

Don't know.  was far as I can tell that's how it was.

d.ALT

Member

Registered: 2019-05-10

Posts: 920

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

Don't know.  was far as I can tell that's how it was.

+

GParted  shows the partition with flags "boot,esp".

What's/Where's that partition, then?

---

<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.

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

OK.  Added the missing line to fstab.  Thank you.

Can boot Arch through SystemRescue.  All partitions are mounted correctly:
- envme0n1p1 -> boot/efi
- envme0n1p2 -> swap
- envme0n1p3 -> root
- envme0n1p4 -> home

BUT the disk is not recognized as bootable by the m/b so can't boot directly (without SR).

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,599

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

And have you reinstalled grub yet? Not before following the wrong instructions.

d.ALT

Member

Registered: 2019-05-10

Posts: 920

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

- envme0n1p1 -> boot/efi

That's your EFI System Partition (ESP). Reinstall GRUB on there (while also updating its relevant NVRAM entry for the UEFI's Firmware).

---

<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.

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

@scimmia - not yet.Will do.

@d.Alt - that underlined part ....; will look into it once I understand it.

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,599

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

grub-install takes care of the underlined part

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

I must be missing something.

Re-installing GRUB and running efibootmgr I'm getting:
BootCurrent: 0002
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0001,0002
Boot0000* GRUB HD(1,GPT ,.......
Boot0001* UEFI: SanDisk..... (SystemRescue dok, starting at 0001)
Boot0002* UEFI: JetFlash.... (Arch-iso dok).

So, I do have the GRUB boot data and where It should be.

But when I reboot, no GRUB :-( only the dok(s).

So - what am I missing?

I'm booting from one of the doks, mounting the nvme partitions :
p3 -> /mnt
p1 -> /mnt/boot
chrooting into /mnt and running grub-install and then grub-mkconfig.
exiting the chroot envinroment , unmounting, rebooting ....

Something must be wrong here,

Your help is highly appreciated.

Last edited by ben-arch (2024-01-03 19:30:46)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 7,744

Website

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

Please don't truncate command output, the extra information provided by efibootmgr might be relevant. See also https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=57855.

Why have you mounted the ESP under /boot/? Earlier in the thread you claimed /boot/efi/ should be the ESP mountpoint. Which is it?

If the NVRAM boot entry isn't persisting your motherboard firmware is broken (which is fairly typical) and you should follow https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GRUB#D … _boot_path.

---

Are you infected with Wetiko?

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

-- ^ --
"Please don't truncate command output" - as I have to manually insert them here, from a cellulr picture taken of a screen it should be forgiven.
I have yet to find a way to copy the output from a terminal screen of an SR or Arch-install readonly dok.

"If the NVRAM boot entry isn't persisting your motherboard firmware is broken ..." - will try it later.

Thank you.

Last edited by ben-arch (2024-01-04 04:32:23)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 11,599

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

-- ^ --
"Please don't truncate command output" - as I have to manually insert them here, from a cellulr picture taken of a screen it should be forgiven.
I have yet to find a way to copy the output from a terminal screen of an SR or Arch-install readonly dok.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/List_o … ted_client

" Earlier in the thread you claimed /boot/efi/" - where have I said this?

OK.  Added the missing line to fstab.  Thank you.

Can boot Arch through SystemRescue.  All partitions are mounted correctly:
- envme0n1p1 -> boot/efi
- envme0n1p2 -> swap
- envme0n1p3 -> root
- envme0n1p4 -> home

BUT the disk is not recognized as bootable by the m/b so can't boot directly (without SR).

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

So, decided to start from scratch (at least regarding the /boot partition).

- re-formatted the partition (fat32)
- mounted the file systems
- created a new fstab
- installed grub + grub-mkconfig.

Checked efibootmgr- seems OK.
Rebooted.
As usual, the disk is not recognized as bootable.

SO.... reinstalled grub with the --remoovable flag.  And grub-mkconfig
Rebooted.
PARTIAL success

The computer recognizes the disk as bootable. "UEFI Hrd Disk: UEFI OS (Samsung ssd 99).
Booting from it get's me GRUB, but with only one option:
"UEFI Firmware settings"

Any help?

Some data :
- current efibootmgr output:

BootCurrent: 0001
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,0002
Boot0001* UEFI: SanDisk Extreme 0001, Partition 1	PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(21,0)/USB(0,0)/HD(1,MBR,0xf1ff78a6,0x800,0x1dd38b0)0000424f
Boot0002* UEFI OS	HD(1,GPT,f0a1a640-5de1-ec43-b161-b21e3fdfff51,0x800,0x200000)/File(\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI)0000424f

- current fstab:

# /dev/nvme0n1p3 LABEL=Root
UUID=c4d580a9-4441-4351-ac44-316e2490b9ab	/         	ext4      	rw,relatime	0 1

# /dev/nvme0n1p4 LABEL=Home
UUID=80085b52-a90f-4cbe-8e84-562e70512d66	/home     	ext4      	rw,relatime	0 2

# /dev/nvme0n1p1
UUID=C03C-F511      	/boot     	vfat      	rw,relatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=ascii,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro	0 2

# /dev/nvme0n1p2
UUID=c89970ac-6aeb-49af-9e3f-7285d331da13	none      	swap      	defaults  	0 0

d.ALT

Member

Registered: 2019-05-10

Posts: 920

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

- installed grub + grub-mkconfig.

Checked efibootmgr- seems OK.
Rebooted.
As usual, the disk is not recognized as bootable.

SO.... reinstalled grub with the --remoovable flag.  And grub-mkconfig
Rebooted.
PARTIAL success

Steps performed within the arch-chroot into /mnt with?

---

<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.

ben-arch

Member

Registered: 2005-12-17

Posts: 115

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

- mounted partitions on /mnt, /mnt/boot, /mnt/home
- created fstab
- arch-chroot /mnt
- installed GRUB
    - grub-install (with the --removable flag)
    -- grub-mkconfig
--exit chroot

rebooted

EDIT:

Source of problem is clear.  Going to solve it.

Last edited by ben-arch (2024-01-04 12:00:31)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 7,744

Website

Re: [Solved] Can't boot from nvme (dd from ssd)

Please share the full, exact commands used. Vague descriptions don't really help.

If you had the ESP mounted under /boot/efi/ originally then changed it to /boot/ you will have to reinstall the kernel or the ESP won't have the kernel & initramfs images and grub-mkconfig won't create any menuentries.

---

Are you infected with Wetiko?