Arch Linux

Renata

Member

Registered: 2024-12-12

Posts: 1

Reboot loop on fresh install

Hello! I'm trying to install Arch on an old laptop but, when its time to reboot and leave the live installation, it goes on a black screen for a few seconds and reboot into the bios screen. Its not my first time installing Arch, and I'm using the same steps I used for my main PC.
I'm booting through systemd-boot, but I tried using Grub and it fails the same way, stopping at "loading initial ramdisk"

I'll detail my step by step installation process, in case its useful.

iwctl to my wifi
gdisk /dev/sda (to clear my ssd from previous attempt)
(on gdisk) x
z

then partition stuff with cgdisk

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1
mkswap /dev/sda2
swapon /dev/sda2
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda3
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda4

mount everything

sudo pacman -Sy pacman-contrib

cp /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.backup
rankmirrors -n 6 /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist,backup > /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

pacstrap -K /mnt base linux linux-firmware base-devel 

genfstab -U -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

arch-chroot /mnt
sudo pacman -S nano bash-completion

locale gen and timezone stuff
hostname password stuff

bootctl install
nano /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf
that file contains:

title Arch
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /initramfs-linux.img

echo "options root=PARTUUID=$(blkid -s PARTUUID -o value /dev/sda3) rw" >> /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf
that adds this line on arch.conf
options root=PARTUUID=blablablabla rw

sudo pacman -S dhcpcd
sudo systemctl enable dhcpcd@wlan0.service

exit
umount -R /mnt
reboot

Also, i checked and journal never says anything about the failed boot.

iith4ahm

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 53

Re: Reboot loop on fresh install

did you install it?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Instal … stallation

edit: ...um sorry i didn't scroll :blush sweat smile:

Last edited by iith4ahm (2024-12-13 02:52:40)

obelisk

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2021-01-10

Posts: 76

Re: Reboot loop on fresh install

How did you mount the drives before you enter arch-chroot?

You have to mount your efi partition after you have mounted the new root file system.
/dev/sda1 >> Your EFI/ESP Partition?
/dev/sda2 >> you want there the swap, that's clear.
/dev/sda3 >> I think this will be your / (root) partition ?
/dev/sda4 >> maybe a home partition?

If all above is answered with yes, then mount...
1. mount your root partition first, for example: mount /dev/sda3 /mnt
2.  mount your efi partition to the mounted root partition: mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot
3. mount your home partition to the mounted root partition: mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/home
4. then you can enter arch-chroot /mnt in clean way, to e.g....
4a. installing systemd-boot or grub on "/boot", which installs it in arch-chroot on the mounted /dev/sda1 partition
4b. execute pacman -Syu
4c. execute mkinitcpio -p linux

and check also the bootorder with efibootmgr
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Unifie … efibootmgr