Arch Linux

conk_creat_

Member

Registered: 2026-02-22

Posts: 6

[SOLVED] mirrorlist is read-only

I'm mid-install on Arch and I'm at the mirror selection. When I use nano to open the list, it has a red [ File '/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist' is unwritable ] message at the bottom. Any edits I make are thrown back with a similar message, claiming the file is read-only. I've already verified that none of my mounted file systems are designated as read-only, everything shows RW. How do I fix this? I'd rather not run this with a full, unedited mirrorlist.

Last edited by conk_creat_ (2026-02-23 03:41:00)

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 73,633

Re: [SOLVED] mirrorlist is read-only

Just for pacstrap this probably won't be a big problem, but is rather odd

whoami
stat /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
getfacl /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
findmnt -T /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

Also have you tried to just write it? (Might be a bug in nano)

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conk_creat_

Member

Registered: 2026-02-22

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] mirrorlist is read-only

Thanks, you led me right where I needed to go.

# findmnt -T /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

This command returned the path /run/archiso/airootfs, which I recalled I had unmounted while partitioning drives. I called the function to unmount everything, including airootfs from loop0. Restarted the machine to remount loop0, as I recalled noticing it in the iso startup functions, re-checked my partitions and mounts, and nano now has no problem writing to the file. Thanks again for pointing the way.

tl;dr don't be a noob who unmounts loop0