Arch Linux

dgregory46

Member

Registered: 2009-07-30

Posts: 11

[SOLVED] missing /etc files during "Configure System" step

I have a rather odd situation. This is my 5th arch install so I'm not a total n00b. I started a fresh install, but reusing the partitions that were already on the drive. I set the mount points using separate partitions for /boot, swap, /, and home.

At the Select Packages step, I left Base checked and also checked Base-devel.

After it finished the Install Packages step it started the Configure System step. At this point things started to get wierd. I checked Nano, and then configure rc.conf. It was empty. I logged into TTY2 to check and there was not a /mnt/etc directory where the file should have been.

So I started over again and repartitioned, dedicating a partition to /etc since that was one of the suggested options for mountpoints. Now when I got to the same place, /mnt/etc was there, but the only file it contained was /mnt/etc/fstab. In all of my previous installs, etc was fully populated.

I've tried searching for "missing /etc", "missing rc.conf" and some others I don't remember now. There were numerous hits but nothing that looked like an answer to what I am seeing. I've also looked through the logs in /var/log but didn't see anything that jumped out at me.

Can someone nudge me in the right direction to help me diagnose what is happening?

[SOLVED]

It turns out that I created a partition that I did not have the installer create a mount point for. My intention was for a big partition to hold my files that were shared to the local network, and I left it undefined to the installer. I was going to format it and create the fstab entry for it after the fact.

I went ahead and gave the installer the name of the mount point and not only did it finish the install correctly, it knew what to do with the partition and fstab entry.

I hope this helps if someone else has this same problem.

Last edited by dgregory46 (2009-10-12 23:17:11)

deej

Member

Registered: 2008-02-08

Posts: 395

Re: [SOLVED] missing /etc files during "Configure System" step

Are you formatting the partitions ?

Just a thought...

Deej

hokasch

Member

Registered: 2007-09-23

Posts: 1,461

Re: [SOLVED] missing /etc files during "Configure System" step

maybe a corrupted image?

dgregory46

Member

Registered: 2009-07-30

Posts: 11

Re: [SOLVED] missing /etc files during "Configure System" step

Yes, I am formatting the partitions. I get a message for each filesystem as it is being built. And as evidence, from TTY2 I can see the directories under /mnt. I could even see and edit /mnt/etc/fstab when I created a partition dedicated to /etc.

A bad image is a possibility. All of my previous Arch installs were i686, and this was a new download with x86_64. So the CD itself has not been proven. I'll run a checksum before I try it again. (Should have done this already, my bad)

As an experiment I threw on my i686 version. It will only boot about once out of five times, and when it does it has a slightly different set of problems. If I make any mistakes in setting up the partitions or setting the mountpoints, I can't go back and fix it without starting over with a reboot. I had to quit last night before I got far enough to know what happens with /etc.

I really don't care if I run 32 or 64 bit. This system will be a file and web server only. It will not be a workstation, and I probably won't even put X on it. Mobo has a max of 2 gigs, and I have it populated with 1 gig.

Ashren

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2007-06-13

Posts: 1,229

Website

Re: [SOLVED] missing /etc files during "Configure System" step

What I learned the last I had this problem was that it was caused by a faulty partition table. So my admvice is to recreate your partitions.

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mailman1175

Member

Registered: 2010-01-09

Posts: 15

Re: [SOLVED] missing /etc files during "Configure System" step

Hopefully someone will notice this...

I have the same problem as the OP (empty /etc files). I've created 2 partitions on /dev/sda: 1) swap, 2) root. I created a third XFS filesystem on /dev/mmcblk0p1 (SD card, in permanent use), intending to mount /home there later, but when it comes to choosing mountpoints, I don't have /dev/mmcblk0p1 as an option... just /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2, and /dev/sdb (the Live USB).

I gather from the OP's solution that this may be the root of my problem. Should I just hold off on creating (or identifying to the installer, since the partition exists, whether the installer knows it or not) the SD card /home partition altogether until after completing the install? Or is there something else I'm missing?