mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

carbon64 · 2012-03-29 03:15:51

Hello,

I am using archboot usb image to install from net (following https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GR … I_systems). When I examine mkinitcpio.conf during system configuration, the HOOKS line is empty: HOOKS=""

When I edit it and save, the installer replies: ERROR: Detected error in 'HOOKS=' line, please correct HOOKS= in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf!

I edited the HOOKS line to read: HOOKS=”base udev autodetect scsi sata filesystems usbinput". I also tried editing 'HOOKS=' to various reasonable choices, yet I always get the same error.

MODULES="ahci libahci xhci-hcd ehci-hcd ext4 vfat"
'BINARIES=' and 'FILES=' are empty.

Please advise,
Thank you.

PS Copied below are notes taken during the install, in case I am making any errors, this may or may not be useful.

Grub 2 GPT install on ASUS UEFI

boot archboot usb image (UEFI option x86_64, not LTS)

gdisk /dev/sda
x for expert mode
z for zap
partition 1 400MB EF00
partition 2 2GB Linux swap
partition 3 25GB Linux filesystem (/)
partition 4 25GB Linux filesystem (/home)

w for write
recheck: all good
MBR: protective
GPT: present

mkfs.vfat -F32 /dev/sda1

modprobe efivars
lsmod | grep efivars
output: efivars 10338 1

[Arch Linux: /]# mkdir -p /boot/efi
[Arch Linux: /]# mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /boot/efi
[Arch Linux: /]# mkdir -p /boot/efi/efi

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda3
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda4
mkswap /dev/sda2

Swith to installer

setting mountpoints:
partition 2: swap
partition 3: /
partition 4: home
partition 1: /boot

All successfully mounted to: /tmp/install/ e.g. /home mounted to /tmp/install/home

Select source: network
modprobe e1000e
use dhcpcd
select mirror: http://ftp.osuosl.org
generate package list: core only
install packages

Configure system:
use network settings from before
preconfiguration? Use hwdetect for: '/etc.rc.conf' and 'etc/mkinitcpio.conf'?
Recommended to say 'YES': yes
boot from usb: no

mkinitcpio.conf
Hooks=”base udev autodetect scsi sata filesystems usbinput”
ERROR: detected error in 'HOOKS=' line

pshevtsov · 2012-03-29 04:51:19

Look at your quote marks in the HOOKS line
Compare ” and "

carbon64 · 2012-03-29 05:47:16

The quote marks in the mkinitcpio.conf should be fine. I did not change them when editing the file.

carbon64 · 2012-03-29 17:54:05

Ok, so I reinstalled and made these changes:

I waited until I was inside chrooted environment to:
mkdir -p /boot/efi
mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /boot/efi
mkdir -p /boot/efi/efi

Also, I did not mount partition 1 to /boot in the installer.
Finally, I edited HOOKS to HOOKS=”base udev autodetect scsi sata filesystems usbinput". When the installer complained, I ignored it and kept going.

Everything else goes well, except: I cannot boot via the conventional way: the system locks up at: loading initial ramdisk. However, I am able to boot using the firmware boot manager. Should I mark this solved, since it seems pretty clear I can ignore the installer when it complains about editing mkinitcpio.conf?

Lone_Wolf · 2012-03-29 23:48:58

Booting through the firmware boot loader is at best a workaround, not a solution.

after booting and updating the system, what output do you get from

# mkinitcpio -p linux

if no errors, reboot and check if normal boot works.

carbon64 · 2012-03-30 06:01:16

Thank you for the suggestion Lone_Wolf. I was using the above partition configuration as a test. I now am running Arch off an SSD, with /var mounted from another disk. I still encounter the same issue with mkinitcpio.conf in the installer. I still can only boot through the UEFI BIOS firmware.

My system is updated (pacman -Syu) and here is the output of mkinitcpio -p linux:

Building image from preset: 'default'
-k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux.img
Starting build: 3.2.13-1-ARCH
Parsing hook: [base]
Parsing hook: [udev]
Parsing hook: [autodetect]
Parsing hook: [scsi]
Parsing hook: [sata]
Parsing hook: [filesystems]
Parsing hook: [usbinput]
Generating module dependencies
Creating gzip initcpio image: /boot/initramsfs-linux.img
Image generation successful
Building image from preset: 'fallback'
-k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img -S autodetect
Starting build: 3.2.13-1-arch
Parsing hook: [base]
Parsing hook: [udev]
Parsing hook: [scsi]
Parsing hook: [sata]
Parsing hook: [filesystems]
Parsing hook: [usbinput]
Generating module dependencies
Creating gzip initcpio image: /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img
Image generation successful
***

Now, when I reboot, I get a message "Filesystem Check Failed". I saw this before and fixed it by:

remounting / rw (as instructed by the prompt)
editing mkinitcpio.conf and including lvm2 in the HOOKS line: HOOKS="base udev autodetect scsi sata lvm2 filesystems usbinput"
# mkinitcpio -p linux

I am now able to boot, using the firmware boot loader and the mkinitcpio.conf that includes lvm2. Note that the only partitions mounted on lvm are /var and /sgmedia (custom made directory - btrfs).

Any suggestions welcome,
thank you.

Lone_Wolf · 2012-03-30 14:02:27

mkinitcpio only mentions special settings if /usr is on a separate partition, but it may be that that /var/run and such are needed also .

Either way, add fsck hook as last item in the hooks line.
It is now recommended to have that present on all systems.

mich04 · 2012-04-03 03:24:41

I think this might be the problem

http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z45 … G_0694.jpg

Archboot has many problems, I just tried it tonight and I am receiving the same error. I also tried to uncomment the "sane" settings. The only way to get it to not produce an error is to leave it like this

HOOKS=""

As soon as you add anything it produces an error.
I also noticed that when Archboot was installing it had errors

Can't find fsck.ext4

There was another error I can't find the correct word it starts with a b
bscidio can't set locale

This installation also can not handle installing grub2 with gtp partitions. I can not get it to work.
It also needs to be changed so that eth0 is detected towards the beginning so that one can adjust the time with NTP.

mich04 · 2012-04-03 12:29:19

So I had to expand on what I said from yesterdays post. Grub 2 will not work if you have an internal hard drive, and a USB drive and you have mounts split between them, /var on usb. I just tried installing on my internal ssd and it went smoothly.

The other variable that I changed was that I used the installation files on the CD. This fixed the HOOKS error by placing the correct hooks needed for the machine. It seems that when you opt to download the installation files that the problems arise.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-03-29 03:15:51

mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

#2 2012-03-29 04:51:19

Re: mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

#3 2012-03-29 05:47:16

Re: mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

#4 2012-03-29 17:54:05

Re: mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

#5 2012-03-29 23:48:58

Re: mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

#6 2012-03-30 06:01:16

Re: mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

#7 2012-03-30 14:02:27

Re: mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

#8 2012-04-03 03:24:41

Re: mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

#9 2012-04-03 12:29:19

Re: mkinitcpio: ERROR in HOOKS= line

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