You are not logged in.

#1 2013-02-15 23:11:44

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

G'day all,

I have had Arch running on a variety of platforms over the past couple of years, but after my latest upgrade I can install Arch successfully (I think) using the latest install iso and following the beginners guide but I am unable to successfully boot into it after rebooting.  At first the problem was KVM disabled in bios.  So I enabled the Intel Virtualisation part of BIOS and that error went away, but now it progresses no further.  I feel I should list what PC I just bought, it is a:

CPU: core i7 3770K, with a minimal but stable overclock to 4.0ghz. (I ran 12 hours of prime95 test in windows with rounding on and didn't have one error on any cores) - http://ark.intel.com/products/65523
Motherboard:  ASUS Sabertooth Z77 - http://www.asus.com/Motherboard/SABERTO … ifications
RAM: 16 gig of RIPJAWS - http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=401
Video: ASUS GeForce 650ti - http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/GTX6 … ifications
HDD: A 1tb Western Digital Black which is being used for Windows (ntfs), an older 300 gig WD which I am using for Arch (ext4) and a Seagate for just data (ext4).

My problem is that after I install, when fsck runs and checks the drives, it only checks /dev/sdc3 which is the home partition, then the terminal font changes to Lat2-Terminus16 like in the beginners guide, all hard drive activity stops, the light doesn't blink and it just sits there.  The same thing happens with Intel Virtualisation being turned off, the only addition is it has the error "KVM Disabled in BIOS".  I am not sure but I am suspecting this is due to me having a EUFI motherboard?  Although I am booting with legacy BIOS and the MBR with both Windows and Linux so I didn't make the UEFI partition as I felt it wasn't necessary, is that correct?  The partitions I have are a swap partition which is 16 gig, boot partition which is 500 meg, root partition which is 50 gig and the rest, about 200 odd gig is for home.  I have installed grub on the 300 gig WD and just linked the MBR from the 1tb WD with Windows on it to GRUB and that works fine.

I have read as much as I could find about the KVM problem and seemingly was able to fix that, and I have read into EUFI and from my understanding because I am not booting with GPT or UEFI because I am using the legacy BIOS and MBR method, I don't need a UEFI partition.  But as I said, it doesn't boot past fsck running and the terminal font changing.  The live CD boots fine, a Fedora live CD boots and loads the live GUI fine.  Windows boots fine. 

I have tried changing some settings in BIOS, the boot options, virtualisation options, reset to factory defaults, nothing works, infact most of the changes just throw more errors, generally at POST, so I am at a loss as to what the try next.  Has anyone come across this problem before?  I am suspecting it is more a hardware issue then an Arch Linux issue, which I am hoping to solve as I love using Arch Linux and the CLI, I have learnt quite a lot in my couple of years of using Linux and I don't really want to change distributions because I can't fix this. 

Thanks for your time and in advance of any help/advice offered.

blindcarnt.


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#2 2013-02-16 03:12:18

Multimoon
Member
From: /usr/share/zoneinfo/US/Eastern
Registered: 2012-09-30
Posts: 170

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

When you installed archlinux from the CD, I'm assuming you chrooted into the system before rebooting and set your locales?


It always makes me laugh when people complain and rage over any distro's management ideal, when this is a linux community, and you could always make your own distro and experience the pains yourself.

Offline

#3 2013-02-16 05:05:51

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

Yes I followed the Beginners Guide and did everything it suggested.  There is no error message, all it says, even after deleting the partitions and starting again by reinstalling following the beginners guide, it just says:

(note the drive has changed since I combined /boot with / after recreating the partitions in windows instead of cfdisk)

/dev/sdc2 : clean. 31956/3276800 files. 455864/13107200 blocks

And it doesn't do anything after that.  I did everything in the order of the guide, which was:

Change language (I am using en_AU.UTF-8 and ko_KR.UTF-8 as I want Australian English and Korean)
Internet and network works straight away on eth0
Partitioning, I have used cfdisk and a windows partitioning program to make the partitions.  Made file systems with mkfs.ext4 and mkswap
Mounted the partitions
Selected an Australian mirror which was a http link at aarnet.edu.au
Installed base and base-devel
Generated the file system table with genfstab
Chroot the system, which included
-locale
-console font and keymap
-time zone
-hardward clock of UTC
-hostname
Configured the network
Configured pacman
I have tried creating the initial ram disk environment manually and skipping this step
Set root password
Installed and configured Grub
Umounted and rebooted.

After doing all of that on my new pc and following the beginners guide, I get nothing after that hard drive check.  I have installed Arch this way before on other hardware and it has worked everytime, so I am not sure what is going wrong...


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#4 2013-02-16 06:35:59

DSpider
Member
From: Romania
Registered: 2009-08-23
Posts: 2,273

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

Post your fstab.

$ curl sprunge.us -F sprunge=@/etc/fstab

"How to Succeed with Linux"

I have made a personal commitment not to reply in topics that start with a lowercase letter. Proper grammar and punctuation is a sign of respect, and if you do not show any, you will NOT receive any help (at least not from me).

Offline

#5 2013-02-16 06:56:17

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

# /dev/sdc2
UUID=b9c1d766-c657-4101-8fdd-7cae670a8b5e    /    ext4        rw,relatime,data=ordered    0 1

#/dev/sdc3
(the UUID number (sorry I am typing this on a phone XD ))    /home    ext4        rw,relatime,data=ordered    0 2

#/dev/sdc1
(the UUID number)    none    swap        defaults    0 0

Last edited by blindcarnt (2013-02-16 07:18:53)


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#6 2013-02-16 07:04:20

jasonwryan
Anarchist
From: .nz
Registered: 2009-05-09
Posts: 30,424
Website

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

blindcarnt wrote:

# /dev/sdc2
UUID=b9c1d766-c657-4101-8fdd-7cae670a8b5e    /    ext4    $    rw,relatime,data=ordered    0 1

#/dev/sdc3
(the UUID number (sorry I am typing this on a phone XD ))    /home    ext4    $    rw,relatime,data=ordered    0 2

#/dev/sdc1
(the UUID number)    none    swap    $    defaults    0 0

wut?


Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

Registered Linux User #482438

Offline

#7 2013-02-16 07:06:57

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

jasonwryan wrote:
blindcarnt wrote:

# /dev/sdc2
UUID=b9c1d766-c657-4101-8fdd-7cae670a8b5e    /    ext4    $    rw,relatime,data=ordered    0 1

#/dev/sdc3
(the UUID number (sorry I am typing this on a phone XD ))    /home    ext4    $    rw,relatime,data=ordered    0 2

#/dev/sdc1
(the UUID number)    none    swap    $    defaults    0 0

wut?

I just ran the command he asked me to and there was no output.  So I also typed out what was inside the file, minus the UUID numbers for 2 of the partitions as I was typing it on a phone and it was rather painful...

Last edited by blindcarnt (2013-02-16 07:07:31)


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#8 2013-02-16 07:07:40

jasonwryan
Anarchist
From: .nz
Registered: 2009-05-09
Posts: 30,424
Website

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

Yes, and I bolded the "$" - which have no place in an fstab...


Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

Registered Linux User #482438

Offline

#9 2013-02-16 07:10:32

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

Oh I didn't see the bold, hence the nickname.  I just type what nano was showing me.  Perhaps it is from the scrolling in nano?  I couldn't see the entire line in nano and every time I scrolled across with arrows or the end key it showed a $ there.

###edit###

Yeah the $ isn't there it is just nano.. I ran vi and I don't see any $

Last edited by blindcarnt (2013-02-16 07:17:19)


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#10 2013-02-16 07:15:15

jasonwryan
Anarchist
From: .nz
Registered: 2009-05-09
Posts: 30,424
Website

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

less /etc/fstab

will show you what is in the file...


Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

Registered Linux User #482438

Offline

#11 2013-02-16 07:22:02

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

I forgot about more and less.  I used less and vi and both confirmed that there was no $ in the file, it must be a way of nano signalling that there is more text on that line that isn't on the screen.  I have removed the $ from the fstab post above.  Sorry for the confusion!


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#12 2013-02-16 08:02:56

WonderWoofy
Member
From: Los Gatos, CA
Registered: 2012-05-19
Posts: 8,414

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

I am not sure, but I think data=ordered is a ext3 option and not an ext4 option. If you remove it, what happens?

To find out for sure if I am right, see the mount man page. I am not in front of a computer right now (responding from my tablet).

Offline

#13 2013-02-16 08:06:29

DSpider
Member
From: Romania
Registered: 2009-08-23
Posts: 2,273

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

If you have "rw,relatime,data=ordered" in there, it means that you didn't follow the Beginners' Guide.
You followed a video tutorial, didn't you? A video tutorial made at least a month ago (i.e. outdated).


https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Be … e_an_fstab

See?


PS: jasonwryan, "[ ins ][ /ins ]" tags are better suited for highlighting something. Bolds and previously visited links are pretty much invisible on this forum... But then again, it also depends on the browser, used fonts (especially on Firefox - that is, if we're even talking about a PC), DPI, zoom level, etc.

Last edited by DSpider (2013-02-16 08:15:09)


"How to Succeed with Linux"

I have made a personal commitment not to reply in topics that start with a lowercase letter. Proper grammar and punctuation is a sign of respect, and if you do not show any, you will NOT receive any help (at least not from me).

Offline

#14 2013-02-16 08:25:52

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

WonderWoofy wrote:

I am not sure, but I think data=ordered is a ext3 option and not an ext4 option. If you remove it, what happens?

To find out for sure if I am right, see the mount man page. I am not in front of a computer right now (responding from my tablet).

I removed data=ordered from both the root and home lines in /etc/fstab, the same problem occurs hmm


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#15 2013-02-16 08:31:48

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

DSpider wrote:

If you have "rw,relatime,data=ordered" in there, it means that you didn't follow the Beginners' Guide.
You followed a video tutorial, didn't you? A video tutorial made at least a month ago (i.e. outdated).


https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Be … e_an_fstab

See?


PS: jasonwryan, "[ ins ][ /ins ]" tags are better suited for highlighting something. Bolds and previously visited links are pretty much invisible on this forum... But then again, it also depends on the browser, used fonts (especially on Firefox - that is, if we're even talking about a PC), DPI, zoom level, etc.

I followed the beginners guide, and not a video guide, I have never installed Arch Linux with a video guide.  So lets see what the guide says...

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Be … e_an_fstab

If I am installing with an installer later then January 2013, then to run this command...

Note: If you have download the installation image after january of 2013 you can simple yse this command instead previous:

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

I ran that command and it loads rw,relatime,data=ordered into the generated fstab.

The same as if I run the other command for pre January 2013 installers.

# genfstab -U -p /mnt | sed 's/rw,relatime,data=ordered/defaults,relatime/' >> /mnt/etc/fstab
# nano /mnt/etc/fstab

So either way, with whatever installer, from the beginners guide and not a video, I will be generating that line of code within the fstab file.  As I said previously I have followed this guide maybe 10 or 15 times on various hardware and have had no problems what so ever installing, with or without the AIF and no videos required.  This is the first and only time I have been unable to boot Arch Linux after a fresh install, I have broken Arch Linux many times with updates and have either fixed it or reinstalled it, but I have never encountered any problems ever following the guide.


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#16 2013-02-16 08:47:01

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

Even after removing everything in the fstab options area and replacing it with defaults,noatime I still get the same problem at boot. 

I did just notice whenever I boot into Windows that the hard drive I have Arch Linux installed to is actually listed in the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" area.  I have never noticed this ever before in Windows, not from a normal internal hard drive, perhaps this could be relating to the issue?  I don't see how this would occur.  This hard drive is set to cable select mode and is plugged into the same sata ports on the mother board as the other hard drives in the system.  The only sata cable that isn't plugged into the same area is the "hot swap" cable for the hard drive dock attached to the case, which this hard drive is not plugged into so that shouldn't matter what so ever.


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#17 2013-02-16 15:47:56

henk
Member
From: Weert, Netherlands
Registered: 2013-01-01
Posts: 334

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

blindcarnt wrote:

I did just notice whenever I boot into Windows that the hard drive I have Arch Linux installed to is actually listed in the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" area.

http://www.overclock.net/t/974023/fix-a … e-hardware

Offline

#18 2013-02-17 04:29:37

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

henk wrote:
blindcarnt wrote:

I did just notice whenever I boot into Windows that the hard drive I have Arch Linux installed to is actually listed in the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" area.

http://www.overclock.net/t/974023/fix-a … e-hardware


Awesome thank you henk!


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#19 2013-02-28 05:59:05

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

Bump.  I have tried everything suggested from the helpful members of the Arch Forum community, but I am still having the same problem.  My system just will not boot after the fsck on start up.  I have followed the Arch Beginners Installation guide character for character about 5 times now and no change in results.  Does any one else have any suggestions / ideas?


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#20 2013-02-28 06:17:21

DSpider
Member
From: Romania
Registered: 2009-08-23
Posts: 2,273

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

So the partition layout is just root + home. Ok...

1. Is /dev/sdc an external drive? Because then you would need to add the "block" hook at this stage during the installation (a step which you probably skipped).

2. Speaking of which, do you have the "fsck" hook in there?

3. If it's not GPT, then what does 'fdisk -l' show? Run this from a Linux LiveCD after establishing an internet connection, and then post the link:

# fdisk -l | curl sprunge.us -F sprunge=@-

Last edited by DSpider (2013-02-28 16:42:39)


"How to Succeed with Linux"

I have made a personal commitment not to reply in topics that start with a lowercase letter. Proper grammar and punctuation is a sign of respect, and if you do not show any, you will NOT receive any help (at least not from me).

Offline

#21 2013-02-28 07:47:39

blindcarnt
Member
Registered: 2011-10-23
Posts: 16

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

DSpider wrote:

So the partition layout is just root + home. Ok...

1. Is /dev/sdc an external drive? Because then you would need to add the "block" hook at this stage during the installation (a step which you probably skipped).

/dev/sdc is just a normal internal 300gig Western Digital SATA drive

DSpider wrote:

2. Speaking of which, do you have the "fsck" hook in there?

I haven't added any hooks as from my understanding reading the guide, I wouldn't need any, and in the past I haven't needed any.


DSpider wrote:

3. If it's not GPT, then what does 'fdisk -l' show? Run this from a Linux LiveCD after establishing an internet connection, and then post the link:

fdisk -l | curl sprunge.us -F sprunge=@-

fdisk -l just gives me the output of all of my connected hard drives.  I ran the above command and you should be able to see the output of the my fdisk -l

Thank you DSpider for all of your time and effort so far.

I did realise I had my 300 gig Western Digital SATA drive plugged into the wrong SATA port on my hard drive.  It was plugged into the port for Serial IDE support and this was why it was showing up as a removable device in Windows.  I have changed it to the the correct SATA port, reinstalled again but I am still having the same problem.  I removed all of the code in the fstab like you mentioned earlier and replaced it with what was recommend from the fstab man page (defaults,noatime) but this hasn't helped either.


Intel inside, idiot outside.

Offline

#22 2013-02-28 13:45:42

s1ln7m4s7r
Member
Registered: 2013-02-22
Posts: 262

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

you should try to make your mkinitcpio.conf look like this, just to be safe.

HOOKS="base udev block filesystems"

and then recreate it

mkinitcpio -p linux

It will create a full initramfs

And dont`t change any options within your fstab from the ones created from genfstab

Last edited by s1ln7m4s7r (2013-02-28 16:05:11)

Offline

#23 2013-02-28 15:27:32

PaulBx1
Member
Registered: 2008-10-18
Posts: 142

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

Remove the overclocking until you get this taken care of.

Offline

#24 2013-02-28 16:40:10

DSpider
Member
From: Romania
Registered: 2009-08-23
Posts: 2,273

Re: New PC, Arch Linux install problems.

blindcarnt wrote:
DSpider wrote:

2. Speaking of which, do you have the "fsck" hook in there?

I haven't added any hooks as from my understanding reading the guide, I wouldn't need any, and in the past I haven't needed any.

It says there that:

Usage of this hook is strongly recommended

Runs fsck against your root device (and /usr if separate) prior to mounting.

So it's a good thing. While "chrooted", add it after the autodetect hook and then re-generate a new initramfs image with 'mkinitcpio -p linux'.

blindcarnt wrote:

fdisk -l just gives me the output of all of my connected hard drives.  I ran the above command and you should be able to see the output of the my fdisk -l

You haven't posted the link... I'm not clairvoyant or psychic, to "remote view" your screen... Jot it down on a piece of paper or on whatever device you have around (phone, tablet, etc) and then post it here.


"How to Succeed with Linux"

I have made a personal commitment not to reply in topics that start with a lowercase letter. Proper grammar and punctuation is a sign of respect, and if you do not show any, you will NOT receive any help (at least not from me).

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB