[MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

wesphys · 2013-06-06 03:35:01

I am trying to install Arch Linux on a Lenovo ThinkPad T431s.

I created a bootable UEFI USB disk image following the instructions on the wiki.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/UE … B_from_ISO

Attempting to boot from this image I get to a screen that looks like:
Arch Linux archiso x86_64 UEFI USB
UEFI Shell x86_64 v1
UEFI Shell x86_64 v2

After selecting the first option, I get a blank screen.

This appears to be the same (or very similar) to the following issues:
[1] https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=151599
[2] https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=158530

As suggested by
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners'_Guide#Preparation
I tried appending a number of things to the initrd line

nomodeset
video=SVIDEO-1:d
i915.modeset=0

with no success (the blank screen was exactly the same).

Some posts in thread [2] indicated that booting in legacy bios mode worked. I created a new disk image (again following the wiki instructions: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … ion_Media) and was able to confirm that I could successfully boot from this other image after switching into legacy mode.

In thread [1], there was the suggestion to go into a UEFI shell and try a command like

Shell > fs0:
FS0:\ > cd \arch\boot\x86_64
FS0:\arch\boot\x86_64\ > vmlinuz archisobasedir=arch archisolabel=ARCH_201306 initrd=\arch\boot\x86_64\archiso.img

which I did. After pressing enter nothing happened (the screen did not go blank, all the text remained, no messages appeared).

Eventually in that same thread, a workaround was suggested in this post. I have not tried this because I was unable to understand what exactly was being done, both because of the terse nature of the post and the fact that the referenced article is not in a language which I read (and google translate did not make it clear enough). I was unable to evaluate whether that was a sensible thing to do.

Now, finally, the questions

Firstly, does anyone have any suggestions about how to solve or troubleshoot my blank screen issue?

If not, does anyone have an opinion about which of the workarounds (switching into legacy mode or the one that I don't quite understand yet) would be better? I am not planning to dual boot the system, so I do not need to use UEFI to be win8 friendly, etc.

Last edited by wesphys (2013-06-07 14:36:28)

TheSaint · 2013-06-06 14:55:57

Which graphic card have you?
Nvidia?

wesphys · 2013-06-06 15:15:57

This machine has Intel HD Graphics 4000.

Last edited by wesphys (2013-06-06 15:16:09)

TheSaint · 2013-06-06 15:51:29

My experience were about a problem with nvidia card, which need to modify the kernel line by adding nomodest
Unfortunately your situation doesn't leave Xorg logs. Maybe there is the main cause.
Try to modify grub to load a vesa driver or you should try to start in "level 3", something like systemd.unit=multi-user.target at the kernel line
But I think it's hardly achievable because it isn't a normal installation. Therefore you may need to unpack the iso and modify there.

toketin · 2013-06-07 12:30:27

Same here with my new Lenovo Ideapad S300, i had to install Fedora (neither Ubuntu's live worked, black screen)

wesphys · 2013-06-07 14:37:20

I chose to switch my system to the Legacy BIOS setting and successfully installed Arch. I did not resolve the UEFI issue.

Since this issue was not "fixed", but my question is no longer active, I have marked the post moot in the subject line.

Last edited by wesphys (2013-06-07 14:38:18)

TheSaint · 2013-06-15 13:15:04

Same was mine, but I could go back to use UEFI boot.
My fix was to change a line in the xorg.conf.
If you can see the grub display, then the problem is on the way X try to start up.
You may try to run UEFI boot, and see what X had to say, later.

humhumhum · 2013-06-20 09:42:26

have the same problem with the version 201306 201305 201304, but I successfully boot with the version 201303.
my laptop is a samsung 900x4c

why the MOOT tag? It's a real bug!

mieLouk · 2013-06-21 12:43:06

Same here with a Thinkpad E530 / HD4000. It seems to be a real bug!

mango123 · 2013-07-13 07:21:18

Thinkpad E130 / HD4000
Don`t boot. Black screen and all :-(

usereleven · 2013-07-16 01:04:56

Having exactly the same issue with 201307 iso on my Lenovo z580. System boots from USB flash, boot options are displayed but screen goes black after one of the options is selected. Strange thing is that when I press -but not hold- power off button, system shuts itself down. It seems like a regular OS shutdown.

Last edited by usereleven (2013-07-16 01:13:46)

gtolden · 2013-07-21 07:52:33

My problem seems to be fixed in archiso 201307
My Laptop is dell vostro 5460 / Intel HD Graphics 4000+NVIDIA GEFORCE. When I turn on UEFI mode with secure boot off and legacy options on, I can boot usb device in legacy boot. And for archiso 201306, the situation is exactly the same: blank screen after choosing "Arch Linux archiso x86_64 UEFI USB", can be turned off by pressing the power button; even turning KMS off doesn't help... I haven't tried turning UEFI off. but neither the dd command nor the copying method in the wiki works for 201306.
However, after swithed to ISO201307, no workarouds are needed any more, even dd works (maybe that's because my laptop doesn't support usb uefi boot). Maybe, it's due to kernel upgrade?

Notes: sometimes, usb stick quality counts. 201307 doesn't work at first when I was using my old 2GB flash disk...

neri · 2013-12-18 20:26:24

I'm having the same issue on a Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga. All known remedies failed (nomodeset, etc) I was however able to use a USB stick which I accidentally had flying around with a 2012_12 and nomodeset which allowed me to boot in UEFI mode. I had to modprobe efivars manually. Also, Fedora worked as well.

I will attempt the actual (arch) installation tomorrow night and report back. I do consider the current ISO somewhat broken in this regard but can't pin down where exactly it fails. If developers wanna contact me to gather (debug) info please go ahead.

-t

Auric · 2013-12-22 07:41:56

Neri, did you get any further with this? I just got my own Thinkpad Yoga and am facing the same problems. Everything works fine in legacy Boot but the screen stays black on UEFI boot regardless of the known workarounds.

might it help to first install using legacy boot and later on convert to UEFI?

TheSaint · 2013-12-23 13:54:34

If UEFI isn't the most priority, just go for legacy and use grub to boot in MBR mode.
The only obstacle it could be to have the hard disk partitioned in GPT, then MBR booting might become a problem. I think that's better to setup in legacy mode and use gummiboot or refind as boot manager.

neri · 2013-12-30 20:28:27

Auric wrote:

Neri, did you get any further with this? I just got my own Thinkpad Yoga and am facing the same problems. Everything works fine in legacy Boot but the screen stays black on UEFI boot regardless of the known workarounds.
might it help to first install using legacy boot and later on convert to UEFI?

Not really with Arch directly anyways. What you can do is:

1. Use Fedora 20 USB to boot the sucker up
2. Use Archlinux-bootstrap install (download expand etc)
3. Use refind as the bootmanager seems to solve the dual boot issues

ATM i'm fighting a mkinitcpio segfault. But that is after the installation was basically successful. It would be nice if we can find a way to fix the install medium ...

EDIT:
----------------------------------------
All sorted out. Unfortunately you'll have to bypass the Archlinux Install medium and resort to the fedora 20 installer. I used the XFCE4
version for a smaller download.
Here are the basic steps for a Dual-Boot setup:
In windows (Disk Management) truncate your C: Drive. I ended up making basically what will became /dev/sda4 smaller and didn't not
touch any partition or free space before that. Here's the final Layout:
/dev/sda:
empty space
1. recovery partition
2. ESP
3. reserved
4. windows
5. Linux Root
6. Linux home
7. Swap

The installation happened from within Fedora Live using an Archlinux Boot strap image according to the Wiki for installing from an
existing Linux and the Wiki Installation Guide. I mounted /dev/sda2 (aka. the existing ESP partition) as /boot and installed refind
according to the wiki. Please note, when you install Arch through the archlinux bootstrap method make sure you pacman -S archlinux-keyring
in the bootstrap chroot first before you run the pacstrap command - it will accelerate the process tremendously!

Last edited by neri (2014-01-02 21:40:31)

botika · 2014-01-04 03:22:54

ThinkPad T430u with HD4000, UEFI does not work any means. use legacy

neri · 2014-01-20 21:09:26

botika wrote:

ThinkPad T430u with HD4000, UEFI does not work any means. use legacy

Did you try the fedora USB medium?

-t

dam5h · 2014-04-04 16:44:48

I have this issue with the latest iso and a lenovo thinkpad t440s. If noone has a more direct method I will be trying the fedora workaround this weekend.

Any suggestions before I try the workaround?

Thanks.

dam5h · 2014-04-05 13:57:12

Is there any reason why you can't boot the installation usb in legacy mode and then intall system as UEFI? I know of others from the blogosphere that have used UEFI on this machine with arch.

jasonwryan · 2014-04-05 18:38:12

Please don't necrobump: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … Bumping.27

This thread is referring to an installer from mid-2013, a lot has changed since.

Closing

Arch Linux

#1 2013-06-06 03:35:01

[MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#2 2013-06-06 14:55:57

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#3 2013-06-06 15:15:57

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#4 2013-06-06 15:51:29

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#5 2013-06-07 12:30:27

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#6 2013-06-07 14:37:20

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#7 2013-06-15 13:15:04

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#8 2013-06-20 09:42:26

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#9 2013-06-21 12:43:06

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#10 2013-07-13 07:21:18

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#11 2013-07-16 01:04:56

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#12 2013-07-21 07:52:33

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#13 2013-12-18 20:26:24

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#14 2013-12-22 07:41:56

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#15 2013-12-23 13:54:34

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#16 2013-12-30 20:28:27

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#17 2014-01-04 03:22:54

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#18 2014-01-20 21:09:26

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#19 2014-04-04 16:44:48

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#20 2014-04-05 13:57:12

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

#21 2014-04-05 18:38:12

Re: [MOOT] UEFI USB Install (from 201306 image) - blank screen during boot

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