Arch Linux

RobotGymnast

Member

Registered: 2013-06-10

Posts: 24

[SOLVED] 64-bit installation

I have been having trouble installing 64-bit Arch for over a year, since we switched from initscripts. I can usually get it to work through a combination of craftiness and trial & error, but not this time.

Only the chroot step in the installation guide does not apply (since the live CD is a different architecture). I've tried (not precisely in this order):

    pacstrap /mnt base wicd syslinux
    genfstab -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
    extlinux --install /mnt/boot/syslinux
    dd bs=440 count=1 conv=notrunc if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin of=/dev/sda
    cp /mnt/usr/lib/syslinux/*.c32 /mnt/boot/syslinux
    vi /mnt/boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg
    mkinitcpio -r /mnt -k /mnt/boot/vmlinuz-linux -g /mnt/boot/initramfs-linux.img -c /mnt/etc/mkinitcpio.conf

Upon reboot, I get an error staying that the root device cannot be found.

I've also tried installing 32-bit initially, and after the reboot, installing lib32-glibc and linux-x86_64, but this causes issues as well.

How do you install 64-bit Arch from the 32-bit LiveCD?

Thanks

Solution: If you're using Unetbootin, see the note here. This was my problem.

Last edited by RobotGymnast (2013-06-10 20:21:04)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 12,411

Re: [SOLVED] 64-bit installation

Why not just use the 64-bit version on the liveCD? It's been a dual-iso for nearly a year now.

RobotGymnast

Member

Registered: 2013-06-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED] 64-bit installation

Sure - how? I download the dual image, burn it onto a USB stick, and when I boot, there's only the one option, which drops me into 32-bit.

Last edited by RobotGymnast (2013-06-10 19:50:20)

HalosGhost

Forum Moderator

From: Twin Cities, MN

Registered: 2012-06-22

Posts: 2,097

Website

Re: [SOLVED] 64-bit installation

Download a new ISO and write it to a CD. All new ISOs are dual-architecture. How are you burning it to a USB? Also, are you sure it is an x64-capable system?

All the best,

-HG

Last edited by HalosGhost (2013-06-10 19:51:49)

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RobotGymnast

Member

Registered: 2013-06-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED] 64-bit installation

FAT formatted USB stick written by Unetbootin on 64-bit Windows (a different partition on the same computer - thank god the bootloader still works)

Last edited by RobotGymnast (2013-06-10 20:05:50)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 12,411

Re: [SOLVED] 64-bit installation

Ditch that unetbootin crap and you'll see the option.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … tion_Media

Last edited by Scimmia (2013-06-10 19:54:20)

RobotGymnast

Member

Registered: 2013-06-10

Posts: 24

Re: [SOLVED] 64-bit installation

Ditch that unetbootin crap and you'll see the option.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … tion_Media

Wait, Unetbootin's been screwing me for a year?

Excuse me while I headdesk so hard that every incarnation of me, along all my possible timelines, headdesks also.

Thanks all!

2ManyDogs

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2012-01-15

Posts: 4,646

Re: [SOLVED] 64-bit installation

Ditch that unetbootin crap and you'll see the option.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … tion_Media

Wait, Unetbootin's been screwing me for a year?

Yes, and you can tell that DSpider hasn't posted for a while, or he would have told you how broken Unetbootin is (at least for Arch). The warnings about it in the wiki are not at all clear.