[SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

audiomuze · 2014-06-16 13:28:46

I'm just about ready to pull what little hair I have left. I've wasted around three days now trying to get Arch to install and be bootable with this motherboard so I'm hoping someone here has experience getting it done. This machine will only run Arch, I've no need for running any other OS on it and I don't need UEFI.

I have installed the latest BIOS. The BIOS allows me to set Compatibility Support Module (CSM) to Auto, Enabled or Disabled.
Secure Boot can also be disabled. Inside Secure Boot settings I can also set OS type to Windows UEFI mode or Other OS.

I know the installation flash drive is fine because on this machine I've once managed to get it to boot in UEFI mode on (don't remember the UEFI BIOS settings) and also booted it many times in BIOS mode. It was made using dd and written from the latest Arch ISO: archlinux-2014.06.01-dual.iso

If I set CSM and Secure Boot to Disabled I cannot get the PC to boot Arch off the installation flash drive. The machine knows the flash drive is present (refers to it as "Arch Linux"), it can be configured as the boot device and all that happens on reboot is the UEFI BIOS reloads. Exactly the same behaviour persists whether I set OS type to Windows UEFI mode or Other OS and whether Secure Boot mode is enabled or disabled.

Setting CSM to Auto and having Secure Boot set to Enabled with OS Type set to Other OS results in the Arch Flash disk being booted. The usual Arch install options are listed (x86_64, i686). UEFI isn't mentioned anywhere on screen.
Running efivar -l returns an error listing variables, no such directory ---- so clearly it does not boot into UEFI mode with these settings.
Changing CSM to enabled and:
- setting Boot Device Control to UEFI only results in the UEFI BIOS being reloaded i.e. Arch is not loaded
- setting Boot Device Control to UEFI and Legacy OPROM results in the the flash drive being booted, but not in UEFI mode
- setting Boot Device Control to Legacy OPROM Only results in the the flash drive being booted, but not in UEFI mode

End of the day I don't need EUFI booting and don't care if I boot with or without it, I just want to install Arch on this PC so I can get it up and running as a file server. I'm out if ideas, where to from here ?

Last edited by audiomuze (2014-06-16 20:32:17)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-06-16 14:23:02

If you don't care about booting in EFI-mode, just load the live .iso & try installing in non-EFI-mode instead...

audiomuze · 2014-06-16 14:26:20

If you read above you'll see I've done that and then all that happens is the UEFI Bios loads on reboot. I cannot get the machine to boot the resulting install, hence my post.

audiomuze · 2014-06-16 14:31:14

FWIW I have another identical machine booting into Ubuntu 13.10 installed from a flash drive to another flash drive. I've tried the same Bios settings for Arch - no joy, it will not boot the resultant flash install, but rather reloads the bios.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-06-16 14:34:31

My apologies audiomuze, I did read your post several times...
What bootloader did you install?
How did you configure it?

audiomuze · 2014-06-16 15:28:02

No problem, I should've been clearer. As I wasn't booting into UEFI mode I used syslinux.

syslinux-install_update -iam

followed by editing /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg and using the UUID of the partition on which the install was done.

Last edited by audiomuze (2014-06-16 15:28:26)

surfatwork · 2014-06-16 17:38:23

here's what I would do:
Boot with a gparted disk and partition your HDD. Make sure you have a EFI boot partition.
Set it to UEFI only, secure boot disabled, CSM support disabled.
Boot the arch flash disk. If this doesnt work, then check your flash drive. Make sure you followed: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … otable_USB
Now install arch.

btw, you really dont need syslinux. or grub. you could boot the kernel stub directly from your UEFI, if it allows custom executable names. Or you could use something like refind which is lighter and more flexible.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-06-16 17:43:49

I do not currently use syslinux & it's been a whie since I used it last...
Can you post the contents of syslinux.cfg, please?
Are you using GPT or MBR for your partition table?
gptfdisk is required by the syslinux install script for GPT disks...
EDIT: @surfatwork --- the OP has stated that he is unable to boot up in EFI-mode: if this is the case, the NVRAM entries on the motherboard cannot be changed & the installation will not boot up in EFI-mode...

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2014-06-16 17:46:07)

graysky · 2014-06-16 17:58:08

Have you tried steps similar to these?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GR … Z77_Family

ukhippo · 2014-06-16 18:35:30

I assume you've configured the BIOS to boot from the HDD, so you could try a minimal syslinux.cfg

prompt 1
default arch
F1 syslinux.cfg
label arch
  linux ../vmlinuz-linux
  initrd ../initramfs-linux.img
  append rw root=UUID=whatever

If you get a “boot:” prompt on a reboot, your BIOS is setup correctly for booting.
Press F1 and syslinux should display the contents of your syslinux.cfg file
Back at the boot: prompt, type “arch” (without the quotes, obviously) and see if arch boots.

audiomuze · 2014-06-16 19:23:25

I was advised on IRC to remake the install flash disk using the manual method. Did that, turned off CSM and Secure Boot and was able to boot in EFI mode from the install media.

I've since partitioned the target USB disk which will be used to boot the machine. Created a 512mb type ef00 partition, partitioned the balance of the disk as type 8300 and formatted them FAT32 and EXT4 respectively.

Busy with base install, albeit would appreciate some advice re how best to install a boot manager now.

Last edited by audiomuze (2014-06-16 19:23:43)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-06-16 19:35:26

audiomuze wrote:

[...] how best to install a boot manager now.

If you are mounting /boot to your ESP, IMO the simplest to use & manage is gummiboot...

surfatwork · 2014-06-16 19:41:43

I prefer refind

audiomuze · 2014-06-16 20:31:50

I've completed the install and have a working Arch install with CSM and Secure Boot disabled. Thanks everyone for your assistance and ideas.

@surfatwork: why is it you prefer rEFInd?

Last edited by audiomuze (2014-06-16 20:45:52)

surfatwork · 2014-06-16 20:58:37

its simple: all the files are in one place and it doesnt install stuff to obscure parts of my HDD
its fast: the refind time overhead is minimal on my setup. With 12 partitions, the refind menu is presented almost instantaneously after the BIOS
I have found it to be reliable: it has always found my OSes whether on the HDD or DVD
Looks classy: here are a couple of screenshots from the web:

Arch Linux

#1 2014-06-16 13:28:46

[SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#2 2014-06-16 14:23:02

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#3 2014-06-16 14:26:20

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#4 2014-06-16 14:31:14

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#5 2014-06-16 14:34:31

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#6 2014-06-16 15:28:02

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#7 2014-06-16 17:38:23

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#8 2014-06-16 17:43:49

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#9 2014-06-16 17:58:08

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#10 2014-06-16 18:35:30

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#11 2014-06-16 19:23:25

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#12 2014-06-16 19:35:26

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#13 2014-06-16 19:41:43

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#14 2014-06-16 20:31:50

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

#15 2014-06-16 20:58:37

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Arch on Asus Z87I-PRO (UEFI issues)

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