Arch Linux

ThePeach

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From: Berlin, DE

Registered: 2014-06-08

Posts: 52

Website

Installation from Ubuntu: gummiboot won't start [dell xps 13 (2015)]

UPDATE 2015/05/16: I re-issued "gummiboot install" after booting from an Arch USB stick and chrooting in the partially installed system.
This fixed the problem, so if you're having problems with installation from Ubuntu (or other, for what matters) and you've landed here, I hope you have the possibility to install from a separate medium.

Hi all
I've recently received a dell xps 13 preinstalled with Ubuntu.

I'd really like to move to Arch, but I'm having some problems as the title states, gummiboot doesn't start.
As a plus I'd like to keep Ubuntu in case I'm having some problems configuring the network, so I've tried to do my best to keep both bootmanager working.

I've followed the guide Install from an existing Linux using the bootstrap image.
Then followed as suggested the official guide starting from installing the base system.

NOTE: ubuntu uses Grub2 and mounts the EFI partition in /boot/efi
I've used the pre-existing EFI partition for Arch as well but mounted on /boot as suggested in the guide and many others.

Once I've installed gummiboot I tried to run

# gummiboot --path=/boot install

but failed with something along the lines of "Unable to create var: Input/Output error"
which happened right after copying the gummibootx64.efi

So I've decided to run the installation using efibootmgr as suggested in the Gummiboot wiki page, but once again I got the I/O error.

I've instead tried to install it from Ubuntu and it worked, as you can see from the output:

efibootmgr 
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 1 seconds
BootOrder: 000C,0000,0007,0006,0008,0009,000B
Boot0000* ubuntu
Boot0001* Diskette Drive
Boot0002* MiniCard SSD
Boot0003* USB Storage Device
Boot0004* CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive
Boot0006* Diskette Drive
Boot0007* MiniCard SSD
Boot0008* USB Storage Device
Boot0009* CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive
Boot000A* UEFI: SAMSUNG SSD PM851 M.2 2280 512GB
Boot000B* UEFI: SAMSUNG SSD PM851 M.2 2280 512GB
Boot000C* Gummiboot
BootFFFB* Diagnostic Boot      
BootFFFC* Temporary Boot Menu  
BootFFFD* Graphic Setup        
BootFFFE* Text Setup  

I've also got the following files:

# cat /boot/loader/loader.conf 
default arch
timeout 5

and the entries for ubuntu and arch:

# cat /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf 
title          Arch Linux
linux          /vmlinuz-linux
initrd         /initramfs-linux.img
options        root=/dev/sda7 rw

# cat /boot/loader/entries/ubuntu.conf 
title          Ubuntu 14.04
efi            /EFI/ubuntu/grub64.efi

Nonetheless when I'm trying to restart I'm always getting into ubuntu no matter what.

If I try to load gummiboot manually from the firmware setup, I'm getting a blank screen with three lines of text asking me if I want to: 1) try to reboot 2) reboot into setup 3) run diagnostics.

Have I missed anything? or is there anything to fix this situation and finally boot into Arch?

Last edited by ThePeach (2015-05-17 20:55:52)

Head_on_a_Stick

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From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: Installation from Ubuntu: gummiboot won't start [dell xps 13 (2015)]

I have no experience of the "bootstrap image" method you have used so excuse me if I have missed something here.

Once I've installed gummiboot I tried to run

# gummiboot --part=/boot install

Is this a typo?

It should be "--path=/boot" (actually, this is assumed by gummiboot so just `gummiboot install` can be used).
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Be … therboards

So I've decided to run the installation using efibootmgr as suggested in the Gummiboot wiki page, but once again I got the I/O error.

If the `gummiboot install` command failed then there is no file at /boot/EFI/gummiboot/gummibootx64.efi so that will not work.

Load up the Arch live ISO, mount all your partitions (no need to `mkdir` here as the directories should already exist) and use `arch-chroot` then post the output of:

lsblk -f
# gdisk -l /dev/sda

Also, the path is wrong for your gummiboot configuration files -- they should be at /boot/loader/loader.conf & /boot/loader/entries/{arch.conf,ubuntu.conf} if you're running it from Arch.

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

ThePeach

Member

From: Berlin, DE

Registered: 2014-06-08

Posts: 52

Website

Re: Installation from Ubuntu: gummiboot won't start [dell xps 13 (2015)]

# gummiboot --part=/boot install

Is this a typo?

yes!

So I've decided to run the installation using efibootmgr as suggested in the Gummiboot wiki page, but once again I got the I/O error.

If the `gummiboot install` command failed then there is no file at /boot/EFI/gummiboot/gummibootx64.efi so that will not work.

good point: no, the command failed saying something along the lines "unable to create var" and this was after copying gummibootx64.efi

lsblk -f
# gdisk -l /dev/sda

gdisk is not available.

# lsblk -f
NAME     FSTYPE LABEL UUID MOUNTPOINT
sda
- sda1                     /boot
- sda2
- sda3
- sda4 
- sda5
- sda6                     /home
- sda7                     /

(had to copy it manually)

Also, the path is wrong for your gummiboot configuration files -- they should be at /boot/loader/loader.conf & /boot/loader/entries/{arch.conf,ubuntu.conf} if you're running it from Arch.

That paths are indeed taken from Ubuntu, from Arch these would appear as you suggest.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: Installation from Ubuntu: gummiboot won't start [dell xps 13 (2015)]

gdisk is not available.

# pacman -S gdisk

Perhaps?

(had to copy it manually)

lsblk > lsblk.txt

We need to see the exact error given by `gummiboot install`

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

ThePeach

Member

From: Berlin, DE

Registered: 2014-06-08

Posts: 52

Website

Re: Installation from Ubuntu: gummiboot won't start [dell xps 13 (2015)]

I've installed arch on a stick, chrooted in the partially installed Arch, run gummiboot install and it worked!
I'm not sure I'll go back to ubuntu to try to mess up the current gummiboot installation, but at least I hope this would help someone.

I'm not even sure a bug report will do anything due to the missing precise error.

Thanks Head on a Stick for helping me thou.