Arch Linux

zacariaz

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2012-01-18

Posts: 539

efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

After reading: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/EFISTUB and not quite understanding it, I can up with this:

efibootmgr -d /dev/sda -p 1 -c -L "Arch Linux" -l /vmlinuz-linux -u "root=/dev/sda3 rw resume=/dev/sda2 initrd=/initramfs-linux.img"

And got the output:

efibootmgr: Could not set variable: Invalid argument
efibootmgr: Could not prepare boot variable: Invalid argument

I have checked this over and over again, and I can't find anything which remotely resemble an invalid argument.

I've tried various configurations, like with no resume, no efi device, as it should default to sda1 anyway, and so on, but I always get the same error.

The only argument left really, is the /vmlinuz-linux, but I have checked that the file is present and nothing has gone wrong, well, afaik.

I'm out of idea, please help.

NB.
/dev/sda1 EFI BOOT
/dev/sda2 SWAP
/dev/sda3 ROOT

Secureboot disabled.

Last edited by zacariaz (2015-07-01 19:48:38)

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I am a philosopher, of sorts, not a troll or an imbecile.
My apologies that this is not always obvious, despite my best efforts.

Awebb

Member

Registered: 2010-05-06

Posts: 6,688

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

The problem is in your "-u" segment. I'm not sure what it is, but it works without it. Now excuse me, while I purge my ESP of your entry... :-)

zacariaz

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2012-01-18

Posts: 539

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

The problem is in your "-u" segment. I'm not sure what it is, but it works without it. Now excuse me, while I purge my ESP of your entry... :-)

Really? That's odd, though of course you're right...

Now what to do about it... I'll be back.

edit
actually it don't seem to actually add the entry, even though bootefimgr says so.

Last edited by zacariaz (2015-07-01 12:23:20)

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I am a philosopher, of sorts, not a troll or an imbecile.
My apologies that this is not always obvious, despite my best efforts.

zacariaz

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2012-01-18

Posts: 539

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

I should probably mention that I have gotten my system to boot finally, using the method described in the beginners guide, but I still think it's odd that this didn't work.

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I am a philosopher, of sorts, not a troll or an imbecile.
My apologies that this is not always obvious, despite my best efforts.

mcloaked

Member

From: Yorkshire, UK

Registered: 2012-02-02

Posts: 1,279

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

After reading: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/EFISTUB and not quite understanding it, I can up with this:

efibootmgr -d /dev/sda -p 1 -c -L "Arch Linux" -l /vmlinuz-linux -u "root=/dev/sda3 rw resume=/dev/sda2 initrd= /initramfs-linux.img"

And got the output:

efibootmgr: Could not set variable: Invalid argument
efibootmgr: Could not prepare boot variable: Invalid argument

It is possible that the space between initrd= and the /initramfs... in your "additional commands" using -u is being parsed so that the argument for the initrd is not associated correctly. Maybe removing that space would help even though you have found an alternate method to write the nvram entry now. The -u parameter just says that you will add some additional parameters to the input to the efibootmgr command and the string in quotes contains the extras.

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Mike C

zacariaz

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2012-01-18

Posts: 539

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

not a mistake ive actually made.only a typo here on the forum.

Edit:
it has been corrected. My apologies.

Last edited by zacariaz (2015-07-01 19:49:51)

---

I am a philosopher, of sorts, not a troll or an imbecile.
My apologies that this is not always obvious, despite my best efforts.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

I get the same errors in my system:

empty@Arch ~ % sudo efibootmgr -d /dev/sda -p 1 -c -L "Test" -l /vmlinuz-linux -u "root=UUID=dc7b15ff-6725-4918-b0fd-4bfcc5560ffa rw initrd=/initramfs-linux.img"
efibootmgr: Could not set variable: Invalid argument
efibootmgr: Could not prepare boot variable: Invalid argument

I also get no output from `efivar`...

Both efibootmgr & efivar were upgraded on the 25th June.

The command works just fine with the old version:

empty@Arch ~ % sudo efibootmgr -d /dev/sda -p 1 -c -L "Test" -l /vmlinuz-linux -u "root=UUID=dc7b15ff-6725-4918-b0fd-4bfcc5560ffa rw initrd=/initramfs-linux.img"
BootCurrent: 0001
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0001
Boot0001* UEFI OS
Boot0000* Test
empty@Arch ~ % pacman -Q efibootmgr
efibootmgr 0.11.0-1

Who wants to file the bug report?

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

zacariaz

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2012-01-18

Posts: 539

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

I get the same errors in my system:

empty@Arch ~ % sudo efibootmgr -d /dev/sda -p 1 -c -L "Test" -l /vmlinuz-linux -u "root=UUID=dc7b15ff-6725-4918-b0fd-4bfcc5560ffa rw initrd=/initramfs-linux.img"
efibootmgr: Could not set variable: Invalid argument
efibootmgr: Could not prepare boot variable: Invalid argument

I also get no output from `efivar`...

Both efibootmgr & efivar were upgraded on the 25th June.

The command works just fine with the old version:

empty@Arch ~ % sudo efibootmgr -d /dev/sda -p 1 -c -L "Test" -l /vmlinuz-linux -u "root=UUID=dc7b15ff-6725-4918-b0fd-4bfcc5560ffa rw initrd=/initramfs-linux.img"
BootCurrent: 0001
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0001
Boot0001* UEFI OS
Boot0000* Test
empty@Arch ~ % pacman -Q efibootmgr
efibootmgr 0.11.0-1

Who wants to file the bug report?

That's interesting. Do you suppose it should be considered a bug, or has the procedure simply changed? I didn't notice anything obvious while reading through the manual.

---

I am a philosopher, of sorts, not a troll or an imbecile.
My apologies that this is not always obvious, despite my best efforts.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

Do you suppose it should be considered a bug

Yes, I would think so.

EDIT: One has already been filed and apparently the problem is with the `efivar` package:
https://github.com/rhinstaller/efibootmgr/issues/36

EDIT2: Too slow...

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2015-07-01 20:03:22)

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

zacariaz

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2012-01-18

Posts: 539

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

Seemingly the problem is with an update to efivar: https://github.com/rhinstaller/efivar/issues/22

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I am a philosopher, of sorts, not a troll or an imbecile.
My apologies that this is not always obvious, despite my best efforts.

mcloaked

Member

From: Yorkshire, UK

Registered: 2012-02-02

Posts: 1,279

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

Seemingly the problem is with an update to efivar: https://github.com/rhinstaller/efivar/issues/22

Excellent - hopefully the referenced fix will propagate through to a fixed version of efivar soon.

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Mike C

zacariaz

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2012-01-18

Posts: 539

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

Seemingly the problem is with an update to efivar: https://github.com/rhinstaller/efivar/issues/22

Excellent - hopefully the referenced fix will propagate through to a fixed version of efivar soon.

I do hope so. I know it doesn't really make a difference, it's just nice not having to mess around with bootloaders/managers when you don't really need to.

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I am a philosopher, of sorts, not a troll or an imbecile.
My apologies that this is not always obvious, despite my best efforts.

razielward

Member

Registered: 2013-06-11

Posts: 2

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

Is there a work around in the meantime, or do I just have to wait for efivar v.22 to roll out?

KairiTech

Member

From: Toronto, Canada

Registered: 2011-06-04

Posts: 275

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

Is there a work around in the meantime, or do I just have to wait for efivar v.22 to roll out?

You can download 0.21-1 from testing and pacman -U it. That worked for me.

Awebb

Member

Registered: 2010-05-06

Posts: 6,688

Re: efibootmgr: invalid arguments?

Is there a work around in the meantime, or do I just have to wait for efivar v.22 to roll out?

You can download 0.21-1 from testing and pacman -U it. That worked for me.

Or take the PKGBUILD of the testing package and build it yourself. This way you don't have to deal with the package being built against libraries only available in testing. Might or might not be relevant here.