[Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

Kyranio · 2015-10-22 13:10:44

I am currently having two issues...

1, When I modify the syslinux.cfg file using nano on a LiveCD (the arch linux installation disk (on a USB)), I can fully modify it, change the values and what not... But when i save it, and reboot the machine to boot on the actual OS, everything will be reset to default settings... (Init files are back to default, and if i changed the boot partition to /dev/sda1 it will still look for /dev/sda3.

If i boot the LiveCD again, and open the config file with nano, everything will be reset back to default settings...

2, I have tried to reinstall arch on the machine, but the same issue aplies, so i tried to set /dev/sda3 as the boot partition,
Yet now it does detect it but it says that "/sbin/init does not exist - Bailing out, you are on your own. Good luck."
I tried to fix it by installing systemd-sysvcompat and os-prober... But still no luck at all...

And i also tried to search for any forum post with the same issue, but nothing realy worked out for me...

I hope it is just a little issue that can be fixed easily, but i am new to Arch linux... So if anyone can help me a little instruction would be awesome...

Thank you in advance!

Last edited by Kyranio (2015-10-23 10:55:44)

headkase · 2015-10-22 13:15:34

Do you have "/boot" on a separate partition? You must mount the "/" partition, if /boot is separate then you must also mount that within the "/" mountpoint as well. If you have a separate "/boot" partition and are not mounting it then you may be "masking" the files. When you try to boot the "/boot" partition you didn't/did mount is taking precedence over the one you want.

Edit: Also, paste the contents of your "/etc/fstab" on the installed system.

Last edited by headkase (2015-10-22 13:16:10)

Trilby · 2015-10-22 13:26:33

Kyranio wrote:

1, When I modify the syslinux.cfg file using nano on a LiveCD

What is the exact command you are using to launch nano? Are you sure you're not just editting the config in the live system?

Kyranio · 2015-10-22 13:42:21

Trilby wrote:

Kyranio wrote:
1, When I modify the syslinux.cfg file using nano on a LiveCD
What is the exact command you are using to launch nano? Are you sure you're not just editting the config in the live system?

I booted the liveCD and selected the 32 bit one from the boot menu of the liveCD, and I am using "nano <file>" as command for nano.

headkase · 2015-10-22 13:47:18

Have you reached the part where you install syslinux on your actual harddrive and then edit the configuration file on that?

Kyranio · 2015-10-22 13:52:34

headkase wrote:

Do you have "/boot" on a separate partition? You must mount the "/" partition, if /boot is separate then you must also mount that within the "/" mountpoint as well. If you have a separate "/boot" partition and are not mounting it then you may be "masking" the files. When you try to boot the "/boot" partition you didn't/did mount is taking precedence over the one you want.
Edit: Also, paste the contents of your "/etc/fstab" on the installed system.

Well...

I have made 3 partitions using an Ubuntu liveCD, because if I did it using the liveCD of Arch (with fdisk) I was not able to mount the partitions... It gave the error "Bad blocks, bad option..." something like that...
I probably did not set the types correctly.

If I enter "fdisk -l" it will say that there are 3 partitions on the hardrive.

I am using just one harddrive of 30 gb.

All the partitions are Ext4, and fdisk says the type is "Linux"

The first one for the system, the second one for my own files (home, docs, etc...) and another one for boot.

I mounted them like this:

sda1 on /mnt
sda2 on /mnt/home (AFTER sda1 was mounted on /mnt)
sda3 on /mnt/boot (also after sda1 and 2 were mounted on /mnt and /mnt/home)

Then I installed the base system with pacstrap on /mnt

I basically did everything this page told me to do:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Installation_guide

So I installed syslinux, and ran the command: "syslinux-install_update -I -a -m -c /mnt" wich succeeded

Then I tested it, but it failed. Saying that /dev/sda3 was successfully found but the init file was not found.

So I searched forums for an answer, some said that installing the systemd package would fix it, others said the os_prober package would fix it...
But they did not.

And now I am here writing this reply.

Oh and I am using version 4.2.2-1-ARCH if it helps...

Last edited by Kyranio (2015-10-22 13:53:35)

Kyranio · 2015-10-22 13:57:39

headkase wrote:

Have you reached the part where you install syslinux on your actual harddrive and then edit the configuration file on that?

Isn't that the entire installation?

Like setting up the partitions on the hard drive and then install the bootloader and the base system on those partitions by mounting them on /mnt?

Scimmia · 2015-10-22 14:03:52

So when you edited syslinux.conf, which file exactly were you editing?

headkase · 2015-10-22 14:06:10

Yes, the whole works. You should investigate why the format of the partitions is failing instead of using an Ubuntu LiveCD to create them. That could potentially impact the genfstab command and the installation of the bootloader. Syslinux's bootloader should only need "-i -a -m" to install.

Trilby · 2015-10-22 14:18:03

Kyranio wrote:

Trilby wrote:
What is the exact command you are using to launch nano?
... I am using "nano <file>" as command for nano.

I doubt it. This would give a syntax error. So let's try again: what is the exact command you are using to launch nano? The part you've obscured with "<file>" is the part that I'd like to know about.

ukhippo · 2015-10-22 14:27:58

Kyranio wrote:

Then I installed the base system with pacstrap on /mnt
I basically did everything this page told me to do:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Installation_guide
So I installed syslinux, and ran the command: "syslinux-install_update -I -a -m -c /mnt" wich succeeded

Why are you specifying “-c /mnt”? The syslinux wiki page doesn't tell you to do that.
I'm guessing you exited the chroot before installing the bootloader, even though the installation guide asks you to exit the chroot after installing the bootloader.
Try reinstalling syslinux, but this time inside the chroot.

Kyranio · 2015-10-22 22:39:52

Trilby wrote:

Kyranio wrote:
Trilby wrote:
What is the exact command you are using to launch nano?
... I am using "nano <file>" as command for nano.
I doubt it. This would give a syntax error. So let's try again: what is the exact command you are using to launch nano? The part you've obscured with "<file>" is the part that I'd like to know about.

Nano /boot/syslinux/syslinux

Trilby · 2015-10-22 22:48:15

That's the problem. As I suspected from post #3, you are not editing the syslinux.cfg of your system, you are editing the syslinux.cfg of the iso (which is only stored in ram and so changes there don't even persist). You need to mount your root partition and edit the syslinyux.cfg in your system.

Although, while I'm yet more confident that this is the real problem, you still haven't posted the exact command used*, as the command you used would open an empty file for editing. Please take more care to actually provide the information requested: /boot/syslinux/syslinux is not the same as /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg and neither of these are what you want.

*if you persist in making things up rather than providing the information requested, you will find that you will quickly run out of people willing to try to help you.

Kyranio · 2015-10-23 10:54:26

Trilby wrote:

That's the problem. As I suspected from post #3, you are not editing the syslinux.cfg of your system, you are editing the syslinux.cfg of the iso (which is only stored in ram and so changes there don't even persist). You need to mount your root partition and edit the syslinyux.cfg in your system.
Although, while I'm yet more confident that this is the real problem, you still haven't posted the exact command used*, as the command you used would open an empty file for editing. Please take more care to actually provide the information requested: /boot/syslinux/syslinux is not the same as /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg and neither of these are what you want.
*if you persist in making things up rather than providing the information requested, you will find that you will quickly run out of people willing to try to help you.

I found out already by myself , thank you though!

I completed the installation and it boots correctly now.

Thank you for your help everyone!

What I did was I looked for a YouTube tutorial on how to install it, and I saw what I did wrong. Leaving chroot too early was the mistake, I thought the syslinux.cfg file on the live media was the one I needed to modify., but I needed to edit another one in chroot.

Anyways, thank you people!

Arch Linux

#1 2015-10-22 13:10:44

[Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#2 2015-10-22 13:15:34

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#3 2015-10-22 13:26:33

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#4 2015-10-22 13:42:21

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#5 2015-10-22 13:47:18

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#6 2015-10-22 13:52:34

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#7 2015-10-22 13:57:39

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#8 2015-10-22 14:03:52

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#9 2015-10-22 14:06:10

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#10 2015-10-22 14:18:03

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#11 2015-10-22 14:27:58

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#12 2015-10-22 22:39:52

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#13 2015-10-22 22:48:15

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

#14 2015-10-23 10:54:26

Re: [Solved] Syslinux config file saves, but on boot resets itself.

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