Can't boot into GRUB on UEFI

bradsk88 · 2015-12-16 02:25:27

Hi all,

Almost a year ago, I installed Arch linux in EFI after installing Windows 8 in EFI. I used the EFI variant of the grub2 installation and everything worked great.

Last night, however, I had to flush my CMOS and, for some reason, that completely broke my bootloader.

My MOBO is an MSI 890FXA-GD65 with Click BIOS.

In Click BIOS, I can choose from three options for UEFI boot:

1) Windows Boot Manager ---- Boots Windows
2) UEFI: OS ---- Also boots Windows
3) UEFI: Built-in EFI Shell ---- Boots into MSI's EFI Command Line

From the EFI Shell, I can use the following commands to get to the grub bootloader and launch Arch Linux. That's where I'm currently posting from and everything is working aside from the bootloader.

fs0:
cd EFI
(running `dir` here lists Boot, Microsoft, and arch)
cd arch
grubx64.efi

Here is the output of efibootmgr -v

# efibootmgr -v
BootCurrent: 0005
Timeout: 1 seconds
BootOrder: 0003,0006,0005,0001,0000
Boot0000* GRUB2 VenHw(99e275e7-75a0-4b37-a2e6-c5385e6c00cb)
Boot0001* SATA: KINGSTON SH103S3120G    BBS(17,,0x0)
Boot0003* Windows Boot Manager  HD(2,GPT,709af0f8-93f1-4c31-8baa-ef586f84fb2f,0x96800,0x32000)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)WINDOWS.........x...B.C.D.O.B.J.E.C.T.=.{.9.d.e.a.8.6.2.c.-.5.c.d.d.-.4.e.7.0.-.a.c.c.1.-.f.3.2.b.3.4.4.d.4.7.9.5.}...3................
Boot0005* UEFI: Built-in EFI Shell      VenMedia(5023b95c-db26-429b-a648-bd47664c8012)AMBO
Boot0006* UEFI OS       HD(2,GPT,709af0f8-93f1-4c31-8baa-ef586f84fb2f,0x96800,0x32000)/File(\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI)

Here is the output of parted /dev/sda print

# parted /dev/sda print
Model: ATA KINGSTON SH103S3 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 120GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    File system     Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  316MB   315MB   ntfs            Basic data partition          hidden, diag
 2      316MB   420MB   105MB   fat32           EFI system partition          boot, esp
 3      420MB   555MB   134MB                   Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 4      555MB   53.7GB  53.1GB  ntfs            Basic data partition          msftdata
 5      53.7GB  55.8GB  2147MB  linux-swap(v1)  Linux swap
 6      55.8GB  97.6GB  41.7GB  ext4            Linux filesystem

I already ran the command below from this thread to add Boot0000 to that list ^

sudo efibootmgr --create --gpt --disk /dev/sda --part 6 --write-signature --label "GRUB2" --loader "\\EFI\\arch\\grubx64.efi"

After doing all of this 'GRUB2' was added to the list of UEFI options that I can select from the Click BIOS, but selecting it does nothing. Usually selecting one of these menu options launches it. Eg: Opens Windows or the EFI Command Line.

If I set GRUB2 as the 1st boot device, the system boots straight to the next UEFI option.

Any thoughts?

Last edited by bradsk88 (2015-12-16 02:50:59)

jocheem67 · 2015-12-16 04:09:21

Hi, I find that uefi implementations are often buggy. My recommendation would be to just chroot into your system and reinstall grub.

tom.ty89 · 2015-12-19 18:43:52

If you didn't install grub with the option "--removable", it is normal that you can no longer boot with grub once the NVRAM is "cleaned", and the "CMOS flush" you mentioned can possibly do this.

Although this doesn't really have anything to do with "buggy UEFI", I agree with jocheem67 that running grub-install again is probably the easiest way to fix it. Registrating the grub efi binary with efibootmgr might actually be able to fix it, but you have to be really sure that the command is absolutely appropriate for your configuration.

Last edited by tom.ty89 (2015-12-19 18:44:29)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-19 20:45:50

Can we see the output of:

# bootctl

bradsk88 · 2015-12-20 23:03:20

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Can we see the output of:
# bootctl

# bootctl
File system "/boot" is not a FAT EFI System Partition (ESP) file system.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-20 23:07:48

What is the output of:

grep boot /proc/mounts
lsblk -f

bradsk88 · 2015-12-20 23:11:05

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

What is the output of:
grep boot /proc/mounts
lsblk -f

# grep boot /proc/mounts
/dev/sda2 /boot/efi vfat rw,relatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,errors=remount-ro 0 0
# lsblk -f
NAME   FSTYPE                        LABEL      UUID                                 MOUNTPOINT
sda                                                                                  
|-sda1 ntfs                          Recovery   ACC07805C077D454                     
|-sda2 vfat                                     BC78-8B23                            /boot/efi
|-sda3                                                                               
|-sda4 ntfs                                     F05C82ED5C82AE42                     
|-sda5 swap                                     a23a0f11-9ab9-4bd4-8914-1fa449abc3e5 [SWAP]
`-sda6 ext4                          Arch Linux d8ad2b63-6ed0-4c7b-85f7-d0a6d176ccfa /
sdb    promise_fasttrack_raid_member                                                 
`-sdb1 ntfs                          STORAGE    4A9CF9149CF8FB71

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-20 23:15:29

Do as @jocheem67 suggests and re-install GRUB to your disk, this will generate a new NVRAM entry.

Use:

# grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --recheck

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Gr … allation_2

EDIT: This command is for 64-bit UEFI implementations.

IMO it would be better to mount /boot to the ESP but it's your system.

You can copy the GRUB .efi loader to the default UEFI loader location(s) to allow it to boot in the absence of any NVRAM entries.

See http://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloader … ive-naming

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2015-12-20 23:16:48)

Arch Linux

#1 2015-12-16 02:25:27

Can't boot into GRUB on UEFI

#2 2015-12-16 04:09:21

Re: Can't boot into GRUB on UEFI

#3 2015-12-19 18:43:52

Re: Can't boot into GRUB on UEFI

#4 2015-12-19 20:45:50

Re: Can't boot into GRUB on UEFI

#5 2015-12-20 23:03:20

Re: Can't boot into GRUB on UEFI

#6 2015-12-20 23:07:48

Re: Can't boot into GRUB on UEFI

#7 2015-12-20 23:11:05

Re: Can't boot into GRUB on UEFI

#8 2015-12-20 23:15:29

Re: Can't boot into GRUB on UEFI

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