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#1 2016-01-20 17:16:49

pdrocaldeira
Member
From: Brazil - Belo Horizonte
Registered: 2015-10-11
Posts: 30

[SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

I have a triple-boot, Ubuntu + Arch + Windows.

First OS was Ubuntu, so my bootloader (GRUB) is there.
I want to change it to my GRUB version at Arch Linux partition.

That way I can erase my Ubuntu and move my partition to there.

Can somebody help me, please? smile

Last edited by pdrocaldeira (2016-01-21 16:10:42)

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#2 2016-01-20 17:29:23

ewaller
Administrator
From: Pasadena, CA
Registered: 2009-07-13
Posts: 19,739

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

Have you worked through this article?

You can replace the one that is there with the one from Arch.  Is this an MBR or a UEFI system?


Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

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#3 2016-01-20 17:41:25

pdrocaldeira
Member
From: Brazil - Belo Horizonte
Registered: 2015-10-11
Posts: 30

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

I've tried "Install to disk" from this article.

But when I try to run this

grub-install --recheck --target=i386-pc /dev/sda

I get:

Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: error: cannot open directory `/boot/grub/i386-pc': No such file or directory.

Should I try "Install to partition" topic? MBR system.

Thanks!

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#4 2016-01-20 18:04:22

navi_se
Member
Registered: 2015-07-06
Posts: 135

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

Post your

# fdisk -l

for starters.

Also, navigate to the /boot folder when you are running arch and post the output of

 $ ls * 

.

If empty, mount the ubuntu filesystem and post the content of the /mnt/boot folder there.


 lsblk -f 

The error message you receive comes from not having the folder (the installer won't make the folder if it is not present).
Also, you should back up the /boot folder (most likely the one on the ubuntu filesystem) containing kernels (as well as any other important data)

Last edited by navi_se (2016-01-20 18:20:47)

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#5 2016-01-20 18:16:08

pdrocaldeira
Member
From: Brazil - Belo Horizonte
Registered: 2015-10-11
Posts: 30

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 931.5 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x0cf58457

Device     Boot      Start        End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1             2048  262146579 262144532   125G 83 Linux
/dev/sda2        262148096  799019007 536870912   256G 83 Linux
/dev/sda3  *     799019008 1061163007 262144000   125G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda4       1061163008 1953523711 892360704 425.5G 83 Linux

/boot ls

  • grub

  • initramfs-linux.img  vmlinuz-linux

  • initramfs-linux-fallback.img

  • syslinux

/boot lsblk -f:
NAME   FSTYPE LABEL      UUID                                 MOUNTPOINT
sda                                                           
├─sda1 ext4              10b8d24a-9939-4f74-a919-1501adee41ba
├─sda2 ext4   Arch       6505ef47-dfee-4fc7-beb9-fb4ec3ea7b41 /
├─sda3 ntfs   Windows    330C31692647582E                     
└─sda4 ext4   Backup     7c50225d-77b4-4b79-ae10-33fad2ca11fa

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#6 2016-01-20 18:56:33

navi_se
Member
Registered: 2015-07-06
Posts: 135

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

navi_se wrote:

Post your

Also, navigate to the /boot folder when you are running arch and post the output of

 $ ls * 

.

If empty, mount the ubuntu filesystem and post the content of the /mnt/boot folder there.

Notice the star after the ls command. Look if there is a grub.cfg file in there somewhere. I suspect no (as it will likely be located in ubuntu). You can have a look at it by doing

# mount -v /dev/sdax /mnt

and have a look at the /mnt/boot there.

Anyway, I believe the right procedure is to just

 # mkdir /boot/grub/i386-pc 

and then re run your command for grub-install.

You are advised to back-up BEFORE.

Then remember to run grub-mkconfig as specified in the wiki. Avoid rebooting after that and post the output of the command as well as the resulting grub.cfg file.

Last edited by navi_se (2016-01-20 18:57:04)

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#7 2016-01-20 19:22:27

pdrocaldeira
Member
From: Brazil - Belo Horizonte
Registered: 2015-10-11
Posts: 30

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

Oh, sorry, I didn't notice it before.

Here it is (ls *):

initramfs-linux-fallback.img  initramfs-linux.img  vmlinuz-linux

grub:
grub.cfg  grub.cfg.example

syslinux:
syslinux.cfg

I've had a look at this cfg, on Arch Linux. It's outdated for sure. It has just two menu entries, I have a lot.

This is my grub.cfg (Arch) right now: http://pastebin.com/EZCLjgpL (I'm using pastebin just to not create a 'text wall' here)

This is my grub.cfg (Ubuntu/Current):  http://pastebin.com/XPQRWTC4

I've created i386-pc folder but now it asks for another folder.

Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: error: cannot open directory `/boot/grub/locale': No such file or directory.

In my Ubuntu boot folder I have locale and all. Should I just copy what I have on Ubuntu and paste in Arch Linux and run grub-install? Or is it better just create all folders it's asking and re run grub-install?

EDIT:

So I've created locale folder I and ran grub-install again. I did not reboot, my 'new' grub.cfg looks exactly like the older.

Last edited by pdrocaldeira (2016-01-20 19:31:28)

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#8 2016-01-20 20:15:07

navi_se
Member
Registered: 2015-07-06
Posts: 135

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

Than I'd take that you are good to go, let us know if it plays alright (and make sure it is the new one that is being loaded, also have a key ready if the system doesn't boot).

Question: where you running grub-install as a regular user or using sudo? I believe it is one case where you wanna go full root and use

 su 

.

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#9 2016-01-20 20:30:23

pdrocaldeira
Member
From: Brazil - Belo Horizonte
Registered: 2015-10-11
Posts: 30

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

I'm using sudo, it's required.

I'll reboot right now, crossing my fingers hahaha.

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#10 2016-01-20 21:49:02

navi_se
Member
Registered: 2015-07-06
Posts: 135

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

I guess this doesn't bode well...

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#11 2016-01-21 13:27:28

pdrocaldeira
Member
From: Brazil - Belo Horizonte
Registered: 2015-10-11
Posts: 30

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

So, actually it didn't went so well...but it worked!

I'm using grub.cfg from Arch Linux. It was broken, wrong UUID, but I fix'd it with a live usb.

Now my problem is to make grub detect Windows and Ubuntu but that's another problem.

Thanks you @navi_se!

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#12 2016-01-21 14:02:49

navi_se
Member
Registered: 2015-07-06
Posts: 135

Re: [SOLVED] Change Bootloader from Ubuntu to Arch Linux

Install

 os-prober 

and run grub-mkconfig again to detect other OSes as documented in the wiki.

Glad to be of help smile don't forget to mark the thread as solved.

Last edited by navi_se (2016-01-21 15:55:12)

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