[SOLVED] Initramfs unpacking failed: junk in compressed archive

Tomo · 2016-08-27 15:03:06

Hello everyone,

yesterday I updated my system with pacman -Syu, which also updated the kernel from 4.7.1-1 to 4.7.2-1 (see log below). When I later rebooted my laptop arch linux was not able to boot anymore and outputs the error message "Initramfs unpacking failed: junk in compressed archive" followed by "Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)" (If you need the full output, please tell me where I can find it. dmesg doesn't seem to have it). I'm dual booting with Windows 10, which still boots fine. Fast and secure boot is turned off.

[2016-08-26 18:08] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman --color auto -Sy'
[2016-08-26 18:08] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2016-08-26 18:08] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman --color auto -S -u'
[2016-08-26 18:08] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM] transaction started
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM] upgraded linux (4.7.1-1 -> 4.7.2-1)
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] >>> Updating module dependencies. Please wait ...
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] >>> Generating initial ramdisk, using mkinitcpio. Please wait...
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset: 'default'
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux.img
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Starting build: 4.7.2-1-ARCH
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [base]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [udev]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [autodetect]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [modconf]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [block]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [fsck]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Generating module dependencies
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Creating gzip-compressed initcpio image: /boot/initramfs-linux.img
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Image generation successful
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset: 'fallback'
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img -S autodetect
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Starting build: 4.7.2-1-ARCH
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [base]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [udev]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [modconf]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [block]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: wd719x
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: aic94xx
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [fsck]
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Generating module dependencies
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Creating gzip-compressed initcpio image: /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Image generation successful
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM] upgraded bbswitch (0.8-52 -> 0.8-53)
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM] upgraded codeblocks (16.01-4 -> 16.01-5)
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM] upgraded filezilla (3.20.1-1 -> 3.21.0-1)
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM] upgraded firefox (48.0.1-1 -> 48.0.2-1)
[2016-08-26 18:10] [ALPM] upgraded ghostscript (9.19-2 -> 9.19-3)
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] upgraded libreoffice-still (5.1.5-2 -> 5.1.5-3)
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] upgraded nvidia (370.23-1 -> 370.23-4)
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] In order to use nvidia module, reboot the system.
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] upgraded openvpn (2.3.11-3 -> 2.3.12-1)
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] warning: /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist installed as /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.pacnew
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] upgraded pacman-mirrorlist (20160802-1 -> 20160823-1)
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] upgraded qtcreator (4.0.3-1 -> 4.1.0-1)
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] upgraded wireshark-cli (2.0.4-1 -> 2.0.5-1)
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] upgraded wireshark-common (2.0.4-1 -> 2.0.5-1)
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] upgraded wireshark-qt (2.0.4-1 -> 2.0.5-1)
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] transaction completed
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] running 'gtk-update-icon-cache.hook'...
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] running 'man-db.hook'...
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] running 'update-desktop-database.hook'...
[2016-08-26 18:11] [ALPM] running 'update-mime-database.hook'...

So far i have tried rebuilding the initramfs with "mkinitcpio -p linux", which does not give me an error, but also does not change anything:

==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset: 'default'
  -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux.img
==> Starting build: 4.7.2-1-ARCH
  -> Running build hook: [base]
  -> Running build hook: [udev]
  -> Running build hook: [autodetect]
  -> Running build hook: [modconf]
  -> Running build hook: [block]
  -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
  -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
  -> Running build hook: [fsck]
==> Generating module dependencies
==> Creating gzip-compressed initcpio image: /boot/initramfs-linux.img
==> Image generation successful
==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset: 'fallback'
  -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img -S autodetect
==> Starting build: 4.7.2-1-ARCH
  -> Running build hook: [base]
  -> Running build hook: [udev]
  -> Running build hook: [modconf]
  -> Running build hook: [block]
  -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
  -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
  -> Running build hook: [fsck]
==> Generating module dependencies
==> Creating gzip-compressed initcpio image: /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img
==> Image generation successful

linux.preset:

# mkinitcpio preset file for the 'linux' package

ALL_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
ALL_kver="/boot/vmlinuz-linux"

PRESETS=('default' 'fallback')

#default_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
default_image="/boot/initramfs-linux.img"
#default_options=""

#fallback_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
fallback_image="/boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img"
fallback_options="-S autodetect"

mkinitcpio.conf:

# vim:set ft=sh
# MODULES
# The following modules are loaded before any boot hooks are
# run.  Advanced users may wish to specify all system modules
# in this array.  For instance:
#     MODULES="piix ide_disk reiserfs"
MODULES=""

# BINARIES
# This setting includes any additional binaries a given user may
# wish into the CPIO image.  This is run last, so it may be used to
# override the actual binaries included by a given hook
# BINARIES are dependency parsed, so you may safely ignore libraries
BINARIES=""

# FILES
# This setting is similar to BINARIES above, however, files are added
# as-is and are not parsed in any way.  This is useful for config files.
FILES=""

# HOOKS
# This is the most important setting in this file.  The HOOKS control the
# modules and scripts added to the image, and what happens at boot time.
# Order is important, and it is recommended that you do not change the
# order in which HOOKS are added.  Run 'mkinitcpio -H <hook name>' for
# help on a given hook.
# 'base' is _required_ unless you know precisely what you are doing.
# 'udev' is _required_ in order to automatically load modules
# 'filesystems' is _required_ unless you specify your fs modules in MODULES
# Examples:
##   This setup specifies all modules in the MODULES setting above.
##   No raid, lvm2, or encrypted root is needed.
#    HOOKS="base"
#
##   This setup will autodetect all modules for your system and should
##   work as a sane default
#    HOOKS="base udev autodetect block filesystems"
#
##   This setup will generate a 'full' image which supports most systems.
##   No autodetection is done.
#    HOOKS="base udev block filesystems"
#
##   This setup assembles a pata mdadm array with an encrypted root FS.
##   Note: See 'mkinitcpio -H mdadm' for more information on raid devices.
#    HOOKS="base udev block mdadm encrypt filesystems"
#
##   This setup loads an lvm2 volume group on a usb device.
#    HOOKS="base udev block lvm2 filesystems"
#
##   NOTE: If you have /usr on a separate partition, you MUST include the
#    usr, fsck and shutdown hooks.
HOOKS="base udev autodetect modconf block filesystems keyboard fsck"

# COMPRESSION
# Use this to compress the initramfs image. By default, gzip compression
# is used. Use 'cat' to create an uncompressed image.
#COMPRESSION="gzip"
#COMPRESSION="bzip2"
#COMPRESSION="lzma"
#COMPRESSION="xz"
#COMPRESSION="lzop"
#COMPRESSION="lz4"
#COMPRESSION="cat"

# COMPRESSION_OPTIONS
# Additional options for the compressor
#COMPRESSION_OPTIONS=""

I have downgraded the linux kernel and tried it again, resulting in the error message "EFI stub: ERROR: failed to read file" at boot. I am using systemd-boot and tried "bootctl install" and "bootctl update" without any success. Here is my arch.conf boot entry (which worked just fine until yesterday):

title		Arch Linux
linux		/vmlinuz-linux
initrd		/intel-ucode.img
initrd		/initramfs-linux.img
options		root=PARTUUID=e1c95ab5-03ed-46c1-9cff-afa4cf146071 rw

Tell me if I should post any other outputs/files.
Any help is appreciated, thank you!

EDIT 1: Added pacman.log, linux.preset and mkinitcpio.conf

EDIT 2 (SOLVED):
I fsck'd my EFI partition (no, i didn't think of doing if before) and it turns out intel-ucode and initramfs shared clusters. After resolving this, reinstalling intel-ucode and rebuilding initramfs everything is working again.

Last edited by Tomo (2016-08-28 09:54:09)

Arch Linux

#1 2016-08-27 15:03:06

[SOLVED] Initramfs unpacking failed: junk in compressed archive

Board footer