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#1 2017-01-13 16:28:32

ShaneRoach
Member
Registered: 2016-04-20
Posts: 32

[Solved] EFI Boot Loaders

I went through the installation process, which seemed to go fine, but found my computer not wanting to boot from my new EFI installation of Arch. At first I thought it was because I had not created a separate partition for GRUB as the GRUB entry for  BIOS/GPT states it needs one, but reading over it again I find that for a strict EFI startup I should not need this, even for GRUB.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GR … structions
"For UEFI systems this extra partition is not required, since no embedding of boot sectors takes place in that case. However, UEFI systems still require an ESP."

I used Gnu Parted to create the partitions and set one to boot per the instructions in the UEFI/GPT examples section of the Parted entry in the Arch Wiki. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GN … T_examples

It just flat didn't work. In fact it had the bizarre performance issue of skipping to my windows disk even if I selected the Arch install from Setup.

My Motherboard is an MSI Z87-G45 capable of both EFI and BIOS boot, and I have it set to detect and boot either way. I have a second disk with Windows 10 on it, but it is booting MBR the old fashioned way.

I had Arch on this disk previously, but using MBR. I suppose I can go back to that, but I would really like to start switching over to EFI because I foresee using some large disks in the future. I don't really understand enough about this to even begin to help you to understand where I am going wrong, so any help appreciated. The next step presumably is to go to MSI and see if there is some explanation for this behavior of skipping to a second hard drive even if you pick the other in Setup.

P.S. One question I have is that, after using parted to set up the GPT partition and setting it to boot, it still did not show as flagged boot when I looked at it with fdisk -l. Not sure, but that seems like it ought to be important. I at first just assumed it was to do with it being a GPT setup.

Last edited by ShaneRoach (2017-01-13 18:30:43)

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#2 2017-01-13 16:56:31

Mr.Elendig
#archlinux@freenode channel op
From: The intertubes
Registered: 2004-11-07
Posts: 4,092

Re: [Solved] EFI Boot Loaders

If windows already have a esp then use that one.

Also windows likes to reset the default boot order in the efi boot table,

Last edited by Mr.Elendig (2017-01-13 16:57:17)


Evil #archlinux@libera.chat channel op and general support dude.
. files on github, Screenshots, Random pics and the rest

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#3 2017-01-13 18:30:18

ShaneRoach
Member
Registered: 2016-04-20
Posts: 32

Re: [Solved] EFI Boot Loaders

Yeah, so going back through the installation, grub-install output states that embedding DOES take place. I guess I do not know what the GRUB Arch-Wiki entry means by the phrase "For UEFI systems". I went into Setup and turned off the hybrid boot so that only EFI boot was allowed, then went through the installation again, and got that error (Embedding will be required and is not recommended) out of grub-install.

I am going to mark this solved. Sorry for wasting anyone's time, but I don't really understand that entry in the wiki. I don't really have an objection to putting the little 1MiB partition on there for GRUB, I just do not fully understand what is going on.

Last edited by ShaneRoach (2017-01-13 18:31:46)

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#4 2017-01-13 18:40:32

satanselbow
Member
Registered: 2011-06-15
Posts: 538

Re: [Solved] EFI Boot Loaders

ShaneRoach wrote:

...when I looked at it with fdisk -l. Not sure, but that seems like it ought to be important. I at first just assumed it was to do with it being a GPT setup.

So what did fdisk have to say? C+P the output into code tags please wink

I'm think you still have a MBR disk - not GPT as is "required" for UEFI

... marking something SOLVED (while I was typing) when you are still none the wiser isn't likely to get you very far wink

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#5 2017-01-13 22:30:19

ShaneRoach
Member
Registered: 2016-04-20
Posts: 32

Re: [Solved] EFI Boot Loaders

Well, I'm in my new install now, and while I was incorrect in saying GRUB needs the third partition, the problem was not the mbr/gpt issue. I just did not install GRUB correctly. Specifically? I really have no idea. I must not have read the output of grub-install the first time around, because everything else I did was the same. I probably just failed to put in the path and then did not read the output to see the error indicating no canonical path. Boots even in strict EFI settings now, so that part at least is now correct.

Anyhow, chalk it up to user error. Thanks for your time Elbow. big_smile

Last edited by ShaneRoach (2017-01-13 22:44:50)

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