[SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

dancju · 2017-09-30 14:11:22

- my macbook contains two OSes, macos and archlinux, in the internal hard disk.

- today i turned on my macbook, turned out systemd-boot could not find my arch root partition, and give me an emergency shell. in the emergency shell, i checked `/proc/partitions` and `/dev/disks`, there is no internal disk there, or any other disks. ironically, the `systemd-boot` itself is loaded from the internal disk.

- i entered the macOS and mounted the arch root partition with ext4fuse, everything is still there intact.

- i plugged in a usb external hard disk, boot into the arch in the external disk, and checked `/proc/partitions` and `/dev/disks`, there is only external disk there.

- i had it rebooted for several times and nothing had changed.

- i recently update sierra to high sierra. but i am uncertain whether this is related, since i have successfully boot into arch once or twice after the update.

any idea?

Last edited by dancju (2017-10-15 18:10:14)

mrunion · 2017-09-30 17:58:14

High Sierra changed the file system on Mac -- I'll bet it monkeyed with things.

Slithery · 2017-09-30 18:29:50

I've seen a few threads like this now in various places. Apparently the upgrade can FUBAR your partition table when automatically upgrading the Mac filesystem from HFS+ to APFS.

dancju · 2017-09-30 19:06:19

mrunion wrote:

High Sierra changed the file system on Mac -- I'll bet it monkeyed with things.

Partitions with unknown filesystem do not make the entire disk invisible to Linux.

dancju · 2017-09-30 19:21:00

slithery wrote:

I've seen a few threads like this now in various places. Apparently the upgrade can FUBAR your partition table when automatically upgrading the Mac filesystem from HFS+ to APFS.

Do you mean the partition table no longer being GPT? Where can I find these threads?

Last edited by dancju (2017-10-01 00:24:58)

dancju · 2017-10-01 14:31:21

update:
this is how systemd-boot unable to find the arch root partition:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4YnQrbJE1r5K7Pks2

VKen · 2017-10-04 06:22:43

dancju wrote:

update:
this is how systemd-boot unable to find the arch root partition:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4YnQrbJE1r5K7Pks2

This looks exactly like my macbook pro after upgrading kernel to linux 4.13.3-1.

Notice that the search disk `by-uuid` is not working.

You sure you didn't update linux kernel?

The solution for me is following instructions https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ge … t_problems

Boot live usb, chroot into the previous partition by-uuid. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Change_root

Downgrade kernel to a previous version https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Do … the_kernel
It will recompile through `mkinitcpio`

My system is alive again.

I haven't troubleshoot enough via AB testing (since i am totally unfamiliar here) in the `init` script in the initramfs, but my suspicion is the loading of modules has issues, or somewhere the hard disk controller isn't recognized and hence can't read the hard disk.

I was camping for someone to report this problem in the Kernel and Hardware section, since i can't copy and paste the output prompt, the `journalctl -ke` doesn't not record this failed start since the HDD couldn't even be read, much less written to.
So I haven't anything to post except a photo like yours.

dancju · 2017-10-04 15:25:32

VKen wrote:

dancju wrote:
update:
this is how systemd-boot unable to find the arch root partition:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4YnQrbJE1r5K7Pks2
This looks exactly like my macbook pro after upgrading kernel to linux 4.13.3-1.
Notice that the search disk `by-uuid` is not working.
You sure you didn't update linux kernel?
The solution for me is following instructions https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ge … t_problems
Boot live usb, chroot into the previous partition by-uuid. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Change_root
Downgrade kernel to a previous version https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Do … the_kernel
It will recompile through `mkinitcpio`
My system is alive again.
I haven't troubleshoot enough via AB testing (since i am totally unfamiliar here) in the `init` script in the initramfs, but my suspicion is the loading of modules has issues, or somewhere the hard disk controller isn't recognized and hence can't read the hard disk.

I was camping for someone to report this problem in the Kernel and Hardware section, since i can't copy and paste the output prompt, the `journalctl -ke` doesn't not record this failed start since the HDD couldn't even be read, much less written to.
So I haven't anything to post except a photo like yours.

I checked my pacman log and found an upgrading to kernel 4.13.3-1 just before everything broken.

I did exactly what you told me to do and downgrade to kernel 4.12.13-1, now my arch is back.

you have given me such a great help and i could not be more grateful.

can i expect this issue being fixed in a future kernel version?

Last edited by dancju (2017-10-04 15:26:17)

markuman · 2017-10-05 07:18:15

same problem here. downgrading back to 4.12.13 + install lts kernel as useable fallback variant.

seth · 2017-10-05 08:34:28

add "intel_iommu=off" as kernel parameter, see https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/55789 in case.

VKen · 2017-10-06 10:18:36

dancju wrote:

I checked my pacman log and found an upgrading to kernel 4.13.3-1 just before everything broken.
I did exactly what you told me to do and downgrade to kernel 4.12.13-1, now my arch is back.
you have given me such a great help and i could not be more grateful.
can i expect this issue being fixed in a future kernel version?

You are welcome. As Seth above has mentioned, that's the way to address the issue.

I have logged the steps for addressing the problem myself in https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 1#p1740641 for reference.

ashok · 2017-10-10 20:32:36

Since the issue has been resolved, please mark the thread as solved.

Arch Linux

#1 2017-09-30 14:11:22

[SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#2 2017-09-30 17:58:14

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#3 2017-09-30 18:29:50

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#4 2017-09-30 19:06:19

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#5 2017-09-30 19:21:00

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#6 2017-10-01 14:31:21

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#7 2017-10-04 06:22:43

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#8 2017-10-04 15:25:32

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#9 2017-10-05 07:18:15

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#10 2017-10-05 08:34:28

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#11 2017-10-06 10:18:36

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

#12 2017-10-10 20:32:36

Re: [SOLVED] can't boot into arch on dual-boot macbook

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