Arch Linux

Steinberg2010

Member

Registered: 2016-01-28

Posts: 73

Windows 10 Dual HDD setup and rEFInd

I'm trying to install Arch on a new desktop. It comes with Windows 10 pre-installed on /dev/sda.

I've added /dev/sdb (a 1tb drive for data storage) and /dev/sdc (a 250gb SSD to install arch onto).

I can get all the way through the installation process. I mounted /dev/sdc to /mnt (as /) and /dev/sda1 to /mnt/boot/efi.

I installed refind-efi and ran

refind-install

- my pc boots into rEFInd perfectly to get into windows and back but doesn't seem to show my archlinux kernels (only one option appears and it causes a kernel panic).

This text from the rEFInd page:

"Warning: When refind-install is run in chroot (e.g. in live system when installing Arch Linux) /boot/refind_linux.conf is populated with kernel options from the live system not the one on which it is installed. You need to adjust kernel options in /boot/refind_linux.conf manually."

Gives me a hint as to what the problem could be, but I'm not clear on how to fix it.

nl6720

The Evil Wiki Admin

Registered: 2016-07-02

Posts: 595

Re: Windows 10 Dual HDD setup and rEFInd

To fix it you need to edit /boot/refind_linux.conf and specify the correct kernel parameters.

Take a look at rEFInd#For kernels automatically detected by rEFInd, it has an example of a typical /boot/refind_linux.conf .

Steinberg2010

Member

Registered: 2016-01-28

Posts: 73

Re: Windows 10 Dual HDD setup and rEFInd

Ok - should I be good with mounting my boot partition to /boot/efi and thus /boot/efi/refind_linux.conf (that file exists currently in that location). Or should I remount /dev/sda1 to /mnt/boot and generate a new fstab etc.?

nl6720

The Evil Wiki Admin

Registered: 2016-07-02

Posts: 595

Re: Windows 10 Dual HDD setup and rEFInd

Ok - should I be good with mounting my boot partition to /boot/efi

A boot partition is a boot partition because it's mounted at /boot . Did you mean EFI System Partition? If so, yes mounting ESP to /boot/efi is OK.

/boot/efi/refind_linux.conf (that file exists currently in that location).

Something is wrong here, regardless where you mount ESP, refind_linux.conf should always be /boot/refind_linux.conf. It must reside in the same directory as the kernel.

Last edited by nl6720 (2018-02-26 12:50:27)

Steinberg2010

Member

Registered: 2016-01-28

Posts: 73

Re: Windows 10 Dual HDD setup and rEFInd

I realise I phrased that badly. /dev/sda1 which contains all the windows boot info from the existing install was mounted at /mnt/boot/efi this put the kernel and refind_linux.conf at /mnt/boot/efi/. I've changed that now to mount /dev/sda1 as /mnt/boot and the files appear in the correct place.

I then ran

blkid

to get my PARTUUID for /dev/sda1 and configured that in refind_linux.conf in the following manner:

"Boot using defaults" "root=PARTUUID=xxxx-xxx-xxx rootfstype=vfat rw add_efi_memmap"

If I boot from the archiso/usb and mount the drives manually everything appears in the right places.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My apologies for my crass stupidity.

I was trying to put the PARTUUID for my ESP instead of my system root partition. Once I switched out the PARTUUID I booted in fine.

Last edited by Steinberg2010 (2018-02-26 22:53:00)