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#1 2018-04-09 15:23:47

colec74
Member
Registered: 2018-04-09
Posts: 3

Installation error when trying to boot media from Grub command line

I'm trying to relearn the internal workings again of Linux from the ground up, since I haven't used that knowledge since using Slackware back in 1996-1998 time frame. So any help along the way would be appreciated.

TL;DR: I had Antergos installed, encrypted the partition, forgot the passphrase, and trying to boot the Arch installation DVD I downloaded. Trying to boot it from grub command line and I end up in the emergency shell.

I've run into a bit of a problem and searching for a solution online hasn't gotten me anywhere. I boot the computer and I can't get into the bios to change the boot order so I can boot off the installation DVD or USB. I was using Antergos, with EFI enabled, and an encrypted partition, and forgot the passphrase. When Grub loads I hit c, set root, linux, initrd, and then boot using:

set root=(cd0)
linux /arch/boot/x86_64/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda1
initrd /arch/boot/x86_64/archiso.img
boot

I get the error:

Mounting /dev/disk/by-label/ to /run/archiso/bootmnt
Waiting 20 seconds for device /dev/disk/by-label/ ...
ERROR: /dev/disk/by-label/ device did not show up after 30 seconds...
Falling back to interactive prompt.

Every search I've done ends with no answer. They always assume the USB is working and you can boot from it. I can boot Finnix just fine from DVD, but am not sure how to install Arch from there. Every description of Finnix says it can be used to install other OS but I can't find instructions how. I nuked the encrypted partition and made a new one in it's place using (fdisk,mkfs.ext3), but that's as far as I've gotten. I read that there is something I can change on the EFI partition that will change boot order, but I can't find it. I left the EFI and the gpt partition containing grub info, because I read it's not safe to just nuke them. I'm really trying to learn from the bottom up again, and not asking for someone else to do my thinking, but to offer advice, or point me in the right direction, or tell me what I'm screwing up on, so I can understand, get it working, and move on to the next step. Thank you in advance.

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#2 2018-04-15 22:48:45

respiranto
Member
Registered: 2015-05-15
Posts: 479
Website

Re: Installation error when trying to boot media from Grub command line

If you use a cd, `root=/dev/sda' does not make sense.

I just had a look at the default boot options. (In the CD's boot menu one may hit TAB to see and edit them).
The options include `archisolabel=ARCH_YYYYMM', where YYYYMM is the ISO's date.

The following worked for me:

set root=(cd0)
linux /arch/boot/x86_64/vmlinuz archisolabel=ARCH_YYYYMM
initrd /arch/boot/x86_64/archiso.img
boot

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#3 2018-04-16 14:56:15

colec74
Member
Registered: 2018-04-09
Posts: 3

Re: Installation error when trying to boot media from Grub command line

respiranto wrote:

If you use a cd, `root=/dev/sda' does not make sense.

I just had a look at the default boot options. (In the CD's boot menu one may hit TAB to see and edit them).
The options include `archisolabel=ARCH_YYYYMM', where YYYYMM is the ISO's date.

The following worked for me:

set root=(cd0)
linux /arch/boot/x86_64/vmlinuz archisolabel=ARCH_YYYYMM
initrd /arch/boot/x86_64/archiso.img
boot

Ah okay. I'll keep that in mind for next time. Unfortunately I've moved further backwards, and managed to delete the files on the Grub partition so it only boots into the Grub recovery shell. I have only the UEFI partition, an empty partition where the Grub files were, a rescue partition with Arch (can't read the partition), and a CD that it can't read (ISO 9660). Happen to know how to write a CD with an ext2 filesystem? The only way I can think of saving it would be to access the CD, and either install Arch from it, or put Grub files back on the partition. In the past I've always been able to access the BIOS, but this UEFI is kicking my butt.

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#4 2018-04-16 19:53:35

respiranto
Member
Registered: 2015-05-15
Posts: 479
Website

Re: Installation error when trying to boot media from Grub command line

Well, that complicates the issue a little.

If however ext2 is still supported and GRUB recognizes attached USB devices, I'd suggest to
- install Arch on an ext2 formatted USB drive (provided you have another machine capable to do so) and
- boot that using something like:

insmod ext2
set root=(hdX,gptY) # assuming GPT
linux /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/sdxY
initrd /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img
boot

From within the booted Arch you can install the package `arch-install-scripts' and subsequently install Arch as usually.

If that doesn't work, you might consider removing the harddrive and installing Arch on it from elsewhere.

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