Cannot boot to Arch and grub error for no reason

selehekok · 2019-01-04 15:31:14

Yesterday, I was trying to install Arch linux (ARCH_291901) version on my working All-In-One-PC at my workplace. It was a clean installation. At the end, when i type "grub-install", I got "grub-install: error: cannot find EFI directory." and after back home, I have tried to install it on my laptop to save time and find the solution so if possible i could get it back to my workplace.

First, I tried to install it on VMWare and everything go smooth as expected so i think i should try it on a real HHD and then clone it to my workplace pc to save time and to make sure that it will work this time.

My laptop is dual boot Windows 10 and Arch Linux and it was working perfect both Windows and Arch linux. It has SSD and SHHD while all the OS, EFI partition, Windows recovery environment partition.. is stored on SSD while SHHD is only for some heavy data. So, in other to test, I had unplugged both of my SSD and SHHD then plug in my old HHD instead in other to prevent data lost or expected events. Turn out, when I tried this on my old HHD, i still get the same error when I try to install grub.

After many of failing times to install Arch, I have unplugged my old HDD from my laptop and reconnect my SSD and SHHD back to my laptop and tried to boot into Arch Linux that was working perfect but expected problem is happened. I could not boot into Arch Linux but I can boot into Windows. It seems like grub is broken so I have tried to boot to live disk and mount /dev/sda4 of my root which contain almost anything except home dir to /mnt and then arch-chroot to /mnt and reinstall grub os-prober grub-bios and so on and try to reinstall grub using "grub-instll /dev/sda" I still now getting "grub-install: error: cannot find EFI directory".

Note: my laptop is running through secure boot enabled but at workplace I turn it off because that pc doesnt allow me to boot to Arch.

So, anyone could help me solve this problem? I have tried so many way now but none is working. Please kindly suggest solutions and or advices.

V1del · 2019-01-04 15:44:16

Welcome to the boards

Please post actual outputs of commands and exact commands used instead of disjoint thoughts and paraphrased error messages. It is pretty well documented how to properly install GRUB on an UEFI system. Your approach of simply installing on the HDD and then moving that over to a new system is not going to work on an UEFI system, as they do have their own NVRAM entries that have to be present to start any given UEFI executable (and depending on vendor, if you remove the disk, that entry might get deleted by your firmware, which is likely what happened on your laptop). FWIW there might as well be workspace restrictions that disallow you from adding new EFI entries to your NVRAM table, have you verified that that isn't the case? How this is configured depends on your motherboard vendor, naturally if you don't have access to the UEFI firmware you are unlikely to have much luck.

You might want to read the following, to better understand how an UEFI system works and differs from a traditional BIOS boot: https://www.happyassassin.net/2014/01/2 … work-then/

Last edited by V1del (2019-01-04 15:44:36)

selehekok · 2019-01-04 16:07:57

I am not sure about the restriction or vendor but i doubt if it was Arch Linux file.
I used ARCH_201805 on my laptop and it is working perfect at that time but ARCH_201901 doesnt because I cant install grub and i have test it on 3 machine, 2 is physics and doesnt work and one is virtual and work.

About EFI, i am not sure but what i notice on my workplace pc when secure boot was enabled is that, it said something related to violent signature. So i doubt if ARCH not sign? or whatsoever and i dont know too about this.

Now my laptop is working and i dont know why too. Might be because i uninstall os-probe and reinstall grub package?
because after pacman -R os-probe and pacman -S grub and
grub-install /dev/sda
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

I got no idea now. Anyways, thanks for your advice and i think i will checkout the next release instead is the best option.

Hope anyone help me close the thread. i could not find a way

cirrus · 2019-01-04 17:52:56

selehekok wrote:

Hope anyone help me close the thread. i could not find a way

Edit your first post and add [solved] to title.
Regards

Arch Linux

#1 2019-01-04 15:31:14

Cannot boot to Arch and grub error for no reason

#2 2019-01-04 15:44:16

Re: Cannot boot to Arch and grub error for no reason

#3 2019-01-04 16:07:57

Re: Cannot boot to Arch and grub error for no reason

#4 2019-01-04 17:52:56

Re: Cannot boot to Arch and grub error for no reason

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