[Solved] The system does not boot

Arciere · 2020-10-12 16:29:08

Hello everybody,

I installed Arch following the installation guide page and the disk encryption methods page (I adopted this) of the official Wiki.

I report every step I have made:

setfont latarcyrheb-sun32
fdisk -l
dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/nvme0n1 bs=4096 status=progress

ls /sys/firmware/efi/efivars

ip link
rfkill
iwctl
device list
iwctl --passphrase “passphrase” station wlan0 connect “SSID”
ping archlinux.org

timedatectl set-ntp true

fdisk /dev/nvme0n1
g
n
Enter #”Partition number (1-128, default 1)”
Enter #”First sector (2048-x, default 2048)”
+1G
t
1
n
Enter #”Partition number (2-128, default 2)”
Enter #”First sector (2099200-x, default 2099200)”
Enter #”Last sector, +/-sectors or +/-size{K,M,G,T,P} (2099200-x, default x)”
w
cryptsetup -y -v luksFormat --type luks1 /dev/nvme0n1p2
YES
passphrase
passphrase
cryptsetup open /dev/nvme0n1p2 cryptroot
passphrase
mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/cryptroot
mount /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt
mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/nvme0n1p1
mkdir /mnt/boot
mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot

pacman -Syyy
pacstrap /mnt base linux linux-firmware amd-ucode nano man-db man-pages texinfo
genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
arch-chroot /mnt
ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Rome /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc
echo en_GB.UTF-8 >> /etc/locale.gen
locale-gen
echo LANG=en_GB.UTF-8 >> /etc/locale.conf
echo MyHostname >> /etc/hostname
nano /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1     localhost
::1     localhost
127.0.1.1     MyHostname.localdomain     MyHostname
nano /etc/mkinitcpio.conf
HOOKS=(base udev autodetect keyboard modconf block encrypt filesystems fsck)
mkinitcpio -P
passwd
passphrase
passphrase
pacman -S grub efibootmgr
grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB
blkid /dev/nvme0n1p2
nano /etc/default/grub
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=“cryptdevice=UUID=nvme0n1p2_UUID:cryptroot root=/dev/mapper/cryptroot”
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
exit
umount -R /mnt
reboot

These are all the commands I give, not one more, not one less.

For completeness, this is the output of

fdisk -l

and this is the output of

lsblk

Upon reboot, the PC obligatorily makes me enter the BIOS, making me choose another disk to boot. I would like to understand what, where and why I am doing wrong.
Thank you in advance!

P.S.: My PC is a Lenovo ThinkPad T495.

Last edited by Arciere (2020-10-13 17:29:51)

V1del · 2020-10-12 16:49:01

Do you not even get to GRUB? if you double check from the ISO with efibootmgr, does the generated entry for GRUB exist/stick? Which mainboard is this? If anything MSI, see the green tip box in https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GR … allation_2

Arciere · 2020-10-12 16:56:48

V1del wrote:

Do you not even get to GRUB? if you double check from the ISO with efibootmgr, does the generated entry for GRUB exist/stick? Which mainboard is this? If anything MSI, see the green tip box in https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GR … allation_2

No, I don't even get to GRUB.
Sorry, but I don't know how to check with efibootmgr, but I noticed that putting the installation stick back and trying to browse through the various files created during the previous installation, nothing appears in /boot, no files and no folders: can this be the problem?
However my motherboard is the default Lenovo ThinkPad T495 motherboard.

Richardn · 2020-10-13 05:09:54

Check this post of mine: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=259748
Maybe you should install the system into /dev/nvme0 instead of /dev/nvme0n1 ?

Also new here myself, don't have much experience, but your fdisk output is so close to the one from my Mac's diskutil the time I got the installation wrong...

V1del · 2020-10-13 07:09:35

@Arciere depends, if you look into /boot without having mounted the ESP I'd expect it to be empty if you mounted the ESP to /boot like you did during installation there should be files/kernels and grub config/files there. As for efibootmgr check/post the output of

efibootmgr -v

@Richardn No /dev/nvme0n1 is the correct level at which to allocate partitions that shouldn't be the issue here.

Arciere · 2020-10-13 09:39:05

Richardn wrote:

Check this post of mine: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=259748
Maybe you should install the system into /dev/nvme0 instead of /dev/nvme0n1 ?
Also new here myself, don't have much experience, but your fdisk output is so close to the one from my Mac's diskutil the time I got the installation wrong...

Thank you for your reply!
I am almost sure I have installed the system in nvme0n1p2 (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

V1del wrote:

@Arciere depends, if you look into /boot without having mounted the ESP I'd expect it to be empty if you mounted the ESP to /boot like you did during installation there should be files/kernels and grub config/files there. As for efibootmgr check/post the output of
efibootmgr -v
@Richardn No /dev/nvme0n1 is the correct level at which to allocate partitions that shouldn't be the issue here.

Thank you a lot for your help!
The output you need when I have to give it? At the end of it all?

V1del · 2020-10-13 09:42:00

All would be best, use a pastebin for posting terminal outputs.

schard · 2020-10-13 10:10:12

V1del wrote:

All would be best, use a pastebin for posting terminal outputs.

And please post the output of

efibootmgr -v -u

So it's easier to read.

Last edited by schard (2020-10-13 10:10:22)

Arciere · 2020-10-13 10:18:05

V1del wrote:

All would be best, use a pastebin for posting terminal outputs.

schard wrote:

And please post the output of
efibootmgr -v -u
So it's easier to read.

This is the output of

efibootmgr -v -u

given at the end of my installation.

OT: I have never used Pastebin, that his/my link containing the output will remain available online until when? FOREVER?

Last edited by Arciere (2020-10-13 10:23:36)

schard · 2020-10-13 10:27:20

So, Grub is registered by the EFI as an available loader.
Please post the output of

$ lsblk -o +fstype,parttypename,uuid,ptuuid
$ mount
$ cat /etc/fstab

Last edited by schard (2020-10-13 10:31:02)

Arciere · 2020-10-13 10:38:20

schard wrote:

So, Grub is registered by the EFI as an available loader.
Please post the output of
$ lsblk -o +fstype,parttypename,uuid,ptuuid
$ mount
$ cat /etc/fstab

Ok.
Sorry, a quick info. I gave this command found on the Wiki to load the previous output:

efibootmgr -v -u |& curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io

But if I gives it back, I upload the new output to the exact same link (I think). What should I change in this command to change the link and thus be able to keep both outputs online?

schard · 2020-10-13 10:41:28

Arciere wrote:

Sorry, a quick info. I gave this command found on the Wiki to load the previous output:
efibootmgr -v -u |& curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io
But if I gives it back, I upload the new output to the exact same link (I think). What should I change in this command to change the link and thus be able to keep both outputs online?

This might be due to the ix.io server comparing the input by hashes. This way the server can prevent storing duplicate (identical) data.
So most likely the output of efibootmgr has not changed and thusly the server does not generate a new entry.

Last edited by schard (2020-10-13 10:41:37)

Arciere · 2020-10-13 10:57:53

schard wrote:

This might be due to the ix.io server comparing the input by hashes. This way the server can prevent storing duplicate (identical) data.
So most likely the output of efibootmgr has not changed and thusly the server does not generate a new entry.

Thank you so much for your full explanation!

So, this is the output of:

lsblk -o +fstype,parttypename,uuid,ptuuid

This is from:

mount

And finally this is about:

cat /etc/fstab

Last edited by Arciere (2020-10-13 11:04:12)

schard · 2020-10-13 11:08:45

Hm. That looks mostly good.
With the exception that the GRUB entry's UUID does not exist on your system.
I'd try to just re-install grub again.

# efibootmgr -b 0000 -B
# grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB
# grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Arciere · 2020-10-13 15:25:15

schard wrote:

Hm. That looks mostly good.
With the exception that the GRUB entry's UUID does not exist on your system.
I'd try to just re-install grub again.
# efibootmgr -b 0000 -B
# grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB
# grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

I gave your 3 commands, then I gave reboot, but when I restart the PC it keeps getting stuck in the UEFI choice menu of the drive to boot.
Thanks for your support anyway!
Is there anything else I could do?

schard · 2020-10-13 15:32:35

You can try a different boot manager, like systemd-boot.

Arciere · 2020-10-13 15:38:37

schard wrote:

You can try a different boot manager, like systemd-boot.

No please, it took me hours to learn the right steps to install GRUB
Could it all be due to some setting in the PC's BIOS that I put my hand to?

V1del · 2020-10-13 15:45:51

That's not going to help, it's not going to retain systemd-boot entries either. If your UEFI is indeed not retaining the entries, follow the tip box I've mentioned regardless to install it into the fallback location, that one should boot when you select to boot off of the drive.

In any case, what you also can do is go through the UEFI firmware and check whether you find an option to manually add entries to the boot menu.

Arciere · 2020-10-13 15:55:52

V1del wrote:

That's not going to help, it's not going to retain systemd-boot entries either. If your UEFI is indeed not retaining the entries, follow the tip box I've mentioned regardless to install it into the fallback location, that one should boot when you select to boot off of the drive.
In any case, what you also can do is go through the UEFI firmware and check whether you find an option to manually add entries to the boot menu.

Ok, then I immediately try to install it with the method reported in your link.
I also noticed that among the entries available in the boot order inside the UEFI there is not even an entry that refers to GRUB, but only physical drives: is this normal?

Arciere · 2020-10-13 15:59:14

V1del wrote:

That's not going to help, it's not going to retain systemd-boot entries either. If your UEFI is indeed not retaining the entries, follow the tip box I've mentioned regardless to install it into the fallback location, that one should boot when you select to boot off of the drive.
In any case, what you also can do is go through the UEFI firmware and check whether you find an option to manually add entries to the boot menu.

Sorry, for security I would like to ask you for confirmation: are you referring to the specific procedure of this link?

schard · 2020-10-13 16:03:57

V1del wrote:

That's not going to help, it's not going to retain systemd-boot entries either.

Possibly. My goal was to rule out a problem with Grub, though.
Also, it's not clear to me that the EFI does actually not retain the loader entries.
In the output from the chrooted system, it's clearly there.

@Arciere:
Is the grub entry gone from

efibootmgr -v -u

after you rebootet the live system?

Last edited by schard (2020-10-13 16:07:21)

V1del · 2020-10-13 16:12:26

@Arciere that's what I meant yes.

@schard I see the sentiment, however even if GRUB was bugged to hell and back one needs an entry in the corresponding UEFI loader. Right now the EFI doesn't show anything at all, that's currently not really related to any software that should or would potentially run, and if the EFI signature of GRUB was broken then no one would be able to use it and we'd see reports here.

Arciere · 2020-10-13 16:14:24

schard wrote:

@Arciere:
Is the grub entry gone from
efibootmgr -v -u
after you rebootet the live system?

No, the output of

efibootmgr -v -u

of which I posted the link was given after installation, but before giving the reboot and with the installation USB drive still inserted.
Do you need me to give it also at the beginning of the installation?

Arciere · 2020-10-13 16:22:42

V1del wrote:

@Arciere that's what I meant yes.
@schard I see the sentiment, however even if GRUB was bugged to hell and back one needs an entry in the corresponding UEFI loader. Right now the EFI doesn't show anything at all, that's currently not really related to any software that should or would potentially run, and if the EFI signature of GRUB was broken then no one would be able to use it and we'd see reports here.

So in summary, if I am not misunderstood the "Default/fallback boot path" method is to append

--removable

to the end of the GRUB install string. It seems to me that this is the ONLY change to my entire installation, am I right? Does this my new test consist of other changes that I have to do?

Also, from your message, I understand that GRUB is very buggy and "out of date" (if I misunderstood, forgive me, I'm not a native English speaker). So I wonder: which bootloader would you install in my place? In the bootloader comparison table found here in the Arch Wiki I thought I figured GRUB was the best.

Last edited by Arciere (2020-10-13 16:28:37)

Arciere · 2020-10-13 17:29:23

V1del wrote:

That's not going to help, it's not going to retain systemd-boot entries either. If your UEFI is indeed not retaining the entries, follow the tip box I've mentioned regardless to install it into the fallback location, that one should boot when you select to boot off of the drive.
In any case, what you also can do is go through the UEFI firmware and check whether you find an option to manually add entries to the boot menu.

IT WOOOOOOOOORKS
3 days of my life for a single stupid missing word...
Thank you very much, you were all very kind, helpful and prepared!!

Arch Linux

#1 2020-10-12 16:29:08

[Solved] The system does not boot

#2 2020-10-12 16:49:01

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#3 2020-10-12 16:56:48

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#4 2020-10-13 05:09:54

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#5 2020-10-13 07:09:35

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#6 2020-10-13 09:39:05

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#7 2020-10-13 09:42:00

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#8 2020-10-13 10:10:12

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#9 2020-10-13 10:18:05

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#10 2020-10-13 10:27:20

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#11 2020-10-13 10:38:20

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#12 2020-10-13 10:41:28

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#13 2020-10-13 10:57:53

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#14 2020-10-13 11:08:45

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#15 2020-10-13 15:25:15

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#16 2020-10-13 15:32:35

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#17 2020-10-13 15:38:37

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#18 2020-10-13 15:45:51

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#19 2020-10-13 15:55:52

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#20 2020-10-13 15:59:14

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#21 2020-10-13 16:03:57

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#22 2020-10-13 16:12:26

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#23 2020-10-13 16:14:24

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#24 2020-10-13 16:22:42

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

#25 2020-10-13 17:29:23

Re: [Solved] The system does not boot

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