Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

birodani · 2023-08-17 12:44:27

Hello!

I tried to install Arch yesterday. Tried two different ways to copy the .iso file (from the official website) to the stick: using cp from the installation guide page and Linux Mint's Make bootable stick option. Both were successful, but I ran into the following problem every time:

rolling EDD (edd=off to disable)... ok
[...] usb 5-2: unable to read config index 0 descriptor/all
[...] usb 5-2: can't read configurations, error -71
[...] Initramfs unpacking failed: write error
::running early hook [udev]
Warning: /lib/modules/6.4.7-arch1-1/modules.devname not found - ignoring
systemd-tmpfiles: error while loading shared libraries: libsystemd-shared-253.7-1.so: can not open shared object file: No such file or directory
/init: line 9: /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-udevd: not found
:: running early hook [archiso_pxe_nbd]
:: running hook [udev]
:: Triggering uevents...
udevadm: error while loading shared libraries: libsystemd-shared-253.7-1.so: can not open shared object file: No such file or directory
udevadm: error while loading shared libraries: libsystemd-shared-253.7-1.so: can not open shared object file: No such file or directory
udevadm: error while loading shared libraries: libsystemd-shared-253.7-1.so: can not open shared object file: No such file or directory
:: running hook [memdisk]
:: running hook [archiso]
:: running hook [archiso_loop_mnt]
:: running hook [archiso_pxe_common]
:: running hook [archiso_pxe_nbd]
:: running hook [archiso_pxe_http]
:: running hook [archiso_pxe_nfs]
:: Mounting 'UUID=2023-08-01-12-17-20-00' to '/run/archiso/bootmt'
Waiting 30 seconds for device /dev/disk/by-uuid/2023-08-01-12-17-20-00 ...
ERROR: 'UUID=2023-08-01-12-17-20-00' device did not show up after 30 seconds...
Falling back to interactive prompt
You can try to fix the problem manually, log out when you are finished
sh: can't access tty; job control turned off
[rootfs ~]#

I've read that one solution could be renaming the USB stick. I could not use that, since the naming was already correct, ARCH_202308.
Somewhere i've read that blkid would show the UUID of the stick, I ran the command when the stick was plugged in, and I only got four outputs: /dev/nvme0n1px, and x is either 1, 3, 4 or 5, no /dev/sda, as it should have happened.
Some suggested running lsblk, this is the output:

NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda           8:0    1  14.4G  0 disk 
├─sda1        8:1    1   778M  0 part /media/dani/ARCH_202308
└─sda2        8:2    1    15M  0 part

I really don't know what to do anymore. The only answers I can see on the Internet are similar to this, but the sitcks are identified by label, not by uuid. What could I do?

seth · 2023-08-17 15:38:11

using cp from the installation guide page and Linux Mint's Make bootable stick option

The error shows a dated kernel and libsystemd-shared-253.7-1.so (not sure whether that's accurate for that version of the iso) and the image is clearly corrupted.

Get the iso image, verify the checksum and then write it using dd and just to be sure, run "sudo sync" before you yank the usb key.

birodani · 2023-08-18 11:28:23

seth wrote:

Get the iso image, verify the checksum and then write it using dd and just to be sure, run "sudo sync" before you yank the usb key.

I did this. Downloaded the same iso image, verified the checksum:

~ gpg archlinux-2023.08.01-x86_64.iso.sig

gpg: WARNING: no command supplied.  Trying to guess what you mean ...
gpg: assuming signed data in 'archlinux-2023.08.01-x86_64.iso'
gpg: Signature made Tue 01 Aug 2023 03:19:49 PM EEST
gpg:                using EDDSA key 3E80CA1A8B89F69CBA57D98A76A5EF9054449A5C
gpg:                issuer "pierre@archlinux.org"
gpg: Good signature from "Pierre Schmitz <pierre@archlinux.org>" [unknown]
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
Primary key fingerprint: 3E80 CA1A 8B89 F69C BA57  D98A 76A5 EF90 5444 9A5C

I think that should be good? Next I tried to do the dd command you specified:

dd bs=4M if=archlinux-2023.08.01-x86_64.iso of=/dev/disk/by-id/usb-Kingston_DataTraveler_3.0_60A44C413984F171697000AE-0\:0 conv=fsync oflag=direct status=progress

After this, I got the following error:

dd: failed to open '/dev/disk/by-id/usb-Kingston_DataTraveler_3.0_60A44C413984F171697000AE-0:0': Permission denied

The same error I got when I tried to copy with cp, cat or anything else really: permission denied; I'm not even sure how I got the cp command to work after a while. Should I try sudo? I don't think that is a good solution.
I formatted the stick before I tried to perform the dd command and even named it ARCH_202308.
What could I do?

seth · 2023-08-18 13:04:03

Should I try sudo? I don't think that is a good solution.

Yes and why do you think it's not?
The only bad idea would be to use dd w/o double- and triple checking which device you're writing to.
But you /have/ to do it as root/sudo.

The same error I got when I tried to copy with cp, cat or anything else really: permission denied

You previously wrote:

Tried two different ways to copy the .iso file (from the official website) to the stick: using cp from the installation guide page and Linux Mint's Make bootable stick option. Both were successful

So how did you /actually/ create the present install key?
Spoiler: this here works *much* better if you kick your ego out of the door and are completely honest.

I think that should be good?

And what exactly made you "think" that?
The "WARNING" or that gpg is "guessing" what you're trying to do?

Whatever kind of bullshit youtube tutorial you're following right now: stop that!
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Instal … tion_image
https://archlinux.org/download/#checksums
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/USB_fl … _utilities

dogknowsnx · 2023-08-18 13:19:25

Also: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Help:Reading#top-page

headkase · 2023-08-18 13:53:26

birodani wrote:

dd bs=4M if=archlinux-2023.08.01-x86_64.iso of=/dev/disk/by-id/usb-Kingston_DataTraveler_3.0_60A44C413984F171697000AE-0\:0 conv=fsync oflag=direct status=progress
After this, I got the following error:
dd: failed to open '/dev/disk/by-id/usb-Kingston_DataTraveler_3.0_60A44C413984F171697000AE-0:0': Permission denied
The same error I got when I tried to copy with cp, cat or anything else really: permission denied; I'm not even sure how I got the cp command to work after a while. Should I try sudo? I don't think that is a good solution.
I formatted the stick before I tried to perform the dd command and even named it ARCH_202308.
What could I do?

This is because you're attempting to write the ISO to a mounted partition. That won't work. Instead you need to give the block device to write to. Which usually is /dev/sdX where "X" will be different on your system. Make sure to choose the right one or you will hose your system. The stick can't be mounted when you do the write. With dd as said. Again, make sure it's the right device or dd will mean "disk destroyer".

Last edited by headkase (2023-08-18 13:55:17)

seth · 2023-08-18 13:57:28

/dev/disk/by-id/* are going to be symlinks, typically to block devices.
You certainly don't want the device or any partition on it to be mounted but if there was any indication that it is, I missed it.

stat /dev/disk/by-id/usb-Kingston_DataTraveler_3.0_60A44C413984F171697000AE-0\:0
mount

headkase · 2023-08-18 15:07:36

seth wrote:

/dev/disk/by-id/* are going to be symlinks, typically to block devices.
You certainly don't want the device or any partition on it to be mounted but if there was any indication that it is, I missed it.
stat /dev/disk/by-id/usb-Kingston_DataTraveler_3.0_60A44C413984F171697000AE-0\:0
mount

Thanks, didn't realize that those would be symlinks. But, either the partition is mounted or the dd command needs root, like with a sudo.

birodani · 2023-08-19 15:26:41

seth wrote:

So how did you /actually/ create the present install key?
Spoiler: this here works *much* better if you kick your ego out of the door and are completely honest.

This was never about my ego, please stop accusing me; no need to attack.

seth wrote:

And what exactly made you "think" that?
The "WARNING" or that gpg is "guessing" what you're trying to do?

Again, please stop being aggressive. I ran the command you linked the first time I tried to install Arch, before asking this question, and now again, and I got the exact same output as above:

~ gpg --keyserver-options auto-key-retrieve --verify archlinux-2023.08.01-x86_64.iso.sig
gpg: assuming signed data in 'archlinux-2023.08.01-x86_64.iso'
gpg: Signature made Tue 01 Aug 2023 03:19:49 PM EEST
gpg:                using EDDSA key 3E80CA1A8B89F69CBA57D98A76A5EF9054449A5C
gpg:                issuer "pierre@archlinux.org"
gpg: Good signature from "Pierre Schmitz <pierre@archlinux.org>" [unknown]
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
Primary key fingerprint: 3E80 CA1A 8B89 F69C BA57  D98A 76A5 EF90 5444 9A5C

I simply forgot the verification command was linked in the installation page, and I tried to find some help online; found this, and entered it (by the way, getting the exact same response as with your command).

seth wrote:

Whatever kind of bullshit youtube tutorial you're following right now: stop that!

The bullshit youtube tutorial I was using was this: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide. We're all humans, we can forget things, can't we? No need to get aggressive about it.

Before I asked the question, I tried the cp and cat methods, without root permissions, they failed. Then I tried it with sudo, but I still wasn't sure that would be the correct method (I was afraid that if the file was moved with super user rights, the computer would not be able to recognize it). It worked, I inserted the stick in the computer and got to the errors mentioned above. I redid this at least twice, got the same results. I carefully read the documentation and did everything the way it described, but still got to this error again. I have no idea what I am doing wrong now, please help

seth · 2023-08-19 16:03:18

I'm not aggressive, I'm just pointing out that many of your statements do not even remotely add up (you've written the iso multiple times using cp and dd but have no idea - or "forgot" - that that requires root permissions?) and very much leave the impression that you're cluelessly following some click-along tutorial. What is not going to work.

Back on topic:
Did you run GPG w/o internet access? Did you see the wkd lookup?
Did you compare the SHA256? (That one is frankly more important than anything else)
(except) Did dd cause any errors?
Check the SHA256 of the usb key as well.

If all of that's indeed ok (don't guess that, ask in doubt), a remote chance is that

[...] usb 5-2: unable to read config index 0 descriptor/all
[...] usb 5-2: can't read configurations, error -71
[...] Initramfs unpacking failed: write error

the usb key fails somewhen during loading the initramfs, but it would be weird if that would always cause the exact same error.

In that case, first and foremost try a different USB slot (given you've tried multiple keys), then to re-plug the key while at grub, before loading the kernel.

Natpunk · 2023-08-27 03:03:56

Try on mounting to the USB with this:
http://www.gtlib.gatech.edu/pub/archlin … 023.08.01/

Arch Linux

#1 2023-08-17 12:44:27

Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#2 2023-08-17 15:38:11

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#3 2023-08-18 11:28:23

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#4 2023-08-18 13:04:03

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#5 2023-08-18 13:19:25

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#6 2023-08-18 13:53:26

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#7 2023-08-18 13:57:28

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#8 2023-08-18 15:07:36

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#9 2023-08-19 15:26:41

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#10 2023-08-19 16:03:18

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

#11 2023-08-27 03:03:56

Re: Can't install Arch from multiple USB sticks, mounting error

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