[SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-22 10:00:02

Yesterday I got Arch installed on my laptop without any hiccups and Ive been looking through configs and reading up on whats possible. After the longest of procrastinating downloading BTRFS on my main system, I decide to do it on my laptop since theirs no data on there. so after following the guide for EXT4 BTRFS conversion. I only converted my home (partition 4) and root (partition 3) partitions. did the fstab stuff and mounted everything, now that I got to reinstalling the bootloader. If I run

 bootctl install

i get back

Couldn't find EFI system partition. UR us recommended to mount it to /boot or /efi.
Alternatively, use --esp-path= to specify path to mount point

Before I Chrooted I did mount my boot partition (1) and lsblk in the iso verifies that it is mounted. I decided to go a head and direct it with

 bootctl install --esp-path=/boot

i get back

File system "/boot" is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

I did try and tab through to see if /boot/EFI pops up, but it didn't. so now Ive been trying to troubleshoot and have come with this, idk what im missing but any help would be appreciated

 cgdisk

to verify its set as EF00

 lsblk

vfat FAT 32

 df -T

no root/swap partition show

 fdisk -l 'root partition'

dos

fdisk spitting back dos is the only thing that I can see as being an issue since my understanding is dos=mbr, but idk where to go from here.

I also went back to verify fstab with blkid. Im very confused as I did nothing to the boot partition since ive initially used cgdisk on it when installing.

Last edited by OhKay_Bet (2023-11-24 00:58:20)

Lone_Wolf · 2023-11-22 13:05:08

please don't paraphrase but post actual outputs.

The full outputs of lsblk -f and fdisk -l (last one needs to be run as root) would help

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2023-11-22 13:05:32)

ectospasm · 2023-11-22 13:34:12

First, is your laptop even a UEFI system? Follow Verify the Boot Mode, and make sure you have the EFI variables:

cat /sys/firmware/efi/fw_platform_size

If not, systemd-boot (bootctl, etc.) isn't appropriate. If you're sure you have a UEFI system, make sure it's not in legacy BIOS mode.

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-22 20:30:01

ectospasm wrote:

First, is your laptop even a UEFI system?

Yes, it is a UEFI system (framework 13). I had systemd on it yesterday and I’ve verified it’s in UEFI mode

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-22 23:14:25

Lone_Wolf wrote:

please don't paraphrase but post actual outputs.
The full outputs of lsblk -f and fdisk -l (last one needs to be run as root) would help

Word, my bad I’m posting from a different device so I can’t copy paste but I’ll type it out.

Running from iso

Lsblk -f

NAME FSTYPE FSVER LABEL UUID FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINTS
loop0 squashfs 4.0 0 100% /run/archiso/airootfs

sda
|_sda1 exfat 1.0 Ventoy
| |_ventoy iso9660 Joliet Extension ARCH_202311
|_sda2 vfat FAT16 VTOYEFI

Nvme0n1
|_nvme0n1p1 vfat FAT32 57E1-C60C 33.6G 16% /mnt/boot
|_nvme0n1p2 swap 1 2ee6d365-92f8-4fb7-a0c4-36b49b5a48be [SWAP]
|_nvme0n1p3 btrfs f2cfb427-7c99-4030-b5ce-10bb8b3be005b 33.6G 16% /mnt
|_nvme0n1p4 btrfs a9281e05-61e6-45f9-95fa-a92dc00cce21 1.7T 2% /mnt/home

Fdisk -l

Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 1.82 TiB. 2000398934816 bytes, 3907829168 sectors
Disk model: SHPP41-2000GM
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 0C1DF955-1307-40F2-91A1-EDB9827A4EDF

Device Start End Sectors Size Type
/dev/nvme0n1p1 2048 2099199 2097152 1G EFI System
/dev/nvme0n1p2 2099200 69208063 67108864 32G Linux swap
/dev/nvme0n1p3 69208064 153094143 83886080 40G Linux filesystem
/dev/nvme0n1p4 153094144 3907028991 3753934848 1.7T Linux filesystem

Disk /dev/sda: 232.88 GiB. 250047627264 bytes, 488374272 sectors
Disk model: SanDisk 3.2Gen1
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x9609b2bf

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 * 2048 488308735 488306688 232.8G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 488308736 488374271 65536 32M ef EFI (FAT-12/16/32)

Disk /dev/mapper/ventoy: 807.32 MiB, 846540800 bytes, 1653400 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: Oxfd3Bacc6

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/mapper /ventoy-part1 * 64 1622015 1621952 792M 0 Empty
/dev/mapper / ventoy-part2 1622016 1652735 30720 15M ef EFI (FAT-12/16/32)

Disk /dev/loop0: 685,2 MiB, 718479368 bytes, 1483280 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

ectospasm · 2023-11-23 01:28:54

So, your EFI partition is at /mnt/boot, not /boot. Are you booted from the Arch ISO? IIRC, you're supposed to run bootctl install from within the arch-chroot. The systemd-boot wiki article even says so.

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-23 01:36:25

ectospasm wrote:

So, your EFI partition is at /mnt/boot, not /boot. Are you booted from the Arch ISO? IIRC, you're supposed to run bootctl install from within the arch-chroot. The systemd-boot wiki article even says so.

Yes, I do use bootctl install while chrooted. I just backed out to the iso to run the other commands since ive noticed running it while chrooted changes some output text such as the mount path for lsblk

ectospasm · 2023-11-23 05:26:08

It makes no sense to provide output from lsblk -f or fdisk -l if you're not in the environment where you're having the problem. Use a proper pastebin and provide the full output of these commands, and the output of bootctl install where you get the error. See the collaborative debugging section of the Arch IRC wiki article.

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-23 17:36:48

My bad about the format, didnt know about the pastebin. this is chrooted into the system

Output of lsblk -f
https://bpa.st/I7KQ

Output of fdisk -l
https://bpa.st/G5LA

Output of bootctl install
https://bpa.st/DWEA

Last edited by OhKay_Bet (2023-11-23 17:40:15)

ectospasm · 2023-11-23 20:58:03

So lsblk -f shows that the EFI partition (/dev/nvme0n1p1) isn't mounted. Can you show /etc/fstab?

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-23 21:40:28

Sure here it is
Bpa.st/2YWA

I guess that’s what you're trying to figure out, but why would it show mounted in the iso but not when chrooted into the system?

GeorgeJP · 2023-11-23 23:12:03

root (/) MUST be mounted FIRST
then you can mount /boot

ectospasm · 2023-11-23 23:15:58

Hmmm, if you mounted /mnt/boot before entering the arch-chroot, it should be mounted in the chroot. Drop out of the chroot, and run this:

grep /mnt/boot /proc/mounts

If it has any output, it is mounted. Then, enter the arch-chroot, and run this:

grep /boot /proc/mounts

Is /dev/sda your Arch ISO? The "ventoy" name is suspicious to me. Is this the official Arch ISO, or have you modified it? Is this actually Arch Linux?

ectospasm · 2023-11-23 23:50:41

GeorgeJP wrote:

root (/) MUST be mounted FIRST
then you can mount /boot

Yeah, if you mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 to /mnt/boot before mounting your root partition to /mnt, when you mount the root partition it will mask the mounted /mnt/boot. Order of operations matters.

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-24 00:19:31

ectospasm wrote:

Is /dev/sda your Arch ISO? The "ventoy" name is suspicious to me. Is this the official Arch ISO, or have you modified it? Is this actually Arch Linux?

Dev/sda holds my ISO files for other os’s ventoy is a gui program that lets you have multiple ISO’s and use whichever ones you want.
I guess if venoy is the visible name the Arch ISO just running through ventoy? I should probably look into the guts of ventoy.I I’ve used it before I really ”understood” how any of this works.
Regardless tho I’ve gotten arch to successfully install using it before.

But as you and @GeorgeJP were discussing I think it’s an order of operations error. The grep command did nothing while chrooted. Should I just umount in the iso and remount in order? Does the order of the home dir mount matter?
As well as is there somewhere where I can read up on order of operations in Linux so I don’t have something like this happen again?
Appreciate the help btw

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-24 00:56:32

SOLVED

ERROR: Incorrect order of operations when mounting

FIX: unmount and remount in correct order Root,Boot,Home

V1del · 2023-11-24 01:05:48

Make sure you fix your fstab so it includes and mounts /boot directly, otherwise you'll have problems on kernel updates.

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-24 01:10:25

V1del wrote:

Make sure you fix your fstab so it includes and mounts /boot directly, otherwise you'll have problems on kernel updates.

Do you mean where it says /boot after UUID? I have a post above showing my fstab, idk if you saw it and noticed an error.

V1del · 2023-11-24 01:15:01

The order matters there as well, make sure /boot comes AFTER the / line.

OhKay_Bet · 2023-11-24 01:33:39

Ahh I see, ok I’ll get that sorted. I appreciate the assistance

ectospasm · 2023-11-24 01:45:52

OhKay_Bet wrote:

But as you and @GeorgeJP were discussing I think it’s an order of operations error. The grep command did nothing while chrooted. Should I just umount in the iso and remount in order? Does the order of the home dir mount matter?
As well as is there somewhere where I can read up on order of operations in Linux so I don’t have something like this happen again?
Appreciate the help btw

With mounting filesystems, you need to mount the parent directories first, if you will be mounting other filesystems/subvolumes in subdirectories beneath them. Otherwise any partition/subvolume mounted before the parent directory will be masked. This is especially true when installing Arch using the usual, manual method. Always mount the root filesystem to /mnt, and mount your EFI/boot partition to /mnt/boot. This also applies for your home partition, and if you have /usr and /var (or even /etc) on separate filesystems/subvolumes.

As with some things, order of operations is commutative, you can do it in any order. But not this. Glad you figured it out!

Arch Linux

#1 2023-11-22 10:00:02

[SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#2 2023-11-22 13:05:08

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#3 2023-11-22 13:34:12

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#4 2023-11-22 20:30:01

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#5 2023-11-22 23:14:25

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#6 2023-11-23 01:28:54

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#7 2023-11-23 01:36:25

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#8 2023-11-23 05:26:08

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#9 2023-11-23 17:36:48

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#10 2023-11-23 20:58:03

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#11 2023-11-23 21:40:28

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#12 2023-11-23 23:12:03

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#13 2023-11-23 23:15:58

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#14 2023-11-23 23:50:41

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#15 2023-11-24 00:19:31

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#16 2023-11-24 00:56:32

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#17 2023-11-24 01:05:48

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#18 2023-11-24 01:10:25

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#19 2023-11-24 01:15:01

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#20 2023-11-24 01:33:39

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

#21 2023-11-24 01:45:52

Re: [SOLVED]/boot is not a FAT EFI System Partition file system

Board footer