Arch Linux

amixra

Member

Registered: 2022-01-24

Posts: 125

How to determine correct esp path for grub-install?

So grub updated today, I installed arch on it few months ago and probably grub updated first time on it. I am a bit confused for grub-install command usage. I looked at the news again (https://archlinux.org/news/grub-bootloa … ibilities/)
I was not sure, so did following for finding where grubx64.efi is sitting currently

$ ls -R /boot/EFI                                                                                                                                 
/boot/EFI:
Dell  EFI  grub_uefi

/boot/EFI/Dell:
logs

/boot/EFI/Dell/logs:
diags_current.xml  diags_previous.xml

/boot/EFI/EFI:
grub_uefi

/boot/EFI/EFI/grub_uefi:
grubx64.efi

/boot/EFI/grub_uefi:
grubx64.efi

So, it is at two paths, and I can easily guess during installation I got confused somewhere and probably put `/boot/EFI` where I was supposed to mention only `/boot`. However, I have a fine working system (lol!) never realized about it until today. So, How to know which one is right to put into grub-install? And also remove the redundant one. So that in future, I can again `ls` and determine correct path.

Last edited by amixra (2024-09-15 08:20:02)

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Experiment at-least.

amixra

Member

Registered: 2022-01-24

Posts: 125

Re: How to determine correct esp path for grub-install?

My concern is if `/boot/EFI/EFI/grub_uefi/grubx64.efi` is getting used while I end up choosing to install it on another path (`/boot/EFI/grub_uefi/grubx64.efi`)
I don't want to end up having an unbootable system.

Last edited by amixra (2024-09-15 08:01:53)

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Experiment at-least.

amixra

Member

Registered: 2022-01-24

Posts: 125

Re: How to determine correct esp path for grub-install?

I don't know whether you guys operate on sunday or not. I am currently going with following

# grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=grub_uefi                                                           
Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
Installation finished. No error reported.

which didn't report any error.
I hope my laptop wakes up tomorrow too.

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Experiment at-least.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,339

Website

Re: How to determine correct esp path for grub-install?

I don't know whether you guys operate on sunday or not

Sorry I'm late

If the --efi-directory path didn't point to an actual ESP there would have been an error message so it looks like that was the correct path.

You can use this command to view the partitions and mountpoints:

lsblk -f

^ That would have told you where /boot/ was mounted.

Then use

# parted --list

And look for the partition with the "boot, esp" flags set — that will be the EFI system partition.

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cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 1,014

Re: How to determine correct esp path for grub-install?

If the --efi-directory path didn't point to an actual ESP there would have been an error message so it looks like that was the correct path.

more specific - this:

grub-install: error: /boot doesn't look like an EFI partition.