Arch Linux

Roll

Member

Registered: 2025-01-27

Posts: 3

Help to fix BTRFS Grub '/@/boot/grub/x86_64-efi/normal.mod' not found

Hi guys,

in Short:

After deleting Timeshift snaps, Arch does not load, -  I have ended up with this error:
file "/@/boot/grub/x86_64-efi/normal.mod" not found

and boot ends in a GRUB rescue mode.

as per YouTube vids, I tried to:
set prefix= (hd0,gpt4)/timeshift-btrfs/snapshots/2025-01-16_13-42-23/@/boot/grub
insmod normal
normal

It actually loads some kind of grub,- I can even choose snapshots, - but none of them work,
all end up with new error: "Failed to mount /home"

Not sure how to act to fix, please advise...

Long story:

I am "Arch firstimer" and I was sure I will brake the system so I had installed it as a dualboot alongside Win 10 and using BTRFS with Timeshift snaps, with /@ and /@/Home directories only.

My very first snap was done on 2025-01-16,
Something went wrong with my install as TImeshift had to auto-delete snaps above 6, but it constantly kept it... Maybe as All my snaps were done manually, - I do not know, never used TImeshift before.

Yesterday I have selected multiple snaps and deleted all of them in one go and Arch failed to boot, -
it wanted to boot into snap dated 2025-01-19 for some reason.

I was not able to boot into any snap dated 2025-01-26 (had few).

the only snap was active/able to boot into was from 2025-01-16 which was completely "naked"...
from that snap, - I tried to use Timesheet and recover into last snap of 2025-01-26 (before I deleted snaphots), but...
ended up with: file "/@/boot/grub/x86_64-efi/normal.mod" not found

Thinking using live "ubuntu" image to fix grub manually, - but I am not sure there to start.
During Arch Linux install, I have created a separate 1gb partition for boot, but that BTRFS file system confuses me completely, and cannot find much help on internet...

And goodness,
is there any way to repeat previous command in the "Grub rescue" terminal?
Arrow Up, - does not work, - arrows /left right/ also dont.

Last edited by Roll (2025-01-27 11:34:06)

impossibleveins23

Member

From: Israel

Registered: 2022-06-18

Posts: 164

Re: Help to fix BTRFS Grub '/@/boot/grub/x86_64-efi/normal.mod' not found

If the problem is actually just that there is not subvolume of /home, you can a boot live iso, mount the root disk and try to comment it at /etc/fstab and boot.
While you are there, check if you have /home subvolumes.

If you don't, you can just create it and fix fstab.
If you do, you can mount this snapshot and you'll have the data from the time of snapshot.

From live iso:

# Mount root btrfs disk
mount /dev/<DISK> /mnt -o subvol=/
# Check if you have any snapshots
ls -l /mnt/@<SUBVOL_OF_HOME_SNAPSHOT>/

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