Silent boot

zkab · 2025-04-24 10:47:55

I have heard much about Archlinx so I decided to try it.
Everyting went OK when I ran 'archinstall'.

I chose 'bootloader:Systemd-boot' in the installation and want a silent boot so I:

1) added 'quiet splash' to the kernel parameter (/boot/loader/entries/arch.conf)
2) set 'timeout 0' in /boot/loader/loader.conf

Still I have to enter return at the boot menu ... how can I make the loader to choose first option automatically?
I have read the excellent Wiki but still I miss something?

002445 · 2025-04-24 11:30:19

It wouldn't surprise me if

timeout 0

means disable the countdown and wait for user input before booting. Change 0 to 1 and the boot menu will only show for 1 second and then boot the default option.

stfischr · 2025-04-24 12:50:34

No 0 means 0 seconds. But it's not the only way to specify the timeout, look at the tip section: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System … figuration

zkab · 2025-04-25 09:36:40

After reading wiki I change to following:

cat /boot/loader/loader.conf
default @saved
timeout 0
console-mode keep

and also adding 'quiet splash' to kernel parameter.

cat /boot/loader/entries/2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux.conf
# Created by: archinstall
# Created on: 2025-04-24_13-06-12
title Arch Linux (linux)
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /initramfs-linux.img
options root=PARTUUID=a41af985-53e5-4627-9172-899d5bc455a7 zswap.enabled=0 rw rootfstype=ext4 quiet splash

But still it won't work ... boot menu appears and I have to hit return.
As I understand I have followed the wiki ... I am lost

-thc · 2025-04-25 10:42:37

First check a fallback configuration: Replace "@saved" with "2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux.conf" inside "loader.conf".
Does it work?

stfischr · 2025-04-25 11:03:47

zkab wrote:

But still it won't work ... boot menu appears and I have to hit return.
As I understand I have followed the wiki ... I am lost

Did you have a look at the tip section? It's talking about UEFI variables that can override your loader.conf and how to reset them ...

schard · 2025-04-25 11:28:30

Please provide the output of

$ bootctl status

Also, please post console output and configuration file content in code tags.

zkab · 2025-04-26 12:10:43

Here is the output you asked for ... hope it helps.

bootctl status
System:
      Firmware: UEFI 2.70 (American Megatrends 5.14)
 Firmware Arch: x64
   Secure Boot: enabled (user)
  TPM2 Support: no
  Measured UKI: no
  Boot into FW: supported

Current Boot Loader:
      Product: systemd-boot 257.5-2-arch
     Features: ✓ Boot counting
               ✓ Menu timeout control
               ✓ One-shot menu timeout control
               ✓ Default entry control
               ✓ One-shot entry control
               ✓ Support for XBOOTLDR partition
               ✓ Support for passing random seed to OS
               ✓ Load drop-in drivers
               ✓ Support Type #1 sort-key field
               ✓ Support @saved pseudo-entry
               ✓ Support Type #1 devicetree field
               ✓ Enroll SecureBoot keys
               ✓ Retain SHIM protocols
               ✓ Menu can be disabled
               ✓ Multi-Profile UKIs are supported
               ✓ Boot loader set partition information
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/09b92dde-df44-4679-9e7b-996ee7ec5571
       Loader: └─/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI
Current Entry: 2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux.conf

Random Seed:
 System Token: set
       Exists: yes

Available Boot Loaders on ESP:
          ESP: /boot (/dev/disk/by-partuuid/09b92dde-df44-4679-9e7b-996ee7ec5571)
         File: ├─/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi (systemd-boot 257.5-2-arch)
               └─/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI (systemd-boot 257.5-2-arch)

Boot Loaders Listed in EFI Variables:
        Title: UEFI OS
           ID: 0x0001
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/09b92dde-df44-4679-9e7b-996ee7ec5571
         File: └─/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

Boot Loader Entries:
        $BOOT: /boot (/dev/disk/by-partuuid/09b92dde-df44-4679-9e7b-996ee7ec5571)
        token: arch

Default Boot Loader Entry:
         type: Boot Loader Specification Type #1 (.conf)
        title: Arch Linux (linux)
           id: 2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux.conf
       source: /boot//loader/entries/2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux.conf (on the EFI System Partition)
        linux: /boot//vmlinuz-linux
       initrd: /boot//initramfs-linux.img
      options: root=PARTUUID=a41af985-53e5-4627-9172-899d5bc455a7 zswap.enabled=0 rw rootfstype=ext4 quiet splash

zkab · 2025-04-26 12:11:59

-thc wrote:

First check a fallback configuration: Replace "@saved" with "2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux.conf" inside "loader.conf".
Does it work?

No ... still the same

zkab · 2025-04-26 12:16:10

stfischr wrote:

Did you have a look at the tip section? It's talking about UEFI variables that can override your loader.conf and how to reset them ...

Yes I did but since I didn't want to override my setting I didn't use these option.

tekstryder · 2025-04-26 12:42:51

Two options to try.

Delete the default EFI var, and let your loader.conf control this:

bootctl set-default ""

Or, set the var to the filename of your desired entry:

bootctl set-default "2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux.conf"

Last edited by tekstryder (2025-04-26 12:45:24)

zkab · 2025-04-26 14:52:07

tekstryder wrote:

Two options to try.
Delete the default EFI var, and let your loader.conf control this:
bootctl set-default ""
Or, set the var to the filename of your desired entry:
bootctl set-default "2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux.conf"

I tested both options but the same result ... only differense was that the secount option displayed '=>' in front of the first line at boot menu after the boot.

tekstryder · 2025-04-26 15:27:15

zkab wrote:

I tested both options but the same result ... only differense was that the secount option displayed '=>' in front of the first line at boot menu after the boot.

Okay, so it's likely not the EFI var storing the wrong default, assuming that's your only conf file.

I know nothing about archinstall or its various shenanigans.

Let's make this a little more standardized.

Do you still have a /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf file?

ls -al /boot/loader/entries/

If so, what are the contents?

If not:

sudo mv /boot/loader/entries/2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux.conf /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf

Modify /boot/loader/loader.conf to contain:

console-mode keep
timeout 0
default arch.conf

EDIT: another thing to verify is to reboot from a running system:

systemctl reboot --boot-loader-entry=arch.conf

Last edited by tekstryder (2025-04-26 15:34:17)

zkab · 2025-04-27 09:17:39

I followed your guidlines and now I have:

$ cat /boot/loader/loader.conf
console-mode keep
timeout 0
default arch.conf
$ [forsete@balder ~]$ ls -l /boot/loader/entries
total 8
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 264 Apr 26 13:55 2025-04-24_13-06-12_linux-fallback.conf
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 246 Apr 24 16:26 arch.conf

but it didn't solve my problem after a reboot.
The code below worked OK and rebooted but still I had to enter return.

systemctl reboot --boot-loader-entry=arch.conf

tekstryder · 2025-04-27 11:37:34

You should not be seeing the menu at all, let alone any prompt for input.

Almost sounds like a UEFI issue.

Where did these non-standard timestamped conf files originate from? Is that a archinstall thing?

Anyhow, let's make sure my renaming advice didn't screw up your presets.

ls -al /etc/mkinitcpio.d/

Let's also make sure we didn't leave that default EFI var from #12 set:

sudo bootctl set-default ""

And, please show both:

cat /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf
sudo blkid

zkab · 2025-04-27 12:16:36

Yes ... the timestamped conf files originate from archinstall.
Here is what you asked for:

$ ls -al /etc/mkinitcpio.d/
total 12
drwxr-xr-x  2 root root 4096 Apr 27 10:51 .
drwxr-xr-x 77 root root 4096 Apr 27 10:59 ..
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  527 Apr 27 10:51 linux.preset

$ cat /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf
# Created by: archinstall
# Created on: 2025-04-24_13-06-12
title   Arch Linux (linux)
linux   /vmlinuz-linux
initrd  /initramfs-linux.img
options root=PARTUUID=a41af985-53e5-4627-9172-899d5bc455a7 zswap.enabled=0 rw rootfstype=ext4 quiet splash

$ sudo blkid
/dev/nvme0n1p3: UUID="88328475-10e7-4ca1-8ea5-9ddb2e41e3f6" BLOCK_SIZE="4096" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="f399bad9-72a8-4d39-b31f-5977dc9dcd59"
/dev/nvme0n1p1: UUID="742B-46C3" BLOCK_SIZE="512" TYPE="vfat" PARTUUID="09b92dde-df44-4679-9e7b-996ee7ec5571"
/dev/nvme0n1p2: UUID="243eb11a-4a6b-4182-8ca2-779f2f808c3f" BLOCK_SIZE="4096" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="a41af985-53e5-4627-9172-899d5bc455a7"
/dev/zram0: LABEL="zram0" UUID="8cb8a5a8-6b14-410b-81fe-af03b0a53bbc" TYPE="swap"

Hope it will help you ...

tekstryder · 2025-04-27 12:58:32

Hmm, that all looks fine.

The only difference I see versus my own system (also using timeout 0) is your loader is using the fallback location:

/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

-vs-

/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi

This should™ not matter. They should be binary-equivalent.

At this point everything looks good and I would...

sudo bootctl cleanup
sudo bootctl install

to ensure all of the following, particularly the UEFI loader priority...

man bootctl install wrote:

Installs systemd-boot into the EFI system partition. A copy of systemd-boot will be stored as the EFI default/fallback loader at ESP/EFI/BOOT/BOOT*.EFI. The boot loader is then added to the top of the firmware's boot loader list.

You did not confirm you ran sudo bootctl set-default "". Did you?

Then reboot with

systemctl reboot --boot-loader-entry=arch.conf

If that menu shows up again I strongly suspect the UEFI implementation or settings therein.

I would then suggest looking at firmware settings and ensuring the "Linux Boot Loader" is the top/only selection.

zkab · 2025-04-27 14:04:12

I gave the commands

sudo bootctl cleanup
sudo bootctl install

And now ... I can't boot the system

schard · 2025-04-27 15:16:09

Just to be sure, your EFI partition is mounted as /boot during the entire time?

tekstryder · 2025-04-27 16:09:52

Oh good grief.

@zkab: If those files we've been viewing exist in /boot, and then your EFI is mounted on top of that, it would certainly explain why changes are not having effect.

1) chroot into the system
2) Ensure your EFI partition is mounted as /boot per @schard
3) Ensure loader.conf and arch.conf exist with the contents you last displayed
4) bootctl install

EDIT: IFF this is the case, best practice would be to later UN-mount the ESP from /boot, triple-check it's unmounted, check again, and then delete any files therein to avoid this confusion in a possible future similar scenario.

Last edited by tekstryder (2025-04-27 20:35:59)

Arch Linux

#1 2025-04-24 10:47:55

Silent boot

#2 2025-04-24 11:30:19

Re: Silent boot

#3 2025-04-24 12:50:34

Re: Silent boot

#4 2025-04-25 09:36:40

Re: Silent boot

#5 2025-04-25 10:42:37

Re: Silent boot

#6 2025-04-25 11:03:47

Re: Silent boot

#7 2025-04-25 11:28:30

Re: Silent boot

#8 2025-04-26 12:10:43

Re: Silent boot

#9 2025-04-26 12:11:59

Re: Silent boot

#10 2025-04-26 12:16:10

Re: Silent boot

#11 2025-04-26 12:42:51

Re: Silent boot

#12 2025-04-26 14:52:07

Re: Silent boot

#13 2025-04-26 15:27:15

Re: Silent boot

#14 2025-04-27 09:17:39

Re: Silent boot

#15 2025-04-27 11:37:34

Re: Silent boot

#16 2025-04-27 12:16:36

Re: Silent boot

#17 2025-04-27 12:58:32

Re: Silent boot

#18 2025-04-27 14:04:12

Re: Silent boot

#19 2025-04-27 15:16:09

Re: Silent boot

#20 2025-04-27 16:09:52

Re: Silent boot

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