Arch Linux

ikecarlini

Member

Registered: 2025-04-28

Posts: 4

[SOLVED] rEFInd pain

Hello.

Doing a new Arch install. Machine is dual-boot with Windows 11. Arch is installed and am attempting to use rEFInd boot loader.

Installed refind package and ran refind-install.
After Arch/rEFInd install Windows was the only option as rEFInd was using the Windows EFI (100MB) partition.
Removed rEFInd entry that was referencing the PARTUUID for the Windows-created EFI partition using efibootmgr and recreated to use PARTUUID of new partition created with fdisk (EFI type) to act as EFI.
Copied contents (recursive) of /EFI/* from old windows EFI 100MB partition to my new EFI partition.
Re-ran refind-install —root /efi.
rEFInd boot loader menu appears but is blank with only the logo displaying.
Have manually edited /efi/EFI/refind/refind.conf to specify entries for Arch and Windows commenting out ‘disabled’ from samples and editing PARTUUID for Arch.
Also had to manually add/configure PARTUUID for /efi/boot/refind_linux.conf.
rEFInd boot loader menu still appears blank with only the rEFInd logo.

I have not been able to boot into the Arch installation and keep using Live ISO switching into arch-chroot to make changes. Am at a loss as to why rEFInd is still blank and I am not getting something, anything… I guess I am missing something somewhere. Can anyone assist?

Last edited by ikecarlini (2025-04-29 10:56:52)

twobooks

Member

From: rainforest

Registered: 2020-06-23

Posts: 47

Re: [SOLVED] rEFInd pain

how about the following line of your /efi/boot/refind.conf

scanfor manual

euromatlox

Member

Registered: 2017-02-10

Posts: 149

Re: [SOLVED] rEFInd pain

I had 'a fight' with rEFInd in my latest setup, did give up and used grub instead. After all, function is the same, only less eye candy. There's plenty of horror stories about Windows 11 (or 10) overwriting EFI partition, so if you're not enough professional, it's good to google some information about that too. I myself currently have Win10 and Arch on same SSD, still have no problems (grub bootloader).

Last edited by euromatlox (2025-04-28 20:01:04)

afader

Member

Registered: 2013-09-12

Posts: 205

Re: [SOLVED] rEFInd pain

That is surprising yeah because refind can normally scan for and find partitions. Does it find the install media? Do you have secure boot enabled? Have you booted into the BIOS to check the boot order? Post efivars and efibootmgr?

ikecarlini

Member

Registered: 2025-04-28

Posts: 4

Re: [SOLVED] rEFInd pain

how about the following line of your /efi/boot/refind.conf

scanfor manual

Winner.

I had commented in:

scanfor internal,external,optical,manual,firmware

previously but followed this advice and bingo! Perhaps broken by

optical

As there is no optical drive? Maybe some other, will perhaps have a play in a while.

Thank you, twobooks.

Last edited by ikecarlini (2025-04-29 10:55:06)

ikecarlini

Member

Registered: 2025-04-28

Posts: 4

Re: [SOLVED] rEFInd pain

I had 'a fight' with rEFInd in my latest setup, did give up and used grub instead. After all, function is the same, only less eye candy. There's plenty of horror stories about Windows 11 (or 10) overwriting EFI partition, so if you're not enough professional, it's good to google some information about that too. I myself currently have Win10 and Arch on same SSD, still have no problems (grub bootloader).

But that would be easy! I briefly had dual boot for a day on this new machine before a Windows updated deleted grub (unbeknownst to me this was pending from the previous shutdown) so fancied something different this time around.

It seems this machine perhaps has some GPT backup/protection facility so I need to look into that when I have time as that would be nice.

ikecarlini

Member

Registered: 2025-04-28

Posts: 4

Re: [SOLVED] rEFInd pain

That is surprising yeah because refind can normally scan for and find partitions. Does it find the install media? Do you have secure boot enabled? Have you booted into the BIOS to check the boot order? Post efivars and efibootmgr?

Sorted now (as above). Yeah, rEFInd was good some years ago when I last used it. I think now what is needed is to perhaps manually reconfigure ESP, copy files to new EFI (and delete old Windows EFI) partition before installing refind? There is not enough room on 100MB Windows EFI for linux boot files and with Windows EFI as configured as ESP the refind-install just picks-up Windows and then in the attempts to resolve chaos ensued.

For reference, rEFInd did not find anything, just background and logo, no more. Secure boot is not enabled. Boot order not issue. Before manually re-creating efibootmgr entry for rEFInd it showed that it was pointing to PARTUUID of Windows 100MB EFI partition, as previous.