[SOLVED]No systemd-boot entries menu when dual booting with Windows 10

u0a815 · 2025-07-24 03:18:44

Hi! I am trying to install Arch on my Laptop with pre-existing Windows 10 following the Official Installing Guide. I use systemd-boot as the bootloader. After restarting the laptop, there was no boot menu, just a black screen for a few seconds, and then it finally started up Arch Linux.

$ lsblk -o name,size,type,pttype,parttypename,mountpoints
NAME          SIZE TYPE PTTYPE PARTTYPENAME                 MOUNTPOINTS
nvme0n1     476.9G disk gpt
├─nvme0n1p1   100M part gpt    EFI System                   /efi
├─nvme0n1p2    16M part gpt    Microsoft reserved
├─nvme0n1p3 326.3G part gpt    Microsoft basic data
├─nvme0n1p4   583M part gpt    Windows recovery environment
├─nvme0n1p5   140G part gpt    Linux root (x86-64)          /
├─nvme0n1p6     8G part gpt    Linux swap                   [SWAP]
└─nvme0n1p7     2G part gpt    Linux extended boot          /boot

My systemd-boot config:

# /boot/loader/loader.conf
default @saved
timeout 10
beep no

# /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf
title Arch Linux
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /amd-ucode.img
initrd /initramfs-linux.img
options root=UUID=a12b160b-42a4-49b7-810d-76c8c6cdfae1 rw

$ bootctl
System:
      Firmware: UEFI 2.70 (INSYDE Corp. 22854.4135)
 Firmware Arch: x64
   Secure Boot: disabled
  TPM2 Support: yes
  Measured UKI: no
  Boot into FW: supported

Current Boot Loader:
      Product: systemd-boot 257.7-1-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/e303bc8d-5220-4409-900d-2aa1f5b6bf90
       Loader: └─/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi
Current Entry: arch.conf

Random Seed:
 System Token: set
       Exists: yes

Available Boot Loaders on ESP:
          ESP: /efi (/dev/disk/by-partuuid/e303bc8d-5220-4409-900d-2aa1f5b6bf90)
         File: ├─/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi (systemd-boot 257.7-1-arch)
               └─/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI (systemd-boot 257.7-1-arch)

Boot Loaders Listed in EFI Variables:
        Title: Linux Boot Manager
           ID: 0x0002
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/e303bc8d-5220-4409-900d-2aa1f5b6bf90
         File: └─/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi

        Title: Windows Boot Manager
           ID: 0x0000
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/e303bc8d-5220-4409-900d-2aa1f5b6bf90
         File: └─/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

Boot Loader Entries:
        $BOOT: /boot (/dev/disk/by-partuuid/dd4e501a-5c8d-4aa1-855a-3a821a89ba15)
        token: arch

Default Boot Loader Entry:
         type: Boot Loader Specification Type #1 (.conf)
        title: Arch Linux
           id: arch.conf
       source: /boot//loader/entries/arch.conf (on the Extended Boot Loader Partition)
        linux: /boot//vmlinuz-linux
       initrd: /boot//amd-ucode.img
               /boot//initramfs-linux.img
      options: root=UUID=a12b160b-42a4-49b7-810d-76c8c6cdfae1 rw
$ bootctl list
bootctl list
         type: Boot Loader Specification Type #1 (.conf)
        title: Arch Linux (default) (selected)
           id: arch.conf
       source: /boot//loader/entries/arch.conf (on the Extended Boot Loader Partition)
        linux: /boot//vmlinuz-linux
       initrd: /boot//amd-ucode.img
               /boot//initramfs-linux.img
      options: root=UUID=a12b160b-42a4-49b7-810d-76c8c6cdfae1 rw

         type: Automatic
        title: Windows Boot Manager
           id: auto-windows
       source: /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/LoaderEntries-4a67b082-0a4c-41cf-b6c7-440b29bb8c4f (on the EFI System Partition)

         type: Automatic
        title: Reboot Into Firmware Interface
           id: auto-reboot-to-firmware-setup
       source: /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/LoaderEntries-4a67b082-0a4c-41cf-b6c7-440b29bb8c4f (on the EFI System Partition)

# efibootmgr -u
BootCurrent: 0002
Timeout: 2 seconds
BootOrder: 0002,0000,2001,2002,2003
Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager  HD(1,GPT,e303bc8d-5220-4409-900d-2aa1f5b6bf90,0x800,0x32000)/\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi䥗䑎坏S
Boot0001* EFI USB Device (USB)  UsbWwid(781,5591,0,050189b646f17aceeb32c8b7fe2c8dc9f3f9a260e407f4830358ac6217a0514bb08b0000000000000000000080f934f8ff9310109155810765a8816)/HD(1,GPT,aaafabc9-3613-4655-ad8e-d6bf71b9be78,0x800,0x314d780)䍒
Boot0002* Linux Boot Manager    HD(1,GPT,e303bc8d-5220-4409-900d-2aa1f5b6bf90,0x800,0x32000)/\EFI\systemd\systemd-bootx64.efi
Boot2001* EFI USB Device        䍒
Boot2002* EFI DVD/CDROM 䍒
Boot2003* EFI Network   䍒

Last edited by u0a815 (2025-07-25 01:20:19)

u0a815 · 2025-07-25 01:19:02

Solved.
The loader.conf should be placed in ESP/loader/loader.conf, not XBOOTLDR/loader/loader.conf

man 5 loader.conf :

LOADER.CONF(5) loader.conf LOADER.CONF(5)

NAME
loader.conf - Configuration file for systemd-boot

SYNOPSIS
ESP/loader/loader.conf, ESP/loader/entries/*.conf XBOOTLDR/loader/entries/*.conf

timeout 
If set to "menu-disabled" or "menu-hidden" or "0" (the default), no menu is
           shown and the default entry will be booted immediately.

Arch Linux

#1 2025-07-24 03:18:44

[SOLVED]No systemd-boot entries menu when dual booting with Windows 10

#2 2025-07-25 01:19:02

Re: [SOLVED]No systemd-boot entries menu when dual booting with Windows 10

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