Arch Linux

LeFauconBlanc

Member

Registered: 2026-03-23

Posts: 1

Trouble Booting Arch in LUKS Partition on Late 2013 Macbook Pro

Hello everybody, I'm a technology student, software developer and digital architect. I'm trying to boot Arch in an encrypted LUKS partition on my Macbook Pro 11,1 (you heard that right). It gives me an error: /dev/mapper/arch-root (the decrypted partition) did not show up. I've quadruple checked the UUIDs and config files and they all match. I'm using systemd hooks in my /etc/mkinitcpio.conf because I'm trying to use hibernation and specific features. I've switched to lts kernel to see if that's the issue, nope. I'm chainloading rEFInd -> GRUB for kernel stability and things like that. I've tried everything and all config files seem to be perfect. I've tried rootdelay in case MBP is just late for whatever reason. Before, it was unencrypted, just the ext4 partition and it worked perfectly so I assume it's a problem decrypting it.

I am really burnt out and overstressed as I need this for my job, if anybody can help me in any way, it's all appreciated.

Images: https://imgur.com/a/0jOJzO7

ntb314

Member

Registered: 2025-02-13

Posts: 27

Re: Trouble Booting Arch in LUKS Partition on Late 2013 Macbook Pro

Hi, this usually means the LUKS container isn’t being unlocked in initramfs, so /dev/mapper/arch-root never appears.

Since you’re using systemd hooks, the most common issue is kernel parameters:

1. Use rd.luks.* (NOT cryptdevice=) 
Make sure your kernel cmdline looks like:

rd.luks.name=<LUKS-UUID>=arch-root root=/dev/mapper/arch-root

or:

rd.luks.uuid=<LUKS-UUID> root=/dev/mapper/arch-root

2. mkinitcpio hooks

HOOKS=(base systemd autodetect modconf block keyboard sd-encrypt filesystems fsck)

- remove encrypt
- use sd-encrypt

Then rebuild:

mkinitcpio -P

3. Use correct UUID 
Make sure it’s the LUKS UUID, not the filesystem:

cryptsetup luksUUID /dev/sdXn

If it still fails, you could post:

cat /proc/cmdline

/etc/mkinitcpio.conf

lsblk -f

I had a similar issue also on a MacBook and

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 13,699

Re: Trouble Booting Arch in LUKS Partition on Late 2013 Macbook Pro

You're booting the initramfs from the ISO, not the one from the installed system. How in the world are you doing that? Something to do with your weird chainloading system?

Don't post pictures of text, post the text (boot failure logs excepted).

cjm42

Member

Registered: 2017-11-20

Posts: 1

Re: Trouble Booting Arch in LUKS Partition on Late 2013 Macbook Pro

1. Use rd.luks.* (NOT cryptdevice=)

Thanks so much, this is the reason I wasn't prompted for a password after I tried to switch to sd-encrypt.  It had been working fine with the encrypt hook.

After I changed to use rd.luks.name instead of cryptdevice, I can boot using sd-encrypt.