problem with arch installer

pathozov · 2026-08-04 19:42:04

so tell me what information you need and ill provide it?? no keyboard works, neither the built-in one nor any external one

seth · 2026-08-04 20:02:44

The next step would be to configure grub for console I/O
Alternatively

gpu: nvidia rtx 3050 laptop + intel iris xe

try to disable one of those in the UEFI.

Anything else special about the system? Is it attached to a dock or external monitor (only)?

cryptearth · 2026-08-05 01:58:27

ok, now this is getting out of scope
to compress so far:
- neither ventoy nor arch-iso work but others do: this already contradicts the initial statement of "only with arch" - as noted: ventoy itself is just grub but with a bit advanced scripting and additional tools like wimboot - but it's still just grub as is arch-iso ... so if any this seems to be grub related and hence should (tm) any boot media that uses grub - but: you stated it affects only arch - so have you tried boot media of any other distro (most use grub, too)
- "i use refined": what do you mean by that EXACTLY?
- "nothin happpens when i pull out the thumbdrive" - well, first of all: what do you actually expect to happen by yanking out the boot media AFTER its content got already loaded into ram and is executed from there? if at all what could happen is either just nothing, because why anything should happen, or some error when you select an entry and all of the sudden grub fails because files its supposed to access are no longer available

ok - so let's assume it IS related to grub: clear the flash drive, create a single FAT32 partition on it, create the folder EFI, inside it create the folder BOOT, download the ipxe net stub from https://archlinux.org/releng/netboot/ and name it bootx64.efi so the complete path becomes EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI
note: this requires an ethernet cable plugged in (accordimg to the datasheet i found from the model number the device has a rj45 (btw - those specs: 720p webcam, 3050 with only 4gb of vram, 16gb ram ... for a "gaming" class device google lists me today in the 800-1000 bucks range - dude, you got yourself quite an expensive paperweight there and paid a lot of premium just for the brand - for that money you could have gotten a way better system))

if even ipxe "freezes" then you system has quite a severe issue - otherwise it smells like error 40/layer 8

pathozov · 2026-08-05 04:25:42

if you dont specifically believe me, i just can take a video showing that i can boot every other live iso through ventoy and that only arch has this problem. what's the point otherwise? if all you want to do is nitpick me or my hardware, then fuck off
im just doing what you told me to do

pathozov · 2026-08-05 04:29:28

what the fuck is the point of that test if ventoy works

seth · 2026-08-05 06:38:08

I think cryptearth is under the impression that you already could not advance from ventoy into the grub instance of the arch iso.
If that is not the case the problem is somewhere between the grub version/config of the arch iso and your specific hardware (there're countless TUF users must have gotten past grub )

It's very hot here as well, but I suggest we all keep somewhat cool.

Afaiu the status quo is that the grub efi always loads - grub loads and shows its menu but then you cannot interact with it.

seth wrote:

The next step would be to configure grub for console I/O
Alternatively
gpu: nvidia rtx 3050 laptop + intel iris xe
try to disable one of those in the UEFI.
Anything else special about the system? Is it attached to a dock or external monitor (only)?

I'd also highly recommend to test the system bare-bones, next to any keyboard not working the problem could also be any kind of (external) device generating bogus input that jams grub.
Next to any USB periphery radio and webcams (which typically provide a keyboard device) could be the cause, so unplug everything and disable wifi+bluetooth and webcam in the UEFI settings if you can.

pathozov · 2026-08-05 07:55:04

i dont think its actually frozen anymore. i tried recording it and noticed that, for a brief moment, a message appears at the bottom saying "Boot in 15 sec", but it disappears almost immediately. i also spent about five minutes randomly pressing keys on the keyboard, and the boot menu started responding, but only very intermittently. but i still can't actually select anything or proceed

pathozov · 2026-08-05 07:57:12

seth wrote:

I'd also highly recommend to test the system bare-bones, next to any keyboard not working the problem could also be any kind of (external) device generating bogus input that jams grub.
Next to any USB periphery radio and webcams (which typically provide a keyboard device) could be the cause, so unplug everything and disable wifi+bluetooth and webcam in the UEFI settings if you can.

ill check

cryptearth · 2026-08-05 11:58:07

the idea of using ipxe instead of grub was just to replace grub to eliminate it from the list of potential issues

sorry not sorry for not have used thumbdrives for os install for years now - optical media even
i've setup my network to provide pxe about 10-ish years ago - i don't think any longer in such small terms as usb thumbdrives as os install boot media or run out of space even after 10+ TB

to me it read as you struggle with grub - your wording made it not clear to me that you were able to chain arch's grub from ventoy but then fail there (as, honestly, it doesn't make much sense why one grub instance works and another fails)

also your random mention of refined doesn't fit the whole story at any point - so does your "nothin happens when i remove the thumbdrive" - yea, guess why

if it now works - fine - i just provided a complete different boot path (in a somewhat simple manner to not require "setup your network for pxe") to see whether you're able to boot arch setup in ANY way as you were unable to do so with grub

what you got there is a device from a big brand targeted towards dumb windows users to melk them for pure profit never intented or even tested to run anything else than windows
congratulations to your 1.000 buck paperweight worth about a third

seth · 2026-08-05 12:07:50

what you got there is a device from a big brand targeted towards dumb windows users to melk them for pure profit never intented or even tested to run anything else than windows

So then that's what we're gonna work with and figure out how to deal with it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melk - Adso came from there…

"Boot in 15 sec", but it disappears almost immediately. i also spent about five minutes randomly pressing keys on the keyboard, and the boot menu started responding, but only very intermittently

seth wrote:

the problem could also be any kind of (external) device generating bogus input that jams grub

Called it

pathozov · 2026-08-05 12:24:24

cryptearth wrote:

what you got there is a device from a big brand targeted towards dumb windows users to melk them for pure profit never intented or even tested to run anything else than windows
congratulations to your 1.000 buck paperweight worth about a third

do you seriously have nothing better to do than give some random guy on a forum shit over hardware he bought secondhand for four times less than the price youre claiming, when hes just asking for help?

Arch Linux

#26 2026-08-04 19:42:04

Re: problem with arch installer

#27 2026-08-04 20:02:44

Re: problem with arch installer

#28 2026-08-05 01:58:27

Re: problem with arch installer

#29 2026-08-05 04:25:42

Re: problem with arch installer

#30 2026-08-05 04:29:28

Re: problem with arch installer

#31 2026-08-05 06:38:08

Re: problem with arch installer

#32 2026-08-05 07:55:04

Re: problem with arch installer

#33 2026-08-05 07:57:12

Re: problem with arch installer

#34 2026-08-05 11:58:07

Re: problem with arch installer

#35 2026-08-05 12:07:50

Re: problem with arch installer

#36 2026-08-05 12:24:24

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