Arch Linux

RufusD

Member

Registered: 2010-03-21

Posts: 86

[SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

Hi there!
I'm trying to install Arch on my brandnew SSD. As per the wiki, I've set the SSD up to use GPT partitioning. I've created a first 1MB partition of type BIOS boot partition, and in the mobo's BIOS I've set the SATA controllers to AHCI mode. I've manually created an ext4 filesystem on the 2nd partition before running arch's installer. In the installer, I chose not to install a boot loader, cause this is said to install GRUB, while GPT partitioning requires GRUB2. So, after installation, I've chrooted into the installation, cause there doesn't seem to be any other way to get GRUB2 installed. I've pacman -Sy'd grub2 and left the chroot. I've tried to run

grub-install --recheck --no-floppy --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda

, but got

Probing devices to guess BIOS drives. This may take some time.
The file /mnt/boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly

What's the matter? How am I supposed to get a working boot loader onto my new SSD?

Best wishes,
Rufus

Last edited by RufusD (2010-12-19 17:07:21)

graysky

Wiki Maintainer

From: :wq

Registered: 2008-12-01

Posts: 10,673

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

Gotta do it from within the chroot.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/In … l_the_core

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RufusD

Member

Registered: 2010-03-21

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

That's what I tried to begin with:

/sbin/grub-probe: error: cannot find a device for /boot/grub (is /dev mounted?)

Which makes sense, cause what is /dev supposed to mean from within a chroot?

skodabenz

Banned

From: Tamilnadu, India

Registered: 2010-04-11

Posts: 382

Re: [SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

Check whether grub-install belongs to grub package or grub2 package. Try to install these updated grub2 packages from here

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9710721/skodabe … pkg.tar.xz - for x86_64

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9710721/skodabe … pkg.tar.xz - for i686 
   
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9710721/skodabe … pkg.tar.xz - any arch

and then follow the post_install instructions from grub2-bios package.

You might have to 'bind' mount /dev into your <chroot>/dev though or install the above packages and install grub2 from outside the chroot.

Last edited by skodabenz (2010-12-13 13:32:51)

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Zeqadious

Member

From: New York, USA

Registered: 2007-10-15

Posts: 55

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

mount -o bind /dev ${yourchrootrootdir}/dev
mount -o bind /sys ${yourchrootrootdir}/sys
mount -o bind /proc ${yourchrootrootdir}/proc
chroot ${yourchrootrootdir} su -

grub-install --no-floppy /dev/sda

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RufusD

Member

Registered: 2010-03-21

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

Thanks for your input, everybody!
Zeqadious' commands executed finely (grub-install stated something like "The installation seems to have completed"), but still my MoBo fails to boot from the SSD. I'm at a loss...

graysky

Wiki Maintainer

From: :wq

Registered: 2008-12-01

Posts: 10,673

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

@RusfusD - after running the grub-install did you update your grub.cfg?  See the grub wiki for the command to do so.

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CPU-optimized Linux-ck packages @ Repo-ck  • AUR packages • Zsh and other configs

RufusD

Member

Registered: 2010-03-21

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

Ah! Turns out the mobo refuses to boot from anything connected to its SATA ports: I've connected my trusty old Arch installation (the one that's running fine in my desktop PC right now), but the board doesn't boot nonetheless. So this turns into an entirely different issue. I'll be back...

(just in case: the board in question is an Intel D510MO. Maybe someone knows the magic spell to make it boot from SATA...)

lymphatik

Member

From: Somewhere else

Registered: 2009-03-07

Posts: 119

Re: [SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

It seems that you have to boot flag your partition

cf. http://communities.intel.com/message/79535

Last edited by lymphatik (2010-12-19 11:01:28)

RufusD

Member

Registered: 2010-03-21

Posts: 86

Re: [SOLVED] Trouble installing on SSD with GPT partitioning

Brilliant! You made my day! Now running off my new MoBo for the 1st time!