Can't boot installation cd on my Macbook pro 8.1

gkarreskog · 2011-08-29 14:35:00

Hi everybody,

I am trying to install archlinux for dualboot with os x. The problem is that no matter what I do I just can't boot the installation CD. First I come to the normal screen where I can choose to boot archlinux, boot existing os, do memtest etc. If I choose boot archlinux I get an output similar to this: (I am trying to copy the text by hand from my macbook to another computer)

Loading /arch/boot/x86_64/vmlinux.....
Loading /arch/boot/x86_64/archiso.img.....................ready.
Probing EDD (edd=off to disable).... ok

Decompressing Linux... Parsing ELF... done.
Booting the kernel.
[ 4.261364] i8042: No controller found
:: Starting udevd...
done.
:: Running hook [udev]
:: Triggering uevents...[ 5.859626] ata2.01: failed to resume link (SControl0)
[ 5.859749] ata1.01: failed to resume link (SControl0)
[ 12.352939] ata2.01: failed to resume link (SControl0)
[ 18.866288] ata2.01: failed to resume link (SControl0)
[ 25.379640] ata2.01: failed to resume link (SControl0)
done.
:: Running Hook [memdisk]
:: Running Hook [archiso]
:: Running Hook [archiso_pxe_nbd]
:: Running Hook [archiso_loop_mnt]
:: Waiting for boot device...
Waiting 30 seconds for device /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108 ...
ERROR: boot device didn't show up after 30 seconds..

And I get the same result no matter what i do. I have tried it on two different harddrives (both newly formatted and with a fresh install of OS X 10.6.6 fully updated), with or without premade partitions of many different kinds. I have made like 5 different cd:s and dvd:s and I now that at least one of them have worked on another macbook of the same model.

Please could someone help me because I have no idea what I possibly can be doing wrong.

Last edited by gkarreskog (2011-08-29 14:35:44)

safrax · 2011-08-30 23:28:34

The easiest way you'll get Arch installed on the Mac Book is to boot up OS X on an external hard drive and then using a tool like VirtualBox setup your internal hard drive as a raw disk, install Arch in the VM onto the internal that way. You'll have to fiddle with it to get it booting. It's a complete pain in the ass. You'll also need to search through the ubuntu forums and find the kernel patch to quirk the SATA chipset to SATA mode which will make the HD and CD drive work. I have no idea why that patch hasn't been submitted to the kernel developers...

remeh · 2011-08-31 10:56:19

I'm maybe wrong but I think I had a similar problem by installing arch with an USB key. Actually, the system was saying something like this too :

Waiting 30 seconds for device /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108

but in this directory, I've seen that my key was not named ARCH_201108. I had to create a symlink (ln -s /dev/disk/by-label/KINGSTON /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108) and that worked.

djgera · 2011-08-31 23:17:13

remeh wrote:

I'm maybe wrong but I think I had a similar problem by installing arch with an USB key. Actually, the system was saying something like this too :
Waiting 30 seconds for device /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108
but in this directory, I've seen that my key was not named ARCH_201108. I had to create a symlink (ln -s /dev/disk/by-label/KINGSTON /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108) and that worked.

This is because you skipped the step of set up a filesystem label that match archisolabel= kernel command line parameter. Change filesystem label or change syslinux.cfg

groundnuty · 2011-09-20 14:34:11

had the same problem today.
My observations are:
1) I tried that with brand new mac pro 8.1 - OSX just as I got it from apple. All worked, arch boot up and I was able to begin installation. eth0 worked as well.
2) I tried it again few days later and got the same problem as you described/pasted. meanwhile I downloaded upgrade from apple - I guess that is what causes the problem. Basicly cd is not detected at all, so /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108 obviously is not there.

Anyway the solution to this was quite easy - sice in initramfs you can detect usb keys:
1) Copy all the files from your arch-install cd to some usb key (just cp. no need to format/dd etc)
2) try to boot from the cd like before untill you arrive at ramfs
3) plug your usb key and hope it will get detected
4) then do
ln -s /dev/<usb key> /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108
5) logout (exit)

and you have your arch booting

Last edited by groundnuty (2011-09-20 15:16:03)

djgera · 2011-09-20 14:54:53

...or directly booting with archisolabel=/dev/<usb key>

ed0 · 2011-09-21 07:30:46

groundnuty wrote:

had the same problem today.
My observations are:
1) I tried that with brand new mac pro 8.1 - OSX just as I got it from apple. All worked, arch boot up and I was able to begin installation. eth0 worked as well.
2) I tried it again few days later and got the same problem as you described/pasted. meanwhile I downloaded upgrade from apple - I guess that is what causes the problem. Basicly cd is not detected at all, so /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108 obviously is not there.
Anyway the solution to this was quite easy - sice in initramfs you can detect usb keys:
1) Copy all the files from your arch-install cd to some usb key (just cp. no need to format/dd etc)
2) try to boot from the cd like before untill you arrive at ramfs
3) plug your usb key and hope it will get detected
4) then do
ln -s /dev/<usb key> /dev/disk/by-label/ARCH_201108
5) logout (exit)
and you have your arch booting

Ho
I'm ok with that procedure.
But now i'm on archlinux installer, how to make an proper installation of grub, that work?
Because all of the things I tried didn't worked.

Thanks !

2ton21 · 2012-05-21 21:05:42

I came across this post because I experienced the same issue. I too am install arch on a macbook pro 8.1, but I was using a burned cd. I was able to resolve the problem thanks to the information I found on https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/27207

In order to get my system to boot, I downloaded and burned one of the testing versions of the installer from http://releng.archlinux.org/isos/. I guess the current install cd has a bug that has not been patched.

Last edited by 2ton21 (2012-05-21 21:10:28)

Arch Linux

#1 2011-08-29 14:35:00

Can't boot installation cd on my Macbook pro 8.1

#2 2011-08-30 23:28:34

Re: Can't boot installation cd on my Macbook pro 8.1

#3 2011-08-31 10:56:19

Re: Can't boot installation cd on my Macbook pro 8.1

#4 2011-08-31 23:17:13

Re: Can't boot installation cd on my Macbook pro 8.1

#5 2011-09-20 14:34:11

Re: Can't boot installation cd on my Macbook pro 8.1

#6 2011-09-20 14:54:53

Re: Can't boot installation cd on my Macbook pro 8.1

#7 2011-09-21 07:30:46

Re: Can't boot installation cd on my Macbook pro 8.1

#8 2012-05-21 21:05:42

Re: Can't boot installation cd on my Macbook pro 8.1

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