Arch Linux Install Issues

J

JSumrall

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
448
So, I started using Arch about 2 years ago, but recently I started having issues with the installation. Its like something has changed, or is missing, and I can't get it to install anymore.

Since I was installing it so often just learning and dealing with other issues, I created a spreadsheet of my installation process. It worked fine until about a month ago.
So I went back line item by line item on the installation wiki for Arch, and I still can't get it to work.

I've tried installing it on an old laptop using MBR, and two GPT/UEFI desktops, one of which the install process had worked before.

Here's what happens.

I go through the entire install process, and everything seems to work fine.
When I go to install the boot loader, it cannot find the Arch installation. It finds the Windows partition fine, and loads it to the boot loader menu, but it never creates an entry for Arch.
I've tried running os-prober to detect it, but even it doesn't detect it.
I've searched Google, more like scoured, but I still haven't found an answer. I've read multiple threads about people having the same issue since as far back as 2011.

I'll post below my actual BIOS settings and installation steps.
 
Lets start with the BIOS.

For the most part, I have the BIOS set for both Linux and Windows.

FastBoot - Enabled
CSM - Disabled
Secure Boot - Set to Other OS

Arch USB stick boots in UEFI mode fine.
 
JSumrall said:
As I was typing out my step by step install instructions I realized I was skipping pacman -S efibootmgr.

After installing that after GRUB, it worked.

D'oh! Guess talking things out sometimes does work!
Click to expand...
installing arch

difficulty level: OVER 9000!
 
I skipped grub and just used efibootmgr to inject the boot args directly into the UEFI boot list.
 
Ok, so I went through the exact same process on one machine as I did the one that worked last night, but this time used systemd-boot and once again it did not find the Linux install and just added the Windows partition to the boot list.
 
JSumrall said:
Well, at least GRUB worked. Typing this message from the new Arch install. >.>
Click to expand...

I just reinstalled again too. 2nd time in 3 days. Kernel 5.5.x doesn't shutdown/reboot properly on the Dell Precision 5510. Don't know why. Figured I had screwed something up and wanted to check out Plasma again. God Plasma is nice but it just has little things that get in my way. Like if I'm playing a game in one workspace I can't swap to another. XFCE does that without batting an eye. It was really annoying to me. Although I didn't know about Yakuake in Plasma before which is amazing. So happy XFCE has that as well <.<. Love it!
 
Vermillion said:
I just reinstalled again too. 2nd time in 3 days. Kernel 5.5.x doesn't shutdown/reboot properly on the Dell Precision 5510. Don't know why. Figured I had screwed something up and wanted to check out Plasma again. God Plasma is nice but it just has little things that get in my way. Like if I'm playing a game in one workspace I can't swap to another. XFCE does that without batting an eye. It was really annoying to me. Although I didn't know about Yakuake in Plasma before which is amazing. So happy XFCE has that as well <.<. Love it!
Click to expand...
I like XFCE, but I really like Gnome. It just really works for me.
 
JSumrall said:
I like XFCE, but I really like Gnome. It just really works for me.
Click to expand...

I can't stand Gnome. Too little functionality overall. Sure the addons can add functionality but I don't want to spend hours making the desktop work like I want it to. Tweaking the desktop like Plasma or XFCE is one thing but hand picking addons and then having the Gnome team arbitrarily break some of them (topicons rings a bell a while back) just isn't for me.

I really liked Budgie back when Ikey was still involved. After he left I felt like Budgie stagnated and isn't moving forward at all so I went back to XFCE.
 
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