fstab keeps being reset/not working | Arch Linux Community | Page 1

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 11:32 AM

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I am trying to set up arch linux on a laptop (bios) but I cannot get the boot to work.

I cannot remove the usb installation stick and each time I restart, fstab is wiped. Mounting the partitions was always successful, however the genfstab command did not work consistently (it rarely generated a file), so I resorted to manually typing out everything in nano but to no avail.

I assume fstab keeps being overriden by the USB installer. I do not know why I cannot remove it.

No errors show up when I check but I am inexperienced, so I am likely missing something. Yes, I did set up an internet connection. Yes, I did install the basic packages.

My partitions are:
swap
boot (/boot)
home (/home)
root (/)

hardy flower Apr 26, 2025, 11:48 AM

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Tried to use the arch-install script ?

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 11:54 AM

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hardy flower Tried to use the ```arch-install script``` ?

isnt that the equivalent of giving up

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 12:15 PM

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archinstall

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something something mountpoint

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Also some UEFI errors despite me having bios

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Does not boot 🤷‍♂️

median fulcrum Apr 26, 2025, 1:01 PM

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hardy flower Tried to use the ```arch-install script``` ?

isnt the boot partition specifically for UEFI?

median fulcrum Apr 26, 2025, 1:03 PM

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marsh glacier Does not boot 🤷‍♂️

check section 1.9.1 of the yhr wiki. if youre booting in BIOS, you shouldnt have a boot partition. im uncertain if thats the cause or not though

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partitioning seems to be done through MBR rather than GPT in Bios as well

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 1:04 PM

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median fulcrum check section 1.9.1 of the yhr wiki. if youre booting in BIOS, you shouldnt have...

I heard it's not necessary but still recommended. Could be wrong though

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Will try deleting it

median fulcrum Apr 26, 2025, 1:04 PM

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marsh glacier Will try deleting it

nvm. seems to be fine to have it

median fulcrum Apr 26, 2025, 1:07 PM

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marsh glacier Will try deleting it

though did you pick the partionscheme did you pick MBR or GPT?

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 1:07 PM

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median fulcrum though did you pick the partionscheme did you pick MBR or GPT?

I selected MBR

median fulcrum Apr 26, 2025, 1:08 PM

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hm..

median fulcrum Apr 26, 2025, 1:08 PM

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marsh glacier I selected MBR

grub as bootloader?

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 1:08 PM

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median fulcrum grub as bootloader?

on archinstall, I tried grub first and then the default one. Both did not work

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grub is installed

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This is what my partitions look like after running archinstall and the errors

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Gets wiped on boot all the same

median fulcrum Apr 26, 2025, 1:10 PM

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which command did you use to install grub?

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 1:11 PM

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median fulcrum which command did you use to install grub?

Don't remember sadly. I just followed the tutorials

median fulcrum Apr 26, 2025, 1:12 PM

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marsh glacier Don't remember sadly. I just followed the tutorials

the GRUB page on Arch had 2 different install guides wether youre on BIOS or UEFI. in your situation you should have run grub-install --target=i386-pc /dev/nvme0n1p1. do you recall if the target flag matched previously?

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 1:14 PM

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My memory sucks, so I cannot say. I think it's best to reinstall?

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The way I remember it, I just checked for grub and it was there. Idk if it got automatically installed, possibly via the standard installation packages

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 2:17 PM

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median fulcrum the GRUB page on Arch had 2 different install guides wether youre on BIOS or UEF...

Ok I ran this abd it gave me an error because of ext2, so I ran it but for nvme0n1p1 and then restarted my PC and it got wiped, so I tried archinstall again and I got the error again, so I changed it to ext4, same error, so I modified fstab, same error, so I rebooted my system and installed archlinux, error, so I tried installing grub again and it did not work again, so I am now redoing all the partitions

hollow gazelle Apr 26, 2025, 3:40 PM

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marsh glacier Also some UEFI errors despite me having bios

You're probably confused and do have uefi, and booted in uefi mode as the installer does not reach that error message if you don't have uefi https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall/blob/fae210dfea024081c8357f014d3edb795ac98f67/archinstall/lib/installer.py#L1094-L1098

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And your fstab does not keep being reset, instead you must be mounting wrong or generating the fstab to the wrong location

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 4:44 PM

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hollow gazelle And your fstab does not keep being reset, instead you must be mounting wrong or ...

each time I boot, I assume I reinstall my whole system and that yanks out everything

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 4:45 PM

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hollow gazelle You're probably confused and do have uefi, and booted in uefi mode as the instal...

I redid everything in GPT in 2 different ways and it did not work either. Will investigate further in a moment

hollow gazelle Apr 26, 2025, 4:46 PM

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marsh glacier each time I boot, I assume I reinstall my whole system and that yanks out everyt...

Then just don't do that

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Just mount

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Don't format

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 4:56 PM

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hollow gazelle Don't format

Which one is that?

hollow gazelle Apr 26, 2025, 5:01 PM

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Those are just the boot options of the installation usb

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 5:04 PM

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hollow gazelle Those are just the boot options of the installation usb

How do I enter the system with the installation usb without installing it?

hollow gazelle Apr 26, 2025, 5:06 PM

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Why

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just unplug the usb

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to use the installed boot loader

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 5:06 PM

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hollow gazelle just unplug the usb

then it doesn't boot

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Thats the problem

hollow gazelle Apr 26, 2025, 5:07 PM

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You didn't install a boot loader

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 5:07 PM

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hollow gazelle You didn't install a boot loader

huh

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Isn't GRUB the bootloader?

hollow gazelle Apr 26, 2025, 5:10 PM

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And installed it in the uefi mode?

marsh glacier Apr 26, 2025, 5:14 PM

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hollow gazelle And installed it in the uefi mode?

I did, did not work. I ran archinstall again however and it worked this time (!!!). I was just being incompetent probs

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jesus christ finally

median fulcrum Apr 26, 2025, 5:15 PM

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marsh glacier Which one is that?

so you are in UEFI..

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well.. if its solved then..

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... solved

radiant fogBOT Apr 26, 2025, 5:15 PM

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