[SOLVED] GRUB2 - What does it mean error: "invalid filename?"

micaldas · 04-29-2018, 07:26 AM

Hi,
I installed Gentoo amd-64 (without grub), in a external hard drive, on a computer running arch.
When I try to boot it from the grub menu, I get a "error: invalid filename" message.
I had to extensively modify the grub.cfg file, as it originally was pointing to the arch disk instead of the gentoo one. I changed UUID's for the root partition of gentoo as well as the disk and device numbering. I also changed the kernel name, as grub was expecting "vmlinuz-linux", and what I found on the gentoo intalation, (in /usr/src/linux-4.9.95-gentoo), is called "vmlinux".
I also added the complete path to the "vmlinux" file, as grub wasn't finding it.
Now, when I try to boot I get the aforementioned error message.

Any help in understanding what the error means and how I should proceed would be very helpful.

Below goes my partition list and the contents of grub.cfg

NAME FSTYPE SIZE MOUNTPOINT LABEL
sda 465.8G
├─sda1 2M
├─sda2 ext2 128M /boot
├─sda3 swap 512M [SWAP]
└─sda4 ext4 465.1G /
sdc 465.8G
├─sdc1 2M
├─sdc2 ext2 128M
├─sdc3 swap 512M
└─sdc4 ext4 465.1G
sr0 1024M

Code:

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
insmod part_gpt
insmod part_msdos
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi
if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then
   set default="${next_entry}"
   set next_entry=
   save_env next_entry
   set boot_once=true
else
   set default="0"
fi

if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
  menuentry_id_option="--id"
else
  menuentry_id_option=""
fi

export menuentry_id_option

if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function load_video {
  if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then
    insmod all_video
  else
    insmod efi_gop
    insmod efi_uga
    insmod ieee1275_fb
    insmod vbe
    insmod vga
    insmod video_bochs
    insmod video_cirrus
  fi
}

if [ x$feature_default_font_path = xy ] ; then
   font=unicode
else
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos4'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,msdos4' --hint-bios=hd0,msdos4 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos4 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos4  0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636
else
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636
fi
    font="/usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2"
fi

if loadfont $font ; then
  set gfxmode=auto
  load_video
  insmod gfxterm
  set locale_dir=$prefix/locale
  set lang=en_US
  insmod gettext
fi
terminal_input console
terminal_output gfxterm
if [ x$feature_timeout_style = xy ] ; then
  set timeout_style=menu
  set timeout=15
# Fallback normal timeout code in case the timeout_style feature is
# unavailable.
else
  set timeout=15
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/01_grub-customizer_menu_color_helper ###
### END /etc/grub.d/01_grub-customizer_menu_color_helper ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Arch Linux' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636' {
	load_video
	set gfxpayload=keep
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd0,msdos2'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,msdos2' --hint-bios=hd0,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2  f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
	fi
	echo	'Loading Linux linux ...'
	linux	/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636 rw  quiet
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/initramfs-linux.img
}
submenu 'Advanced options for Arch Linux' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636' {
	menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux linux' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-linux-advanced-0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636' {
		load_video
		set gfxpayload=keep
		insmod gzio
		insmod part_msdos
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,msdos2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,msdos2' --hint-bios=hd0,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2  f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		fi
		echo	'Loading Linux linux ...'
		linux	/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636 rw  quiet
		echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
		initrd	/initramfs-linux.img
	}
	menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux linux (fallback initramfs)' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-linux-fallback-0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636' {
		load_video
		set gfxpayload=keep
		insmod gzio
		insmod part_msdos
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,msdos2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,msdos2' --hint-bios=hd0,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2  f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		fi
		echo	'Loading Linux linux ...'
		linux	/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636 rw  quiet
		echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
		initrd	/initramfs-linux-fallback.img
	}
}

### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom_proxy ###
menuentry "Gentoo/Linux (on /dev/sdc4)" --class gentoo --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-simple-eacee572-c583-4995-ac17-7dcf50e1d96f' {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd1,msdos4'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@1,msdos4' --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd1,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2 f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root eacee572-c583-4995-ac17-7dcf50e1d96f 
	fi
	linux root/run/media/miguel/eacee572-c583-4995-ac17-7dcf50e1d96f/usr/src/linux-4.9.95-gentoo/vmlinux root=UUID=eacee572-c583-4995-ac17-7dcf50e1d96f rw quiet
	initrd /initramfs-linux.img
	rootdelay=20
}
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom_proxy ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_os-prober_proxy ###




### END /etc/grub.d/41_os-prober_proxy ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/42_os-prober_proxy ###
submenu "Advanced options for Gentoo/Linux (on /dev/sdc4)"{
menuentry "Arch Linux (on /dev/sdc4)" --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/vmlinuz-linux--eacee572-c583-4995-ac17-7dcf50e1d96f' {
		insmod part_msdos
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,msdos2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,msdos2' --hint-bios=hd0,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2  f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		fi
		linux /vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636 rw quiet
		initrd /initramfs-linux.img
}
menuentry "Arch Linux, with Linux linux (on /dev/sdc4)" --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/vmlinuz-linux--eacee572-c583-4995-ac17-7dcf50e1d96f' {
		insmod part_msdos
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,msdos2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,msdos2' --hint-bios=hd0,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2  f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		fi
		linux /vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636 rw quiet
		initrd /initramfs-linux.img
}
menuentry "Arch Linux, with Linux linux (fallback initramfs) (on /dev/sdc4)" --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/vmlinuz-linux--eacee572-c583-4995-ac17-7dcf50e1d96f' {
		insmod part_msdos
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd0,msdos2'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,msdos2' --hint-bios=hd0,msdos2 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos2  f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root f51cc451-1576-4aba-852a-e23af142ebec
		fi
		linux /vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=0c169834-97a0-4dc0-9b71-28987366e636 rw quiet
		initrd /initramfs-linux-fallback.img
}
}
### END /etc/grub.d/42_os-prober_proxy ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/43_custom_proxy ###

# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.



### END /etc/grub.d/43_custom_proxy ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/44_custom ###
if [ -f  ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then
  source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg
elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
  source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/44_custom ###

colorpurple21859 · 04-29-2018, 07:37 AM

From the gentoo //handbook:

Quote:

When the kernel has finished compiling, copy the kernel image to /boot/. This is handled by the make install command:
root #make install

This will copy the kernel image into /boot/ together with the System.map file and the kernel configuration file.

The kernel you compiled should be in /boot. so either it will be on /dev/sdc2 if your boot paritition was mounted to /boot when this was done, or it will be in /boot on sdc4 if the boot partition wasn't mounted when this was run. or some other partition if the wrong partition was mounted to /boot

micaldas · 04-29-2018, 08:04 AM

I used genkernel, and for this option the handbook only offers:

emerge --ask sys-kernel/genkernel
genkernel all

I will try to do what you suggested and see if it solves the problem.

yancek · 04-29-2018, 08:32 AM

You have a Legacy/MBR system, so which bootloader is in the MBR of the primary drive, Gentoo, Arch?
If you installed the Gentoo Grub to the partition and Arch was in charge, the simplest solution would be to boot Arch and run grub-mkconfig.
If the Gentoo bootloader was the primary, you would have run the command from Gentoo.

When you boot now, are you able to boot Arch and have the error with Gentoo?
In the grub.cfg you posted, there is only one entry I see for Gentoo and I seriously doubt you have the correct kernel line entry, the line beginning with 'linux',

Quote:

linux root/run/media/miguel/...

I don't use Arch or Gentoo but I can't imagine either would put the kernel in the /media/user directory!
The Gentoo entry also shows it on (hd1,4) which is sdb4 and your partition info above shows only sda and sdc. Do you have a flash drive attached?

micaldas · 04-29-2018, 08:41 AM

The primary drive is arch. I didn't installed grub for Gentoo as I wanted to use the grub I already had from Arch.
I can boot Arch with no problems.
Yes, that line was wrong, as I was confused to where the kernel was. I finally found it correctly, in the boot partition, at /run/media/miguel/12b85879-d500-4d38-a683-e8a91a036206/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.95-gentoo

Quote:

The Gentoo entry also shows it on (hd1,4) which is sdb4 and your partition info above shows only sda and sdc

. I thought (hd1,4) corresponded with /dev/sdc4. Am I wrong?

colorpurple21859 · 04-29-2018, 09:03 AM

with a external drive in a usb port on some systems grub will make the usb as hd0 and the internal drive as hd1. I have a laptop that does this when a flash drive is inserted in a usb port when powering up.

micaldas · 04-29-2018, 09:42 AM

I just confirmed in grub, through the UUID, that hd1/msdos4 is indeed /dev/sdc4.

yancek · 04-29-2018, 03:31 PM

The hd1,4, hd0,3, used in Grub change. If you have 3 hard drives plugged in and you have a partition sdc4, in Grub it should be hd2,4. Drives counted from zero, partitions from one. Boot a flash drive, on the flash drive it will likely show itself as sda.

Quote:

I finally found it correctly, in the boot partition, at /run/media/miguel/12b85879-d500-4d38-a683-e8a91a036206/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.95-gentoo

I don't doubt that you see it there when looking at it from Arch but I doubt if you will see it there if you boot Gentoo.
So your linux line entry for the Gentoo menuentry from Arch now shows:

Quote:

/boot//kernel-genkernel-x86_64-4.9.95-gentoo

So back to the question, after installing and setting up Gentoo with no Grub, why did you not simply reboot ARch and run grub-mkconfig to Add Gentoo?

Quote:

I just confirmed in grub, through the UUID, that hd1/msdos4 is indeed /dev/sdc4.

And how did you do that, by checking the UUID in the menuentry for Gentoo, the one that does NOT boot?

micaldas · 04-29-2018, 03:52 PM

I did run grub-mkconfig, in fact I did it several times. But when I do the gentoo menu entry points the search for the boot and root partitions of the arch disk. In fact the entry for gentoo advanced options are the same from arch. As in, under advanced options for gentoo, I have " arch linux (o /dev/sdc4)
Arch linux, with linux linux ( on /ddv/sdc4)
Arch linux, with linux linux ( fallback initramfs) ( in /dev/ sdc4).
So everything that grub-mkconfig generates points to arch, and that is the reason I am trying to manually alter grub.cfg.
I confirmed it was the correct partiton by doing ls in the (hd1,msdos4) partiton, and seeing its uuid. Then I went to blkid and checked the uuids.

colorpurple21859 · 04-29-2018, 04:13 PM

Try this: before selecting gentoo at the grub menu hit e to edit the gentoo menu, change the set root= line to set root=(hd0,2) and clear out everything else between it and the linux line.

micaldas · 04-29-2018, 04:19 PM

Thank you for the suggestion, I will try that, but, just to be sure I understood what you are saying, hd0,2 is Arch's boot partition. Do you want me to point to it?

colorpurple21859 · 04-29-2018, 04:20 PM

yes I think the grub boot loader has the two drives backwards, and the if/search between it and the linux line may throw it off, therefore remove it.

yancek · 04-29-2018, 09:07 PM

Your grub.cfg entry looks a little odd. If you look at the UUID entries for Arch, you will notice two different UUIDs, one for the / (sda4?) and one for the /boot partition (sda2). If you then look at the Gentoo entry, the UUID entries are all the same. THe partitions you have on both drives are the same in number and size. Do you have a /boot partition on the Gentoo disk? IS there anything in it, kernel (vmlinuz file)?

Quote:

But when I do the gentoo menu entry points the search for the boot and root partitions of the arch disk

Based on the above, you would need to manually change the UUID for each in the Gentoo entry and all the UUID entries for Gentoo should not be the same, as they are.

One possibility the numbering might be off is if you used a flash drive to install and still had it attached when you re-booted to Arch and ran grub-mkconfig.

Quote:

I confirmed it was the correct partiton by doing ls in the (hd1,msdos4) partiton, and seeing its uuid. Then I went to blkid and checked the uuids.

Doing ls in the (hd1,msdos) partition? Explain that as you have indicated that is the root filesystem of Gentoo which you cannot boot.

Probably would have been simpler to install Grub to the MBR of the external drive, boot Arch From its drive and Gentoo from its drive.

AwesomeMachine · 05-01-2018, 12:02 AM

Manual changes to grub.cfg are lost when you run update-grub, grub-install and grub-mkconfig. You can't hack grub2 that way. You have to edit the scripts in /etc/grub.d.

yancek · 05-01-2018, 08:03 AM

Simpler to edit grub.cfg for testing to see if changes work before doing grub-mkconfig.