[SOLVED] First reboot after first upgrade fails

Biscotty666 · 07-21-2022, 11:41 AM

I installed the system and performed the following tasks. I am using the huge kernel for now. When I reboot I get an elilo screen which hangs (hard, have to press power button to reboot) after

Code:

Loading file initrd.gz...done

Ironically I created a usb boot stick at install for the first time in over a decade and when I try to boot it it fails at the same point.

I used the install dvd to chroot into the system and regenerated the initrd.gz just in case with no result. (I did generate it for the installed kernel not the running/installer kernel.) I was told to rerun lilo but I didn't since I'm using elilo. Is this the problem? It's my first experience with elilo so I'm not sure where everything "lives". Was there a command I needed to run? elilo?

If it's useful this is what I did besides installing sbopkg and brave.

Code:

slackpkg update
slackpkg upgrade-all
installed slackpkg+ and uncommented the multilib/alienbob/restricted entries
slackpkg update
installed multilib
generated an initrd.gz (I didn't think this necessary b/c using huge for now but I did it anyway.)
rebooted

I'm used to lilo and having multiple kernels set up but don't know how to do it with elilo.

colorpurple21859 · 07-21-2022, 12:14 PM

Run eliloconfig after a kernel upgrade or manually copy the initrd.gz and kernel you want to use to /boot/efi/EFI/Slackware and rename the kernel to vmlinuz.

Quote:

I'm used to lilo and having multiple kernels set up

Grub may be a better option if you are familiar with the workings of grub. Slackware comes with the grub package however doesn't use it by default during installation.

Biscotty666 · 07-21-2022, 12:59 PM

Thanks.

My next step is going to be to install/activate grub. I'm new to it but I'm new to elilo as well so I thought I'd go with the more common choice. I still have to figure out how to do that once I can boot my system.

Aeterna · 07-21-2022, 01:09 PM

elilo is simpler than lilo as there is no need to run lilo command after editing elilo.conf
Your error (stuck at initrd) suggest an issue with initrd config (e.g. missing loaded fs module reported here before) or with kernel (link).
Changing boot loader will not solve your problems assuming that lilo worked before and now you have similar config with elilo.

Biscotty666 · 07-21-2022, 01:12 PM

Running eliloconfig gives the error:

Code:

ELILO v3.16 for EFI/x86_64
.
mount: failed to read mtab: no such file or directory
ERROR: System is not running under UEFI

...which was surprising. Could it be b/c of the chroot environment?

Then I created /boot/efi/EFI/Slackware and copied vmlinuz and initrd.gz there. The directory /boot/efi already existed but not /boot/efi/EFI.

Unfortunately I run into the exact same problem as in the original post. Should I try with grub?

colorpurple21859 · 07-21-2022, 01:23 PM

If

Code:

cat /sys/firmware/efi

is a directory you are booting in uefi mode, if it doesn't exist your booting in legacy mode. what is output of

Code:

 fdisk -l

Biscotty666 · 07-21-2022, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorpurple21859

If

Code:

cat /sys/firmware/efi

is a directory you are booting in uefi mode, if it doesn't exist your booting in legacy mode.

I don't think I can answer that. When I boot the install iso it shows that directory. When I chroot into the installtion I don't see the directory.

Quote:

what is output of

Code:

 fdisk -l

Since I don't have a live system I am typing it all in. Can you narrow down what you are looking for b/c there is quite a bit of output? Happy to do it if you really need everything.

Thanks

colorpurple21859 · 07-21-2022, 06:12 PM

To chroot into the system, mount the root partition to /mnt, mount the efi partition to /mnt/boot/efi, then

Code:

mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
mount -o bind /run /mnt/run
chroot /mnt

after fixing elilo and/or installing grub, exit and reboot

Biscotty666 · 07-21-2022, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorpurple21859

To chroot into the system, mount the root partition to /mnt, mount the efi partition to /mnt/boot/efi, then

Code:

mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
mount -o bind /run /mnt/run
chroot /mnt

after fixing elilo and/or installing grub, exit and reboot

Forgot about that bit. I just went ahead and reinstalled since it was quick and easy and I wasn't stuck. I'm going to do things more step-wise and start by just upgrading the kernel to make sure I can reboot afterwards. Then I'll upgrade everything else.

Thanks again.

Sefid par · 08-01-2024, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorpurple21859

To chroot into the system, mount the root partition to /mnt, mount the efi partition to /mnt/boot/efi, then
...
after fixing elilo and/or installing grub, exit and reboot

Thanks colorpurple, in my experience we need to also mount /sys/firmware/efi/efivars too (ref). So the mounts will be:

Code:

mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
mount --bind /sys/firmware/efi/efivars /mnt/sys/firmware/efi/efivars
mount -o bind /run /mnt/run
chroot /mnt
eliloconfig