Slackware14.1 UEFI/GPT installation on HP Slimline does not boot

Didier Spaier · 02-20-2015, 06:52 AM

You shouldn't mount /dev/sda1 as /boot/efi but instead mount /dev/sda3 as /mnt. In other words just tell "setup" that your root partition is /dev/sda3 when asked. It should find the EFI partition on /dev/sda1 then.

jowa45 · 02-21-2015, 06:41 AM

I ran the installation setup again with only Y package selected and observed on tty2.
Initially the installation program identified my machine as UEFI and itself mounted sda1 at /boot/efi.
However when it came to the configuration part it followed the classic route of lilo/MBR.
This is what happened fist time and this is my first expirience of UEFI.
I did not see the eliloconfig efibootmanager screens that I saw when running eliloconfig from command line.

John

colorpurple21859 · 02-21-2015, 08:28 AM

Maybe sda1 is too small. Increase the size of sda1 to at least 300mb, make sure it is formated as fat32.

colorpurple21859 · 02-21-2015, 11:02 AM

try this to install elilo with slackware dvd
make sure efi partition is type ef00 and formated to vfat32

Code:

mkfs.vfat /dev/sda1
mount /dev/sda3 /mnt
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot/efi
eliloconfig

If you get no errors and reboot a panic error will occur. Hit tab at the elilo prompt when first booting computer and enter the following to boot:

Code:

elilo boot: vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3

To fix this the elilo.conf file in /EFI/Slackware on sda1 has to be edited to change root=/proc to root=/dev/sda3.
to fix before rebooting

Code:

vi /mnt/boot/efi/EFI/Slackware/elilo.conf

hit i to change line, esc when done editing, :wq to write and save changes.

jowa45 · 02-23-2015, 03:08 AM

Over the weekend I was reading through the installation scripts.
Makes for interesting reading.

On the installation disk usr/lib/setup/SeTEFI does pick up that my machine is EFI.
I was never offered the choise of making a file system though.
There is some kind of file system test which probably failed because of the ntfs from the previous installation.

After installation of the packages the scripts in the installation
$T_PX/var/log/setup are used.
While I can see scripts for lilo and elilo I can not see where the switch is.

Here is my as installed sda1/EFI/Slackware/elilo.conf

Quote:

chooser=simple
delay=1
timeout=1
#
image=vmlinuz
label=vmlinuz
read-only
append="root=proc vga=normal ro"

I will edit it this evening and report back tomorrow.

John

Didier Spaier · 02-23-2015, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jowa45

While I can see scripts for lilo and elilo I can not see where the switch is.

In /sbin/liloconfig:

Code:

if [ -d /sys/firmware/efi ]; then

Pat named the script for elilo "setup.ll.eliloconfig" instead of "setup.elilo.config" so that setup.liloconfig runs first, I think.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jowa45

There is some kind of file system test which probably failed because of the ntfs from the previous installation.

Yes, the test is in /usr/sbin/eliloconfig:

Code:

# If there's no vfat mounted on /boot/efi or /mnt/boot/efi, forget it:
if ! mount | grep vfat | grep -wq /boot/efi ; then
  if ! mount | grep vfat | grep -wq /mnt/boot/efi ; then
    if [ "$T_PX" = "/" ]; then
      echo "ERROR:  No EFI System Partition mounted on /boot/efi."
    fi
    exit
  fi
fi

jowa45 · 02-24-2015, 11:21 AM

Following #19
When I run eliloconf it just exits without error message or dialog box.

From eliloconf:-

Quote:

# Are we on the installer image?
if [ -r /usr/lib/setup/SeTpartitions ]; then
T_PX=/mnt

I am on the installer image so T_PX=/mnt

Quote:

# If the system is not running under EFI, skip running this script:
if [ ! -d /sys/firmware/efi ]; then
if [ "$T_PX" = "/" ]; then
echo "ERROR: System is not running under UEFI."
fi
exit
fi

I do not have a /sys/firmware/efi so the script exits without an error message.

My next endevour is to get a /sys/firmware/efi.
Glad for any help.

PS
Must revise my "vi" text editing.

John

Didier Spaier · 02-24-2015, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jowa45

I do not have a /sys/firmware/efi so the script exits without an error message.

My next endevour is to get a /sys/firmware/efi.

No. This file is created automatically if an UEFI firmware is detected. So if it's not there you should instead just check that your machine's firmware is an UEFI one not BIOS, or if it is hybrid (as is my laptop), check in the Startup or Boot menu of the firmware if it is set to use the UEFI mode (either exclusively or preferably).

What puzzles me though is that in your initial post you stated "The 64 bit installation disk recognized my machine as UEFI and gave no choice" as that seems inconsistent with my assumption that your machine did boot in BIOS mode.

Did you see a GRUB screen at boot? If yes could you check again what gives "ls -l /sys/firmware" as soon as logged in the installer?

jowa45 · 02-26-2015, 02:29 AM

I have a /sys/firmware/efi now.
It all depends on the boot order in BIOS.

It contains an empty directory efivars and a file systab.

systab

Quote:

MPS=0xfc950
ACPI20=0xbf301000
ACPI=0xbf301000
SMBIOS=0xbf37bd98

The installation setup runs now and installs elilo and boot menu.

Here is my sda1/EFI/Slackware/elilo.conf

Quote:

chooser=simple
delay=1
timeout=1
#
image=vmlinuz
label=vmlinuz
read-only
append="root=/dev/sda3 vga=normal ro"

However it still will not boot.

Booting the Slackware entry in the UEFI menu gives

ERROR: No boot disk has been detected or the disk has failed.

John

colorpurple21859 · 02-26-2015, 05:33 AM

During installation of Slackware, what is the boot order when efi works and the boot order with efi not working?

jowa45 · 02-26-2015, 08:04 AM

I can boot the CDROM as UEFI or legacy.
Whichever I put first.
Booting as UEFI gives an efi entry and legacy does not.

I did not understand the very long number I saw in BIOS but looking through dmesg it is some kind of reference in UEFI to my CDROM. In the case of legacy it just says CDROM.

There is a "Slackware" put first in the list but no long number although I was given one by efibootmanager. This can only come from my sda1 partition.

John

colorpurple21859 · 02-26-2015, 08:27 PM

Boot the slackware installation disk in uefi mode.
Login, do not run setup

Code:

mount /dev/sda3 /mnt 
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot/efi
eliloconfig

reboot and see what happens.

jowa45 · 03-02-2015, 03:05 AM

Proceeding as #27

I get the various dialog boxes in the "ELILO (EFI Linux Loader) installation".

INSTALL ELILO
install Install ELILO on the EFI partition.

OK

INSTALL BOOT MENU ENTRY
install Install a boot menu entry

OK

REMOVE OLD "Slackware" EFI BOOT ENTRY

YES
(First time seeing this one)

EFI BOOT ENTRY INSTALLED

OK

EFI boot menu entry:
Boot0000* Slackware
HD(1,800,32000,7ddd57e4-d22e-4372-a851-34949d102d60)File(\EFI\Slackware\elilo.efi)

OK

Then it returns to command line.
Trying to boot the "Slackware" entry in BIOS gives as usual:
Error:No boot disk has been detected or the disk has failed.

elilo.conf is same as #24. This is the only variable. The other two are just copies.

GRUB2
I am now going to try GRUB2.
Both installation and booting from the installation disk.
I would like to take booting from the installation disk first.
At the begining I see:
"Detect/boot any installed operating system"
It detects the kernels in sda3/boot and one other entry:
(hd0,gpt1)/efi/slackware/elilo.efi
Pressing enter and hopping for the best never works but gives readout.
Next endevour to understand grub2.

John

colorpurple21859 · 03-02-2015, 05:40 AM

Quote:

It detects the kernels in sda3/boot and one other entry:
(hd0,gpt1)/efi/slackware/elilo.efi
Pressing enter and hopping for the best never works but gives readout.

so none of the entries work when booting the hard drive from the installation disk?
Is it the same no boot disk detected message when you select the kernel to boot?

jowa45 · 03-02-2015, 07:00 AM

Not the same.

Trying to boot the "Slackware" entry in BIOS gives:
Error:No boot disk has been detected or the disk has failed.

Trying to boot from installation disk gives a number of different messages.
Depends which entry I try to boot.
I will copy a few this evening and post tomorrow.

John