Greets,

could someone please show me the exact content of his
EFI-boot-partition, especially the stuff for gentoo?

Yesterday my main SSD crashed, the support of company XXX told me to
erase the CMOS of the board ... zap .. that were my EFI-settings ... and
the EFI-boot-partition is on the SSD .... I was able to recover it but
somehow I don't get it right ...

all that /boot/efi /boot/efi/EFI bla ... and all the howtos I google
slightly differ and I just can't make it work right now.

I want to boot a gentoo-installation on /dev/md3 ... no separate /boot.
The EFI-boot-partition is /dev/sda5.

Pls point me at some working instructions ... I tend to use EFI as I
have both hdds partitioned with GPT.

Right now I boot using a USB-stick and manually pointing at the grub.cfg
from there ... *sigh*

Thanks in advance, Stefan

ps: I am a bit ill and rather overworked, this might make understanding
harder this time

I am currently fighting this on a macbook air ... efi is crap, at least
the old grub was much easier to fix when it went wrong ...

if you are using grub 2 (I tried refit/refind/grub2/efi kernel and
finally settled on grub2)

try:
mount /boot
mount /boot/efi
`grub2-install --target=x86_64-efi`
`grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/gentoo/grub.conf`
# have to sort this out one day, which is it using?
`cp /boot/efi/EFI/gentoo/grub.conf /boot/grub2/grub.cfg`

Sounds like your install line is what you are missing ...

/boot
├── System.map-genkernel-x86_64-3.3.8-gentoo
├── System.map-genkernel-x86_64-3.5.4-gentoo
├── efi
│ └── EFI
│ ├── APPLE
│ │ └── EXTENSIONS
│ │ └── Firmware.scap
│ ├── gentoo
│ │ ├── grub.cfg
│ │ └── grubx64.efi
│ └── refind
│ ├── drivers_x64
│ │ ├── LICENSE.txt
│ │ ├── LICENSE_GPL.txt
│ │ ├── ext2_x64.efi
│ │ ├── hfs_x64.efi
│ │ ├── iso9660_x64.efi
│ │ └── reiserfs_x64.efi
│ ├── icons
│ │ ├── arrow_left.icns
│ │ ├── arrow_right.icns
│ │ ├── boot_linux.icns
│ │ ├── boot_win.icns
│ │ ├── func_about.icns
│ │ ├── func_exit.icns
│ │ ├── func_reset.icns
│ │ ├── func_shutdown.icns
│ │ ├── os_arch.icns
│ │ ├── os_centos.icns
│ │ ├── os_debian.icns
│ │ ├── os_ecomstation.icns
│ │ ├── os_fedora.icns
│ │ ├── os_freebsd.icns
│ │ ├── os_freedos.icns
│ │ ├── os_gentoo.icns
│ │ ├── os_hwtest.icns
│ │ ├── os_legacy.icns
│ │ ├── os_linux.icns
│ │ ├── os_linuxmint.icns
│ │ ├── os_mac.icns
│ │ ├── os_mandriva.icns
│ │ ├── os_netbsd.icns
│ │ ├── os_openbsd.icns
│ │ ├── os_redhat.icns
│ │ ├── os_refit.icns
│ │ ├── os_slackware.icns
│ │ ├── os_suse.icns
│ │ ├── os_ubuntu.icns
│ │ ├── os_unknown.icns
│ │ ├── os_win.icns
│ │ ├── tool_part.icns
│ │ ├── tool_shell.icns
│ │ ├── vol_external.icns
│ │ ├── vol_internal.icns
│ │ └── vol_optical.icns
│ ├── icons-backup
│ │ ├── arrow_left.icns
│ │ ├── arrow_right.icns
│ │ ├── boot_linux.icns
│ │ ├── boot_win.icns
│ │ ├── func_about.icns
│ │ ├── func_exit.icns
│ │ ├── func_reset.icns
│ │ ├── func_shutdown.icns
│ │ ├── os_arch.icns
│ │ ├── os_centos.icns
│ │ ├── os_debian.icns
│ │ ├── os_ecomstation.icns
│ │ ├── os_fedora.icns
│ │ ├── os_freebsd.icns
│ │ ├── os_freedos.icns
│ │ ├── os_gentoo.icns
│ │ ├── os_hwtest.icns
│ │ ├── os_legacy.icns
│ │ ├── os_linux.icns
│ │ ├── os_linuxmint.icns
│ │ ├── os_mac.icns
│ │ ├── os_mandriva.icns
│ │ ├── os_netbsd.icns
│ │ ├── os_openbsd.icns
│ │ ├── os_redhat.icns
│ │ ├── os_refit.icns
│ │ ├── os_slackware.icns
│ │ ├── os_suse.icns
│ │ ├── os_ubuntu.icns
│ │ ├── os_unknown.icns
│ │ ├── os_win.icns
│ │ ├── tool_part.icns
│ │ ├── tool_shell.icns
│ │ ├── vol_external.icns
│ │ ├── vol_internal.icns
│ │ └── vol_optical.icns
│ ├── refind.conf
│ ├── refind.conf-sample
│ └── refind_x64.efi
├── grub2
│ ├── fonts
│ │ └── unicode.pf2
│ ├── grub.cfg
│ ├── grubenv
│ ├── locale
│ ├── themes
│ │ └── starfield
│ │ ├── COPYING.CC-BY-SA-3.0
│ │ ├── README
│ │ ├── blob_w.png
│ │ ├── boot_menu_c.png
│ │ ├── boot_menu_e.png
│ │ ├── boot_menu_n.png
│ │ ├── boot_menu_ne.png
│ │ ├── boot_menu_nw.png
│ │ ├── boot_menu_s.png
│ │ ├── boot_menu_se.png
│ │ ├── boot_menu_sw.png
│ │ ├── boot_menu_w.png
│ │ ├── dejavu_10.pf2
│ │ ├── dejavu_12.pf2
│ │ ├── dejavu_14.pf2
│ │ ├── dejavu_16.pf2
│ │ ├── dejavu_bold_14.pf2
│ │ ├── slider_c.png
│ │ ├── slider_n.png
│ │ ├── slider_s.png
│ │ ├── starfield.png
│ │ ├── terminal_box_c.png
│ │ ├── terminal_box_e.png
│ │ ├── terminal_box_n.png
│ │ ├── terminal_box_ne.png
│ │ ├── terminal_box_nw.png
│ │ ├── terminal_box_s.png
│ │ ├── terminal_box_se.png
│ │ ├── terminal_box_sw.png
│ │ ├── terminal_box_w.png
│ │ └── theme.txt
│ └── x86_64-efi
│ ├── acpi.mod
│ ├── adler32.mod
│ ├── affs.mod
│ ├── afs.mod
│ ├── ahci.mod
│ ├── all_video.mod
│ ├── aout.mod
│ ├── appleldr.mod
│ ├── at_keyboard.mod
│ ├── ata.mod
│ ├── backtrace.mod
│ ├── bfs.mod
│ ├── bitmap.mod
│ ├── bitmap_scale.mod
│ ├── blocklist.mod
│ ├── boot.mod
│ ├── bsd.mod
│ ├── btrfs.mod
│ ├── bufio.mod
│ ├── cat.mod
│ ├── chain.mod
│ ├── cmp.mod
│ ├── command.lst
│ ├── configfile.mod
│ ├── core.efi
│ ├── cpio.mod
│ ├── cpio_be.mod
│ ├── cpuid.mod
│ ├── crc64.mod
│ ├── crypto.lst
│ ├── crypto.mod
│ ├── cryptodisk.mod
│ ├── cs5536.mod
│ ├── date.mod
│ ├── datehook.mod
│ ├── datetime.mod
│ ├── diskfilter.mod
│ ├── dm_nv.mod
│ ├── echo.mod
│ ├── efi_gop.mod
│ ├── efi_uga.mod
│ ├── efinet.mod
│ ├── ehci.mod
│ ├── elf.mod
│ ├── exfat.mod
│ ├── exfctest.mod
│ ├── ext2.mod
│ ├── extcmd.mod
│ ├── fat.mod
│ ├── fixvideo.mod
│ ├── font.mod
│ ├── fs.lst
│ ├── fshelp.mod
│ ├── functional_test.mod
│ ├── gcry_arcfour.mod
│ ├── gcry_blowfish.mod
│ ├── gcry_camellia.mod
│ ├── gcry_cast5.mod
│ ├── gcry_crc.mod
│ ├── gcry_des.mod
│ ├── gcry_md4.mod
│ ├── gcry_md5.mod
│ ├── gcry_rfc2268.mod
│ ├── gcry_rijndael.mod
│ ├── gcry_rmd160.mod
│ ├── gcry_seed.mod
│ ├── gcry_serpent.mod
│ ├── gcry_sha1.mod
│ ├── gcry_sha256.mod
│ ├── gcry_sha512.mod
│ ├── gcry_tiger.mod
│ ├── gcry_twofish.mod
│ ├── gcry_whirlpool.mod
│ ├── geli.mod
│ ├── gettext.mod
│ ├── gfxmenu.mod
│ ├── gfxterm.mod
│ ├── gptsync.mod
│ ├── grub.efi
│ ├── gzio.mod
│ ├── halt.mod
│ ├── hashsum.mod
│ ├── hdparm.mod
│ ├── hello.mod
│ ├── help.mod
│ ├── hexdump.mod
│ ├── hfs.mod
│ ├── hfsplus.mod
│ ├── http.mod
│ ├── iorw.mod
│ ├── iso9660.mod
│ ├── jfs.mod
│ ├── jpeg.mod
│ ├── keylayouts.mod
│ ├── keystatus.mod
│ ├── ldm.mod
│ ├── linux.mod
│ ├── loadbios.mod
│ ├── loadenv.mod
│ ├── loopback.mod
│ ├── ls.mod
│ ├── lsacpi.mod
│ ├── lsefimmap.mod
│ ├── lsefisystab.mod
│ ├── lsmmap.mod
│ ├── lspci.mod
│ ├── lssal.mod
│ ├── luks.mod
│ ├── lvm.mod
│ ├── lzopio.mod
│ ├── mdraid09.mod
│ ├── mdraid09_be.mod
│ ├── mdraid1x.mod
│ ├── memdisk.mod
│ ├── memrw.mod
│ ├── minicmd.mod
│ ├── minix.mod
│ ├── minix2.mod
│ ├── minix2_be.mod
│ ├── minix3.mod
│ ├── minix3_be.mod
│ ├── minix_be.mod
│ ├── mmap.mod
│ ├── moddep.lst
│ ├── msdospart.mod
│ ├── multiboot.mod
│ ├── multiboot2.mod
│ ├── net.mod
│ ├── newc.mod
│ ├── nilfs2.mod
│ ├── normal.mod
│ ├── ntfs.mod
│ ├── ntfscomp.mod
│ ├── odc.mod
│ ├── ohci.mod
│ ├── part_acorn.mod
│ ├── part_amiga.mod
│ ├── part_apple.mod
│ ├── part_bsd.mod
│ ├── part_dvh.mod
│ ├── part_gpt.mod
│ ├── part_msdos.mod
│ ├── part_plan.mod
│ ├── part_sun.mod
│ ├── part_sunpc.mod
│ ├── partmap.lst
│ ├── parttool.lst
│ ├── parttool.mod
│ ├── password.mod
│ ├── password_pbkdf2.mod
│ ├── pata.mod
│ ├── pbkdf2.mod
│ ├── play.mod
│ ├── png.mod
│ ├── priority_queue.mod
│ ├── probe.mod
│ ├── raid5rec.mod
│ ├── raid6rec.mod
│ ├── read.mod
│ ├── reboot.mod
│ ├── regexp.mod
│ ├── reiserfs.mod
│ ├── relocator.mod
│ ├── romfs.mod
│ ├── scsi.mod
│ ├── search.mod
│ ├── search_fs_file.mod
│ ├── search_fs_uuid.mod
│ ├── search_label.mod
│ ├── serial.mod
│ ├── setjmp.mod
│ ├── setpci.mod
│ ├── sfs.mod
│ ├── sleep.mod
│ ├── squash4.mod
│ ├── tar.mod
│ ├── terminal.lst
│ ├── terminal.mod
│ ├── terminfo.mod
│ ├── test.mod
│ ├── test_blockarg.mod
│ ├── testload.mod
│ ├── tftp.mod
│ ├── tga.mod
│ ├── time.mod
│ ├── trig.mod
│ ├── true.mod
│ ├── udf.mod
│ ├── ufs1.mod
│ ├── ufs2.mod
│ ├── uhci.mod
│ ├── usb.mod
│ ├── usb_keyboard.mod
│ ├── usbms.mod
│ ├── usbserial_common.mod
│ ├── usbserial_ftdi.mod
│ ├── usbserial_pl2303.mod
│ ├── usbtest.mod
│ ├── video.lst
│ ├── video.mod
│ ├── video_bochs.mod
│ ├── video_cirrus.mod
│ ├── video_fb.mod
│ ├── videoinfo.mod
│ ├── videotest.mod
│ ├── xfs.mod
│ ├── xnu.mod
│ ├── xnu_uuid.mod
│ ├── xzio.mod
│ ├── zfs.mod
│ ├── zfscrypt.mod
│ └── zfsinfo.mod
├── initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-3.3.8-gentoo
├── initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-3.3.8-gentoo-bak
├── initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-3.5.4-gentoo
├── kernel-genkernel-x86_64-3.3.8-gentoo
├── kernel-genkernel-x86_64-3.3.8-gentoo-bak
└── kernel-genkernel-x86_64-3.5.4-gentoo

15 directories, 338 files



On Thu, 2012-10-11 at 20:25 +0200, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> Greets,
>
> could someone please show me the exact content of his
> EFI-boot-partition, especially the stuff for gentoo?
>
> Yesterday my main SSD crashed, the support of company XXX told me to
> erase the CMOS of the board ... zap .. that were my EFI-settings ... and
> the EFI-boot-partition is on the SSD .... I was able to recover it but
> somehow I don't get it right ...
>
> all that /boot/efi /boot/efi/EFI bla ... and all the howtos I google
> slightly differ and I just can't make it work right now.
>
> I want to boot a gentoo-installation on /dev/md3 ... no separate /boot.
> The EFI-boot-partition is /dev/sda5.
>
> Pls point me at some working instructions ... I tend to use EFI as I
> have both hdds partitioned with GPT.
>
> Right now I boot using a USB-stick and manually pointing at the grub.cfg
> from there ... *sigh*
>
> Thanks in advance, Stefan
>
> ps: I am a bit ill and rather overworked, this might make understanding
> harder this time
>

Am 12.10.2012 03:52, schrieb Bill Kenworthy:
>
> I am currently fighting this on a macbook air ... efi is crap, at least
> the old grub was much easier to fix when it went wrong ...
>
> if you are using grub 2 (I tried refit/refind/grub2/efi kernel and
> finally settled on grub2)
>
> try:
> mount /boot
> mount /boot/efi
> `grub2-install --target=x86_64-efi`
> `grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/gentoo/grub.conf`
> # have to sort this out one day, which is it using?
> `cp /boot/efi/EFI/gentoo/grub.conf /boot/grub2/grub.cfg`
>
> Sounds like your install line is what you are missing ...

Thanks a lot, Bill, I will look into this later this day.

What do mean by "install line" ?

Stefan

Am 12.10.2012 03:52, schrieb Bill Kenworthy:
>
> I am currently fighting this on a macbook air ... efi is crap, at least
> the old grub was much easier to fix when it went wrong ...
>
> if you are using grub 2 (I tried refit/refind/grub2/efi kernel and
> finally settled on grub2)
>
> try:
> mount /boot
> mount /boot/efi
> `grub2-install --target=x86_64-efi`
> `grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/gentoo/grub.conf`
> # have to sort this out one day, which is it using?
> `cp /boot/efi/EFI/gentoo/grub.conf /boot/grub2/grub.cfg`
>
> Sounds like your install line is what you are missing ...

So you have a /boot and a /boot/efi partition. Hmm.

My /boot is just a sub-directory on /dev/md3 ... might make a difference
at boot-time.

I had EFI stuff working already but with both /root and /boot on plain
partitions on the SSD, without any underlying raid.

(this SSD started getting flaky lately, leading to all this)

I might try setting up a separate /boot now, GPT allows many partitions
anyway ;-)

S

On Fri, 2012-10-12 at 10:33 +0200, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> Am 12.10.2012 03:52, schrieb Bill Kenworthy:
> >
> > I am currently fighting this on a macbook air ... efi is crap, at least
> > the old grub was much easier to fix when it went wrong ...
> >
> > if you are using grub 2 (I tried refit/refind/grub2/efi kernel and
> > finally settled on grub2)
> >
> > try:
> > mount /boot
> > mount /boot/efi
> > `grub2-install --target=x86_64-efi`
> > `grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/gentoo/grub.conf`
> > # have to sort this out one day, which is it using?
> > `cp /boot/efi/EFI/gentoo/grub.conf /boot/grub2/grub.cfg`
> >
> > Sounds like your install line is what you are missing ...
>
> Thanks a lot, Bill, I will look into this later this day.
>
> What do mean by "install line" ?
>
> Stefan
>
>

The grub2-install command above - with efi you have to "announce" the
the information to boot with. I look at it as similar to grub
installing into the MBR, but thats a very loose metaphor

The problem you are describing might be that this "announcement" is
missing/corrupted.

The EFI directory is Apples (this is a macbook air), the grub2-mkconfig
searches for all the bootable kernels and builds a menu for them. I
think this is close to default efi in layout as "EFI" seems to be in the
spec.

BillK

Am 12.10.2012 15:22, schrieb Bill Kenworthy:

> The grub2-install command above - with efi you have to "announce"
> the the information to boot with. I look at it as similar to grub
> installing into the MBR, but thats a very loose metaphor

> The problem you are describing might be that this "announcement" is
> missing/corrupted.
>
> The EFI directory is Apples (this is a macbook air), the
> grub2-mkconfig searches for all the bootable kernels and builds a
> menu for them. I think this is close to default efi in layout as
> "EFI" seems to be in the spec.

When I boot, it tells me that the disk isn't bootable.

The usb-stick is, it gives me a grub-cli and I pull my configfile from
there.

Maybe I have to re-enable EFI for the hard-disk in the BIOS??

But I get entries like GRUB2 in my boot menu (BIOS-level).

I am somehow losing track here already and I get the feeling that even
if I get things working I won't really be knowing how I got there ;-)

oh, what joy.

I now have the box booting via EFI, from the USB-stick, with my grub.cfg
on there ... a step forward at least.

Kind of a security feature ;-)

S

Am 12.10.2012 15:36, schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:

> Maybe I have to re-enable EFI for the hard-disk in the BIOS??

Update: no such feature there.
See other mail, booting from stick now ;-)

More on this later today, got to do something else now.

On Fri, 2012-10-12 at 15:53 +0200, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> Am 12.10.2012 15:36, schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:
>
> > Maybe I have to re-enable EFI for the hard-disk in the BIOS??
>
> Update: no such feature there.
> See other mail, booting from stick now ;-)
>
> More on this later today, got to do something else now.
>
>

another "feature" is you have to be booted via efi so the variables are
available so it can install itself - sorta catch 22

I just remembered another step that I missed - I dont have the syntax
but "efibootmgr" - google for the correct options.

BillK

Am 2012-10-13 00:52, schrieb Bill Kenworthy:

> another "feature" is you have to be booted via efi so the variables are
> available so it can install itself - sorta catch 22

Yes, I know that. No problem, when I boot from that stick, I do that via
EFI, so I get the correct environment.

> I just remembered another step that I missed - I dont have the syntax
> but "efibootmgr" - google for the correct options.

Yes ;-)

I do that for days now. What puzzles me:

I get the entries into EFI: when I boot I see the entries created by
efibootmgr, but when I chose one of the entries pointing to "GRUB2" or
"gentoo" the PC tells me that the disk isn't bootable.

And I still don't know what is missing. AFAIK that EFI system partition
is allowed to be within the first 2 TB of the disk (easy on my 1 TB
hdd), has to have the boot-flag set (in parted-terms), and must be type
EF02. When EFI doesn't find something bootable on the disk, my
interpretation is that it can't find that partition?

S