-Saw an update for my motherboard[1]. Cool! -Downloaded the update and applied it. -System wouldn't boot. Cannot find a boot drive. Hard drive is detected... but won't boot? -Downgrade to old UEFI, play with settings. Still won't boot. -Google. -Find http://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloaders/installation.html Section "Announcing the Boot Loader to the EFI" -Boot into rescue mode on my F17 USB installer. -Type: efibootmgr -c -Reboot. System boots now.
So, beware: BIOS updates are no longer an easy operation. There is a default location for the EFI loader that Fedora is not using (but is for USB/CD). Why is Fedora not using the default location? To play nice with other OSes?
[1] http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z77I_DELUXE/
On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 01:45:17AM -0600, Michael Cronenworth wrote:
-Saw an update for my motherboard[1]. Cool! -Downloaded the update and applied it. -System wouldn't boot. Cannot find a boot drive. Hard drive is detected... but won't boot? -Downgrade to old UEFI, play with settings. Still won't boot. -Google. -Find http://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloaders/installation.html Section "Announcing the Boot Loader to the EFI" -Boot into rescue mode on my F17 USB installer. -Type: efibootmgr -c -Reboot. System boots now.
So, beware: BIOS updates are no longer an easy operation. There is a default location for the EFI loader that Fedora is not using (but is for USB/CD). Why is Fedora not using the default location? To play nice with other OSes?
[1] http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z77I_DELUXE/
greeting, fellow fedora users. it is good to know that this UEFI matter is coming to the fore. I've been having hassles for about two weeks. [[ I am physically disabled, a hacker for three decades, and until very recently, was using Ubuntu as my desktop and FreeBSD as my server.]] my volunteer system admin is *most* familiar with red hat and suggested I get used to fedora and centos.
I got centos-6.3 installed on my server--fine. a hardware tech I hired to do wiring stuff and things I physically cannot finally bought a Dell 3010. he cautioned me about this new UEFI "feature" and left. I listened with half an ear. I'm great in hacking C, some C++, and am learning python. I can get out of my power wheelchair and do very **minimal** things under my desk. things bblew up when I tried to deinstall gnome and install kde. FWIW, yes, I was able to hit F12 on my nnew Dell quad i5. then found the thing would boot if I arrowed down and pressed at just the right place. But:: rebooting did not work. I got a warning string: something like "Cant Find Boot Sector" and then told to press any key to reboot. << censored. >>
Question: will new brand new fedora CD have this "efibootmgr" or do I have to goto the rodsbooks.com url and fmess around?
I'll be much obliged for any help, insights, or whatever.
gary kline
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Gary Kline wrote:
Question: will new brand new fedora CD have this "efibootmgr" or do I have to goto the rodsbooks.com url and fmess around?
Yes, it should have it.
The alternative is to try and copy the /boot/efi/EFI/redhat folder to /boot/efi/EFI/boot and inside of the new folder rename grub.efi and grub.conf to bootx64.efi and bootx64.conf.
On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 08:27:55AM -0600, Michael Cronenworth wrote: Gary,
Installing a desktop environment & unistalling other shouldn't have had to screw up your boot sector. I think what you did is inadvertdly changed your bios settings. If it was working before and after that no. Do you remember having played with the BIOS settings? You can disable EFI on the BIOS if you wish. Maybe that's how was installed and then you changed. Once in a while I have a similar issue which I pinpointed to be the same, so I go back && change it to defaults & it works.
Cheers,
Edik
Edik Landaveri wrote:
Installing a desktop environment & unistalling other shouldn't have had to screw up your boot sector. I think what you did is inadvertdly changed your bios settings. If it was working before and after that no. Do you remember having played with the BIOS settings? You can disable EFI on the BIOS if you wish. Maybe that's how was installed and then you changed. Once in a while I have a similar issue which I pinpointed to be the same, so I go back && change it to defaults & it works.
UEFI contains its own bootloader that is separate from the hard drive. This a "feature" of UEFI. On the old BIOS and MBR platform the BIOS would read the MBR and automatically boot a partition with the boot flag. On the new UEFI and GPT platform it will look for a default EFI loader or a custom EFI loader that has been registered into the EFI boot manager. It seems on UEFI updates (a.k.a. BIOS updates) the boot manager is wiped out. Fedora uses a custom-named EFI loader (grub.efi instead of bootx64.efi) so after a UEFI update it cannot find any OS to boot.
Here's the differences between BIOS and UEFI:
BIOS -> MBR -> GRUB
UEFI -> EFI Boot Manager -> EFI Loader -> GRUB
The EFI boot manager is not something that UEFI interfaces allow users to adjust so this is not something I can modify in the UEFI settings. The only way to configure the EFI boot manager is through the "efibootmgr" utility.
Gents,
note that I'm still having a bit of trouble with "mutt-under-fedora." Not intended as a joke or smiley, but worth mentioning. I used red hat when it was free; rather that switch to fedora as a desktop, I eventually chose Ubuntu. AFAIC, no distro of linux is 'perfect' -- I have had to do serious hack-arounds even on ubuntu. But this new "Firmware INterface" but on fedora means that whoever is in charge has some hacking to do.
I've prederred the CLI to anything time-wasting and fancy. [Right now my desktop is a used Dell Optiplex with "something-hardware" wrong -- or maybe it's software. the load sometimes cycles from 0.02 to 30.0+, etc.] The Dell 3010 is vastly better. But obviously when it is working. And to mess around each time I reboot is something I'd rather avoid. Thanks to this latest post, some light is sinking it. Mike, could you please clue me in if/if-not the following steps (listed below) are correct? [regarding your mail up- queue]
On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 04:01:04PM -0600, Michael Cronenworth wrote:
Edik Landaveri wrote:
Installing a desktop environment & unistalling other shouldn't have had to screw up your boot sector. I think what you did is inadvertdly changed your bios settings. If it was working before and after that no. Do you remember having played with the BIOS settings? You can disable EFI on the BIOS if you wish. Maybe that's how was installed and then you changed. Once in a while I have a similar issue which I pinpointed to be the same, so I go back && change it to defaults & it works.
UEFI contains its own bootloader that is separate from the hard drive. This a "feature" of UEFI. On the old BIOS and MBR platform the BIOS would read the MBR and automatically boot a partition with the boot flag. On the new UEFI and GPT platform it will look for a default EFI loader or a custom EFI loader that has been registered into the EFI boot manager.
/* be nice if the fedora [or RED HAT] guys could invest the time to just have things work the way you figured a couple days ago. And then to either let us change the new boot manager setting or let new installs work. out of the box.
*/
It seems on UEFI updates (a.k.a. BIOS updates) the boot manager is wiped out. Fedora uses a custom-named EFI loader (grub.efi instead of bootx64.efi) so after a UEFI update it cannot find any OS to boot.
Here's the differences between BIOS and UEFI:
BIOS -> MBR -> GRUB
UEFI -> EFI Boot Manager -> EFI Loader -> GRUB
The EFI boot manager is not something that UEFI interfaces allow users to adjust so this is not something I can modify in the UEFI settings. The only way to configure the EFI boot manager is through the "efibootmgr" utility.
Okay. Some googling around told me that this utility first showed up in 2004. All the more reason ffor it to have been caught by now. Anyway, please tell me if the following is what you meant.
cp -rp /boot/efi/EFI/redhat /boot/efi/EFI/boot cd /boot/efi/EFI/boot mv grub.efi bootx64.efi mv grub.conf bootx64.conf
I've done this. is there anything else before I shutdown -r now?
tx!
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On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 12:32:25PM -0800, Edik Landaveri wrote:
On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 08:27:55AM -0600, Michael Cronenworth wrote: Gary,
Installing a desktop environment & unistalling other shouldn't have had to screw up your boot sector. I think what you did is inadvertdly changed your bios settings. If it was working before and after that no. Do you remember having played with the BIOS settings? You can disable EFI on the BIOS if you wish. Maybe that's how was installed and then you changed. Once in a while I have a similar issue which I pinpointed to be the same, so I go back && change it to defaults & it works.
Cheers,
Edik
I didnt meant to ignore your email! yes, of course I messed around with the BIOS on f-17. just not quite sure what I was doing. ive got the newst Fedora 17 CD and have found the DVD ... so I'm all set. wHether Mike's mods to the /boot directory or your suggestion to alter the BIOS is better is a "dontcare" in engineering terms. I just want something that *works* until this bug is fixed. until then, this IEFI is a serious POS.
the tech I hired did the initial install; he mentioned having to much around with "something". When i booted up my CD , I pressed F12 and got a screen with three options. I chose the most familiar: BIOS. I didnt see the EFI listed in the BIOS. THat seriously may be the way to fix this problem. I dont remember what I did in the BIOS, But it's worth a reboot!
-gary
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On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 05:49:57PM -0800, Gary Kline wrote:
On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 12:32:25PM -0800, Edik Landaveri wrote:
On Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 08:27:55AM -0600, Michael Cronenworth wrote: Gary,
Installing a desktop environment & unistalling other shouldn't have had to screw up your boot sector. I think what you did is inadvertdly changed your bios settings. If it was working before and after that no. Do you remember having played with the BIOS settings? You can disable EFI on the BIOS if you wish. Maybe that's how was installed and then you changed. Once in a while I have a similar issue which I pinpointed to be the same, so I go back && change it to defaults & it works.
Cheers,
Edik
[[ save the bandwitdh...]
familiar: BIOS. I didnt see the EFI listed in the BIOS. THat seriously may be the way to fix this problem. I dont remember what I did in the BIOS, But it's worth a reboot!
-gary
POST_previous script:
I know what I did in the newest bios: essentially nothing. It was a completely new type of layout, so I remember poking around here/there and choosing the "Load Defaults" button! in other words, I chickened out:)
...
On 23Nov2012 19:09, Gary Kline kline@thought.org wrote: | I know what I did in the newest bios: essentially nothing. [...] | [...] and choosing the "Load Defaults" button! in other | words, I chickened out:)
I tend to avoid such buttons unless I want to trash the box's setup. Load defaults will probably trash all sorts of customisation, including UEFI customisation. Since this thread has gone on about fedora needing a specific UEFI setup, that could easily have scrubbed it.
So frankly, I don't think you did "essentially nothing". You trashed everything with a big hammer, much like setting something to "factory defaults".
It is, however, a good way to get your box to a known state, from which you can log carefully what specific changes you made thereafter.
Cheers,