Fix broken initramfs after partitioning and installing another distro

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1

I’ve partitioned my disk, e.g. I decreased the size of my home and installed another distro onto the free space. Everything went fine but after this, I cannot boot into my “normal” kernel (I get only the logo of the laptop company, no tty, no nothing) but I can boot into the fallback kernel (that’s what I’m on now currently). Both are the same latest LTS kernel.

My question: Is there a way to fix the normal one? Like reinstalling it or using some GRUB magic? Otherwise I always have choose the fallback one while booting and I wish to spare me this extra step.

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Altering the size of the /home partition should not cause the problem you’re having.
Are you sure you did nothing else?

You can try to boot into fallback kernel and issue:

$ sudo mkinitcpio -P

to rebuild all initramfs images.

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If @freggel.doe’s suggestion is not enough, you can install a new kernel from the terminal. To see the installed kernels:

mhwd-kernel -li

To see the available kernels:

mhwd-kernel -l

To install a specific kernel:

mhwd-kernel -i linuxYYY

Where YYY is the kernel version.

4

That’s correct. I shrinked /home and installed another distro onto the free space.

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Let’s say the latest LTS kernel is called linuxXYZ, this is the one I used before the partitioning. Does mhwd-kernel -i linuxXYZ REINSTALL the latest LTS if I execute this on the fallback kernel of linuxXYZ?

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The difference between fallback image and normal image is the modules included in the image.

As I remember it the fallback image uses udev for the modules whereas the normal image may include predefined modules.

So if the fallback image works then a module included in the normal image is dysfunctional.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer but if you rebuild the images as suggested by @freggel.doe and rebuild your grub config your issue should go away.

But as you have added another Linux to the equation - not mentioned in the OT - it is next to impossible to deduct what may have caused this. E.g. what other changes have you not mentioned?

I am afraid this is going to be a circular issue - a socalled xy problem.

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This didn’t help, I still can’t boot into the “normal” kernel.

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But can’t I just… reinstall the faulty kernel while using the fallback one? I executed sudo mkinitcpio -P and nothing changed.

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sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

The kernel is not faulty - the normal initramfs is.

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That didn’t help either. Or do I have to execute sudo mkinitcpio -P and sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg during the same boot? Now I executed the first one in 1 boot and the second in the next one.

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Does mhwd-kernel -i linuxXYZ REINSTALL the latest LTS if I execute this on the fallback kernel of linuxXYZ?

I don’t know, but you can to install a older kernel, boot Manjaro normaly from it and then uninstal/install the actual one. You can try it anyway.

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I stands to reason that the incident is connected to the other Linux install somehow - but I cannot deduct what it is or how.

I am backing out.

Did you - or did you not - reinstall the kernel or install a second kernel as suggested earlier?

sudo mhwd-kernel -i linux513

Then

reboot

Then remove

sudo mhwd-kernel -r linux510

You can reinstall the LTS kernel or just use the newer kernel.

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I installed linux504 via GUI but it doesn’t show up in the grub, even after executing sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg and rebooting.

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Hmm, this makes me think, you don’t use Manjaros grub at all, but the grub of the other linux installation you mentioned.
Make Manjaros grub the primary grub (reinstall/restore grub when booted into fallback) and only use that one to boot up your system.

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That’s true!

Can you please tell me, how do I do that?

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https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php/GRUB/Restore_the_GRUB_Bootloader
But since you are able to boot the fallback kernel try issuing a simple reinstall first:

$ sudo grub-install --recheck
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This did it! I could directly boot into my “normal kernel”. Thanks a lot!

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To sum it up, I did the following (while being in the fallback kernel):

$ sudo mkinitcpio -P && sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

then reboot into the backup kernel and:

$ sudo grub-install --recheck

then I was able to boot into my normal kernel.
Thanks @freggel.doe and @linux-aarhus !

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