Reinstall grub2

Hi

I lost my boot sector so I need to reinstall grub.

I got my install booting by installing another instance of Manjaro on another disk which found the old install so I can boot directly into to old Manjaro.

I tried sudo grub-install /dev/sdc

this gave this error:
Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: warning: this GPT partition label contains no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding won’t be possible.
grub-install: warning: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged…
grub-install: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

Now my system is x86_64-efi so I tried
sudo grub-install /dev/sdc --target x86_64-efi

which gave this error:
Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
EFI variables are not supported on this system.
EFI variables are not supported on this system.
grub-install: error: efibootmgr failed to register the boot entry: No such file or directory.

What am I missing?

can you boot on USB iso manjaro
open a terminal and a browser on this topic
and returns

inxi -Fza 
sudo parted -l
sudo lsblk -fs
sudo efibootmgr -v
test -d /sys/firmware/efi && echo efi || echo bios
sudo manjaro-chroot -a ( type 1 if only one line 0 )
cat /etc/fstab
exit ( quit chroot )
1 Like

What do you mean: boot on USB iso manjaro?

I can boot my Manjaro install fine, just not from its own grub install.

~ >>> inxi -Fza                                                           [130]
System:
  Host: manjaro-gnome Kernel: 5.6.15-1-MANJARO x86_64 bits: 64 
  parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-x86_64 lang=en_US keytable=us tz=UTC 
  driver=free nouveau.modeset=1 i915.modeset=1 radeon.modeset=1 
  misobasedir=manjaro misolabel=MANJARO_GNOME_2003 quiet 
  systemd.show_status=1 apparmor=1 security=apparmor 
  Desktop: Gnome 3.36.2 Distro: Manjaro Linux 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASUSTeK model: PRIME Z370-A v: Rev X.0x 
  serial: <filter> UEFI [Legacy]: American Megatrends v: 0408 
  date: 08/31/2017 
CPU:
  Topology: 6-Core model: Intel Core i7-8700K bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  family: 6 model-id: 9E (158) stepping: A (10) microcode: CA 
  L2 cache: 12.0 MiB 
  Speed: 800 MHz min/max: 800/4700 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 800 2: 800 
  3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 801 8: 800 9: 800 10: 800 11: 800 12: 800 
  Vulnerabilities: Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: Split huge pages 
  Type: l1tf 
  mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT vulnerable 
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable 
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI 
  Type: spec_store_bypass 
  mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl and seccomp 
  Type: spectre_v1 
  mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization 
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Full generic retpoline, IBPB: conditional, 
  IBRS_FW, STIBP: conditional, RSB filling 
  Type: tsx_async_abort mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable 
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GP102 [GeForce GTX 1080 Ti] driver: nouveau v: kernel 
  Display: x11 server: X.org 1.20.8 driver: nouveau 
  resolution: <xdpyinfo missing> 
  OpenGL: renderer: NV132 v: 4.3 Mesa 20.0.7 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 200 Series PCH HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel 
  Device-2: NVIDIA GP102 HDMI Audio driver: snd_hda_intel 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.6.15-1-MANJARO 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-V driver: e1000e 
  IF: enp0s31f6 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 5.75 TiB used: 120.5 MiB (0.0%) 
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Samsung model: SSD 960 EVO 500GB 
  size: 465.76 GiB block size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B 
  ID-2: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 850 EVO 500GB size: 465.76 GiB 
  block size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B 
  ID-3: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST1000DM003-1ER162 size: 931.51 GiB 
  block size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B 
  ID-4: /dev/sdc vendor: Samsung model: SSD 850 PRO 256GB size: 238.47 GiB 
  block size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B 
  ID-5: /dev/sdd vendor: Seagate model: ST4000DM000-1F2168 size: 3.64 TiB 
  block size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B 
  ID-6: /dev/sde type: USB vendor: SanDisk model: Ultra size: 58.28 GiB 
  block size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B 
RAID:
  Device-1: md125 type: mdraid status: active raid: mirror report: 4/1 ___U 
  Components: online: sdd1~c3 
  Device-2: md127 type: mdraid status: active raid: mirror report: 2/1 _U 
  Components: online: sdd3~c1 
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw size: N/A size: 11.67 GiB used: 120.5 MiB (1.0%) fs: overlay 
  source: ERR-102 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 33.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nouveau temp: 29 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A gpu: nouveau fan: 399 
Info:
  Processes: 298 Uptime: 1m Memory: 15.56 GiB used: 1.35 GiB (8.7%) 
  Shell: zsh inxi: 3.0.37 

-----------

~ >>> sudo parted -l                                                           
Model: ATA Samsung SSD 850 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size    Type     File system     Flags
 1      1049kB  482GB  482GB   primary  ext4            boot
 2      482GB   500GB  18.4GB  primary  linux-swap(v1)


Model: ATA ST1000DM003-1ER1 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size   Type     File system  Flags
 1      1049kB  524GB  524GB  primary  ntfs         boot


Model: ATA Samsung SSD 850 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 256GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size    File system     Name  Flags
 1      1049kB  538MB  537MB   fat32                 boot, esp
 2      538MB   239GB  238GB   ext4
 3      239GB   256GB  17.1GB  linux-swap(v1)        swap


Model: ATA ST4000DM000-1F21 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdd: 4001GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    File system  Name  Flags
 1      32.8kB  4295MB  4295MB                     raid
 2      4295MB  4832MB  537MB                      raid
 3      4832MB  4001GB  3996GB                     raid


Model: SanDisk Ultra (scsi)
Disk /dev/sde: 62.6GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 2      2773MB  2777MB  4194kB  primary               esp


Model: Samsung SSD 960 EVO 500GB (nvme)
Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size    File system  Name                          Flags
 1      1049kB  473MB  472MB   ntfs         Basic data partition          hidden, diag
 2      473MB   577MB  104MB   fat32        EFI system partition          boot, esp
 3      577MB   593MB  16.8MB               Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 4      593MB   499GB  499GB   ntfs         Basic data partition          msftdata
 5      499GB   500GB  857MB   ntfs                                       hidden, diag


Model: Linux Software RAID Array (md)
Disk /dev/md127: 3996GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: loop
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start  End     Size    File system  Flags
 1      0.00B  3996GB  3996GB  ext4


Model: Linux Software RAID Array (md)
Disk /dev/md125: 4293MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: loop
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start  End     Size    File system  Flags
 1      0.00B  4293MB  4293MB  ext4

-----------

~ >>> sudo lsblk -fs                                                           
NAME FSTYPE FSVER LABEL UUID                                 FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINT
loop0
     squash 4.0                                                    0   100% /run/miso/
loop1
     squash 4.0                                                    0   100% /run/miso/
loop2
     squash 4.0                                                    0   100% /run/miso/
loop3
     squash 4.0                                                    0   100% /run/miso/
sda1 ext4   1.0         7467ca54-be3c-4971-a41a-37fedfe6058d                
└─sda
                                                                            
sda2 swap   1           ad59bec3-8dbb-42ca-b818-f4b3ee576ae9                
└─sda
                                                                            
sdb1 ntfs         Space 3EDC4DF3DC4DA64D                                    
└─sdb
                                                                            
sdc1 vfat   FAT32       15C4-EA1A                                           
└─sdc
                                                                            
sdc2 ext4   1.0         3726e907-3d39-4655-ba0b-135bc2c3abe8                
└─sdc
                                                                            
sdc3 swap   1           ba70038b-86d0-4aae-b7fa-7f0fdad0f3a9                
└─sdc
                                                                            
sde1 iso966 Jolie MANJARO_GNOME_2003
│                       2020-06-06-09-50-25-00                     0   100% /run/miso/
└─sde
     iso966 Jolie MANJARO_GNOME_2003
                        2020-06-06-09-50-25-00                              
sde2 vfat   FAT12 MISO_EFI
│                       57E8-A8ED                                           
└─sde
     iso966 Jolie MANJARO_GNOME_2003
                        2020-06-06-09-50-25-00                              
md125
│    ext4   1.0   7fffffff:root
│                       08102738-c0c6-4bce-93fd-52f8b606135c                
└─sdd1
     linux_ 1.2   0e351c44:0
                        65e7a4e3-aa1f-2270-c3c3-c8c8f8e0782f                
  └─sdd
                                                                            
md127
│    ext4   1.0         31b68c0a-387e-4ed9-b304-0a9a8e5843af                
└─sdd3
     linux_ 1.2   0e351c44:data-0
                        180e7812-ef16-8607-0577-725127351a8f                
  └─sdd
                                                                            
nvme0n1p1
│    ntfs         Recovery
│                       E038287E382855B6                                    
└─nvme0n1
                                                                            
nvme0n1p2
│    vfat   FAT32       1629-1B80                                           
└─nvme0n1
                                                                            
nvme0n1p3
│                                                                           
└─nvme0n1
                                                                            
nvme0n1p4
│    ntfs               42C02DFBC02DF5B7                                    
└─nvme0n1
                                                                            
nvme0n1p5
│    ntfs               082AED242AED100C                                    
└─nvme0n1

-----------                                                                            

~ >>> sudo efibootmgr -v                                                       
EFI variables are not supported on this system.

-----------

~ >>> test -d /sys/firmware/efi && echo efi || echo bios                    [2]
bios

-----------

~ >>> sudo manjaro-chroot -a  
==> Detected systems:
 --> 0) ManjaroLinux
 --> 1) ManjaroLinux1
 --> 2) Debian
==> Select system to mount [0-2] : 
1
==> Mounting (ManjaroLinux1) [/dev/sdc2]
 --> mount: [/mnt]
 --> mount: [/mnt/boot/efi]
[manjaro-gnome /]# cat /etc/fstab 
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a device; this may
# be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices that works even if
# disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system>             <mount point>  <type>  <options>  <dump>  <pass>
#UUID=4e3338b7-02ab-4bdb-8e6a-8360d5f51dd5 swap           swap    defaults,noatime 0 2
UUID=15C4-EA1A                            /boot/efi      vfat    defaults,noatime 0 2
UUID=3726e907-3d39-4655-ba0b-135bc2c3abe8 /              ext4    defaults,noatime,discard 0 1
UUID=ba70038b-86d0-4aae-b7fa-7f0fdad0f3a9 swap           swap    defaults,noatime,discard 0 2
tmpfs                                     /tmp           tmpfs   defaults,noatime,mode=1777 0 0
/dev/md127				  /mnt/raid1     ext4	 defaults,noatime 0 0

You should install grub on /dev/nvme0n1p2
mount needed partitions and chroot into your installation

# grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi

You have so many different partitions and disks. Can you describe what is your goal?

I used to have Win10 on nvme and Manjaro on sdc2.

The boot loader on nvme was wiped during a power out.

So I’m trying to reinstall it.

when booted on sdc2, grub-install /dev/nvme0n1p2 --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi
gives this error:
sudo grub-install /dev/nvme0n1p2 --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi
Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
EFI variables are not supported on this system.
EFI variables are not supported on this system.
grub-install: error: efibootmgr failed to register the boot entry: No such file or directory.

Is your NVMe EFI partition mounted inside /boot/efi?
Show us

# findmnt

you cant restore grub
you have booted UEFI [Legacy] ( not EFI , failback to legacy )

recheck all option in Bios to get only EFI

  • disable secureboot
  • disable fastboot
  • no CSM or Legacy
  • choose UEFI only or first or others ( not windows )
  • disks on AHCI
  • no optane RST

and boot in UEFI only on USB iso
check before with terminal

inxi -Mza
sudo efibootmgr -v
test -d /sys/firmware/efi && echo efi || echo bios

what is exactly md125 & md127 ?
raid 1 & raid 0 ?

/boot/efi is on sdc1 ( also nvme0n1p2 windows )

I think I fixed it.

When booting from USB the stick was listed both as EFI and normal/legacy.

So I booted as EFI and chrooted to my old install and now grub-install ran without errors.

Now I can boot the old install from its own grub-menu.
Only thing I’m missing now is a boot entry for Win10

see with windows boot repair
see after for update your bios version

If you wiped EFI partition, easiest way to fix dual boot is

  1. Fix windows boot entry using their automatic repair
  2. Installation of GRUB

The nvme with Win10 installed doesn’t show up at all in the BIOS boot menu.
However I can mount it in Linux.

Boot windows 10 installer, click repair your system
After this, do same as you did till now.

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