Unbootable - Failed to mount EFI!

[dalto]

@limotux

on BTRFS + systemd-boot, there is no point to use snapper and BTRFS Assistant as they won’t work!?

They work fine. You just need to chroot in, delete the old kernels/boot images and run sudo reinstall-kernels after you restore a snapshot.

I told you this at the beginning if you remember. I recommended you stay on grub if you didn’t want to have to chroot in.

@limotux

Can I still use snapper and BTRFS Assistant as I thought I could?

I don’t know. I guess that depends how you thought you could.

@limotux

was the full EFI partition the reason that I encounters this issue in the first place not the restore I did?

No, it was definitely the restore.

@limotux

Just in case can I increase the size of the EFI partition?

How big is your EFI partition now?

@limotux

Do I need Arch as a backup really?

No.

[Zesko]

@limotux

[root@EndeavourOS /]# ls -al efi/a9d690a5d1c144ee81cbb0b9de665c13
total 24
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 4096 Mar 26 13:29 .
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 4096 Jan  1  1970 ..
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Mar 26 13:31 6.1.20-1-lts
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Mar 23 09:40 6.1.21-1-lts
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Mar 26 13:30 6.2.6-arch1-1
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Mar 24 11:06 6.2.8-arch1-1

@dalto, reinstall-kernels doesn’t overwrite the kernel with the new path-version (e.g. 6.1.21-1-lts) after reinstalling the kernel with the old path-version (6.1.20-1-lts), maybe a feature is missing?

[dalto]

@Zesko

reinstall-kernels doesn’t overwrite the kernel with the new path-version

It isn’t supposed to. kernel-install supports multiple kernel versions even if Arch doesn’t.

Those are cleaned up when the kernels are removed. The problem in this case, is that they were never removed, a snapshot was restored. Only in that case do they need to be manually removed.

[limotux]

@dalto

I told you this at the beginning if you remember. I recommended you stay on grub if you didn’t want to have to chroot in.

I remember for sure. But as I said I prefer to have my system as if it is a fresh install from the latest ISO. And it is wise I think to follow the defaults of the amazing developers of the amazing distro.

@dalto

No, it was definitely the restore.

I see, because I didn’t chroot! Right?

@dalto

How big is your EFI partition now?

I don’t really know. I just updated, will reboot and see if I can figure it out. Maybe you give me the command to get it!
Rebooting after update!

[dalto]

@limotux

Maybe you give me the command to get it!

findmnt /efi -o size

[limotux]

@dalto

findmnt /efi -o size

[limo@asus ~]$ yay -Syyu
[sudo] password for limo: 
:: Synchronizing package databases...
 endeavouros                            30.7 KiB  43.1 KiB/s 00:01 [------------------------------------] 100%
 core                                  154.4 KiB   265 KiB/s 00:01 [------------------------------------] 100%
 extra                                1747.5 KiB  1401 KiB/s 00:01 [------------------------------------] 100%
 community                               7.3 MiB  1838 KiB/s 00:04 [------------------------------------] 100%
 multilib                              161.9 KiB   291 KiB/s 00:01 [------------------------------------] 100%
:: Starting full system upgrade...
 there is nothing to do
:: Searching databases for updates...
:: Searching AUR for updates...
 there is nothing to do
[limo@asus ~]$ lsblk
NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
nvme0n1     259:0    0 238.5G  0 disk 
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0   300M  0 part /efi
└─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0 238.2G  0 part /home
                                      /var/log
                                      /var/cache
                                      /
[limo@asus ~]$ findmnt /efi -o size
  SIZE
299.4M
[limo@asus ~]$

I don’t think I know from this how much is free in the EFI partition.
Maybe better to increase its size (if possible), just in case and for future updates!

[dalto]

Yes, your EFI partition is too small for systemd-boot unless you run only a single kernel.

[limotux]

@dalto

Yes, your EFI partition is too small for systemd-boot unless you run only a single kernel.

I believe I followed the defaults during installation!
I have only EndeavourOS on this machine.

Is there a way to increase the size to be be much more than enough even if I later on chose to install an additional Kernel or two?

[dalto]

@limotux

I believe I followed the defaults during installation!

Before Cassini, the installer used that size. When we added support for systemd-boot, we started making it larger.

@limotux

Is there a way to increase the size to be be much more than enough even if I later on chose to install an additional Kernel or two?

Yes.

[limotux]

@dalto

Yes.

So how to do it (better through command line. I got addicted to it) and increase the size of EFI and how much would be more than enough to count for future updates or for installing 1 or 2 more kernels?
As far as I remember my installation was from before Cassini!

UPDATE:
I booted from the live USB, Gparted, trying to change to more than 300MB it was not allowed!

Any other ideas?

[dalto]

First backup any important data before making partition changes. These usually work fine but always carry risk.

Second, use gparted or a similar GUI tool for this. It is too easy to make a mistake trying to do all the manual steps from the command line.

@limotux

trying to change to more than 300MB it was not allowed!

Well…yeah. You need to shrink the btrfs partition first else there is no room to grow the other partition.

[limotux]

@dalto

Well…yeah. You need to shrink the btrfs partition first else there is no room to grow the other partition.

Thanks @dalto
So, I can through Gparted:
1- Shrink the BTRFS Partition (hopefully wont lose data!)
2- Increase The EFI Partition by up to that shrinked amount
(Sure this will not affect the system or its booting? Any precautions do or don’t?)
What size would you recommend?

[dalto]

@limotux

Any precautions

Backup your data first.

@limotux

Sure this will not affect the system or its booting?

It usually doesn’t but you never know.

@limotux

What size would you recommend?

It depends how many kernels you want to install. For example, a 5TB EFI partition would let you install over 15,000 kernels. Maybe twice that many depending on what drivers you need.

However, the installer uses 1GB as the default size for the ESP.

[limotux]

@dalto

Backup your data first.

Thanks @dalto
I just did using Kopia.

@dalto

It usually doesn’t but you never know.

OK! I will take the risk!
But, I think on LTS I do not really need another kerenel!

@dalto

It depends how many kernels you want to install.

I see currently using about half the partition which is OK for any other updates!

Again, do I really need another kernel while I am using the LTS which is the most stable?

If not, then I am just fine as such! Right?

[dalto]

@limotux

Again, do I really need another kernel while I am using the LTS which is the most stable?

It is totally up to you. I have always like having more than one, “just in case”.

[limotux]

@dalto

I have always like having more than one, “just in case”

You are right @dalto
But well, one last question, (I promise I will tryt least it will be the last question), if with one LTS kernel if something wrong happens I still can boot from a live USB and almost repeat what has been done here to reinstall the LTS kernel, Arch kernel or an earlier version fo the LTS kernel.
The same as has been done in this thread!
Am I getting it correct?

P.S:
Just to update you I just did a live EndeavourOS_Cassini_Nova-03-2023.iso USB.

[dalto]

@limotux

if with one LTS kernel if something wrong happens I still can boot from a live USB and almost repeat what has been done here to reinstall the LTS kernel, Arch kernel or an earlier version fo the LTS kernel.
The same as has been done in this thread!
Am I getting it correct?

Yes.

[limotux]

@dalto

Yes.

Thank you very much @dalto Finally many special thanks for the wonderful help of @Zesko
Thanks to all of you.