Grub2config, gparted and nvme drives, boot flag not seen [SOLVED]

[geo_c]

I recently came by 5 Dell Octoplex desktop computers, i5 processors all with 250GB nvme drives.

Turning off secure boot and a whole host of other security settings in the bios, I'm able to boot any OS just fine from a USB ssd drive with an msdos partition table, fat32 grub2 boot partition, and the boot flags set to boot, esp.

So I used gparted, three or four times and reformatted the internal nvme drive on one of these machines and tried to set it up the same way, hoping I would get an OS boot quickly.

The problem is using the grub2config routine either from KLV-airedale, or from F96 yields the same result. grub2config tells me there is no boot flag on the drive. gparted says there is, and I can access and write to the partitions on the drive when booted from USB. meaning they are working partitions on the drive.

So I tried it two ways. I reformatted the drive with an msdos partition table and also tried it gpt, both with the boot, esp boot flag set, but I get the same result.

Is this an issue with gparted, grub2config, or something else I'm not aware of?

This is my first experience with an nvme drive.

[jp734]

Sounds like a problem I recently had. viewtopic.php?t=11800

Somewhere towards the middle of the thread is where you will find we touched this topic

[geo_c]

Sounds like a problem I recently had. viewtopic.php?t=11800

Somewhere towards the middle of the thread is where you will find we touched this topic

Hmm, that is a very similar problem. Only this machine doesn't support legacy boot at all. So it's set UEFI. I should add that the bios doesn't see the boot flag eiher, as the nvme stopped coming up as choice in the boot order.

I tried to do a full shutdown of Windows before WIPING IT OFF THE DRIVE COMPLETELY.

These machines were being chucked by a company my sister worked for, and they had bitlocker on the windows data partition and some other stuff. But I simply rewrote the partition table of the whole drive, assuming that would be the easiest way to get a boot, knowing I don't really want to mess with Win10.

I'll check out the Daedalus Starter Kit.

My OSs are running grub2config 2.0.1, so I don't think the pet would be much of a help.

They certainly are snappy and fast machines when booting forum OS's from the USB 3 ports.

[jp734]

@radky also provided a link about "modprobe efivarfs" and then mounting it. Those were the last steps that solved my issue.

[williwaw]

had that problem before using grub2config but frugalpup DiskPup worked out ok
the latest....
https://www.mediafire.com/file/me2y2dpr ... 1.pet/file

you can also update your grub2 install to the most recent version I have seen here at this forum with...
viewtopic.php?t=10028

[geo_c]

had that problem before using grub2config but frugalpup DiskPup worked out ok
the latest....
https://www.mediafire.com/file/me2y2dpr ... 1.pet/file

you can also update your grub2 install to the most recent version I have seen here at this forum with...
viewtopic.php?t=10028

I grabbed frugalpup 41, but grub 2.06 isn't at that link anymore.

[williwaw]

had that problem before using grub2config but frugalpup DiskPup worked out ok
the latest....
https://www.mediafire.com/file/me2y2dpr ... 1.pet/file

you can also update your grub2 install to the most recent version I have seen here at this forum with...
viewtopic.php?t=10028

I grabbed frugalpup 41, but grub 2.06 isn't at that link anymore.

the update to 2.06 is grub2.tar.gz, uploaded last december
(there is a tar command to overwrite at the bottom of the post)

[bigpup]

grub2config tells me there is no boot flag on the drive.

Are you sure of that?

Usually this is an error the computers bios will report.

For UEFI booting. internal drives.

The drive setup with 2 partitions.
1st partition small 300MB size, formatted fat32, flagged boot, esp.
The boot loader and it's files are installed on it.

2nd partition any format you want to use. But Puppy installs are best to a ext format.

Frugal install to 2nd partition.
Boot loader installed to first partition.

Install BookwormPup64 10.0.7 and see if it boots.
It has some bug fixes for booting from installs on nvme drives.

[geo_c]

grub2config tells me there is no boot flag on the drive.

Are you sure of that?

Well, I'm sure I get the message from grub2config, but also the bios is not seeing the partition as a boot partition. I have the drive setup exactly as you mention, first partition fat32 flagged boot,esp and second partition ext4.

I don't have any bootloader files on it because I was trying to use grub2config to put them there. I'll download bookworm and boot it from USB and see if that changes anything.

Should the bios see boot partion and report it as a boot order option if it's flagged boot, esp, but has no bootloader files on it? Or is the bios also searching for the efi boot files first before listing is an option?

If it's the latter, maybe I can copy the boot folder provided in a KLV to the boot partition.

[bigpup]

So the issue is when you are using Grub2config to install the boot loader?

Try to first have the 1st partition mounted, before using Grub2config.

There have been issues with Puppy Linux being able to correctly access internal nvme and emmc drives.

BookwormPup64 10.0.7 seems to have all of these issues fixed.

Try putting Bookwormpup64 10.0.7 on a USB and boot with it.
Use the programs in it to install a boot loader on the internal drive.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Usually the bios needs to see boot loader files on the boot partition, along with the boot, esp flag.
(all the bios does is turn on all the hardware and then turns control over to a boot loader)
The flaggs tell the bios, that this is where you will find the boot loader.

This being a Dell computer and used by a company.

You say you took care of all the security settings in the UEFI bios.

But I would double check to make sure.

Look in every possible place in the bios settings, for anything that could affect this.
The bios is a Dell version and who knows what they put in it.

So far, all the UEFI bios's, that I disabled secure boot, also activated it to work in legacy bios mode.
Some also had a specific enable legacy mode or CSM, which also disabled secure boot.

[geo_c]

So the issue is when you are using Grub2config to install the boot loader?
Try to first have the 1st partition mounted, before using Grub2config.
There have been issues with Puppy Linux being able to correctly access internal nvme and emmc drives.
BookwormPup64 10.0.7 seems to have all of these issues fixed.
Try putting Bookwormpup64 10.0.7 on a USB and boot with it.
Use the programs in it to install a boot loader on the internal drive.

Okay, I did this, and Bookworm is a nice puppy. I got the UEFI grub2 bootloader working on the nvme0n1p1 fat 32 partition. So the machine is now accessing the grub bootloader from the internal nvme. I have Bookworm and KLV-plasma on the internal nvme partition 2 formatted ext4, and I ran Frugalpup to generate grub.cfg.

So I boot it up and get menu choices, grub working....

BUT now I can't get grub to recognize the partition with the OS's. The partition UUID is correct in the stanzas, but I get the same result trying to boot Bookworm or KLV (using wiaks wd_grubconfig generated stanza)

Simply put, I get the error: [UUID] not found.

Baffling, I remember having the same issue trying to boot Vanillapup 11 using grub2 efi on my Dell laptop. And that was from USB.

On this machine I'm working on now, USB efi boots are smooth as glass. So I am at loss as where to look next about getting grub to see this nvme ext4 parttition2. Once I'm booted from USB I have no trouble reading and writing from that partition., but I might try reformatting it.

[jp734]

@geo_c I had this same problem I just solved. For me it was about what was used to create the table, GPT or MSDOS

I learned today: UEFI will only work on GPT table
[EDIT] Wizard showed me UEFI will also work on MSDos Partition Table with Grub2 UEFI

My motherboard was set to boot Legacy. Once booted, it can mount, read, write on drive with GPT partition table BUT it WILL NOT boot using that drive. So I had to recreate the partition and use MSDOS. After doing that, I was able to boot from it. Was getting the same exact error. No such device. No such partition/uuid.

viewtopic.php?t=12271

[williwaw]

I ran Frugalpup to generate grub.cfg.

So I boot it up and get menu choices, grub working....

BUT now I can't get grub to recognize the partition with the OS's. The partition UUID is correct in the stanzas, but I get the same result trying to boot Bookworm or KLV (using wiaks wd_grubconfig generated stanza)

Simply put, I get the error: [UUID] not found.

can you post the two (different?) grub.cfg files
and not just the stanzas but also the headers

[bigpup]

When you boot from the internal drive.
Do it from a complete power off/on condition, not just a reboot.
Completely power off the computer for one minute.
Then do a power on boot up.

When you boot from the internal drive.

Do not have any other drives plugged in that could also be booted from.

When you used Frugalpup Installer to install the boot loader.

Did you tell it to install both as the selection for type to install?

If no.

Do that. Select both as type to install.

That for sure will give you something that should be able to boot anything.

In the computers boot device selection list.
It may have more than one listed for the internal drive.
If yes.
Try selecting a different listed one.

[geo_c]

@geo_c I had this same problem I just solved. For me it was about what was used to create the table, GPT or MSDOS

I learned today: UEFI will only work on GPT table

I reformatted the whole drive with msdos partition table, then did what @bigpup said below

Do that. Select both as type to install.

SUCCESS!

Thanks for all the help guys.

So the solution:

Boot bookworm64pup_10.0.7
use gparted, format the nvme with an msdos partition table
format a fat32 grub partition
format a linux OS install partition
run frugalpup installer from bookworm, choose both, (which is really more like everything, mbr, 32bit, 64bit, grub2, did I miss something?)

It not only booted Bookworm, but it booted REALLY FAST.

Like I said in the original post, I came into 5 of these Dells, and I'm going to be living in luxury for awhile.

[jp734]

Fantastic! Have Fun!

[geo_c]

Fantastic! Have Fun!

Only in puppy land is possible to copy one's entire collection of polished OS's and complete life's work data to a new machine in under 2 hours!

But once I booted the new machine, that's exactly what I did. Copied a bunch of pups and KL multi-installs all linked to sets of data and themes, and BAM! Copied the stanzas from my bootable USB archive SSD drive and used Geany to replace the UUID's.

I've got everything configured already.. 4 more machines to go!