Re: [gentoo-user] UEFI data corruption? [SOLVED, mostly]

[Mick]

On Wednesday, 18 September 2019 09:43:11 BST Peter Humphrey wrote:
> On Tuesday, 17 September 2019 07:23:10 BST Peter Humphrey wrote:
>
> Well, it seems to be working now - mostly.
>
> The fix was to write a new gpt label, create all the partitions and build a
> new system: no use of earlier packages. User data came from backups.

This sounds too drastic a repair procedure, unless the GPT table entries 
themselves were corrupted, but ... whatever works.  :-)


> Meanwhile, I used bootctl and efibootmgr to create and delete boot entries
> in the efi data until I finished up with this arrangement:
>
> # bootctl
> systemd-boot not installed in ESP.		<---- Note 1
> System:
>      Firmware: UEFI 2.31 (American Megatrends 5.09)
>   Secure Boot: disabled
>    Setup Mode: user

If you are not using systemd-boot, is bootctl of any use vis-à-vis the 
efibootmgr command?


> Current Boot Loader:
>       Product: systemd-boot 243
>      Features: ✓ Boot counting
>                ✓ Menu timeout control
>                ✓ One-shot menu timeout control
>                ✓ Default entry control
>                ✓ One-shot entry control
>                ✓ Support for XBOOTLDR partition
>                ✓ Support for passing random seed to OS
>           ESP: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/95b0a3f6-eae2-445c-b098-3c8174588948
>          File: └─/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI
>
> Random Seed:
>  Passed to OS: no
>  System Token: not set
>        Exists: yes
>
> Available Boot Loaders on ESP:
>           ESP: /boot (/dev/disk/by-partuuid/95b0a3f6-eae2-445c-
> b098-3c8174588948)
>          File: └─/EFI/BOOT/bootX64.efi (systemd-boot 243)
>
> Boot Loaders Listed in EFI Variables:
>         Title: EFI Stub			<---- Note 2
>            ID: 0x0000
>        Status: active, boot-order
>     Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/95b0a3f6-eae2-445c-b098-3c8174588948
>          File: └─/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI
>
> Boot Loader Entries:
>         $BOOT: /boot (/dev/disk/by-partuuid/95b0a3f6-eae2-445c-
> b098-3c8174588948)
>
> Default Boot Loader Entry:
>         title: Gentoo Linux 4.19.72		<---- Note 3
>            id: 30-gentoo-4.19.72
>        source: /boot/loader/entries/30-gentoo-4.19.72.conf
>         linux: /vmlinuz-4.19.72-gentoo
>       options: root=/dev/nvme0n1p4 initrd=/intel-uc.img net.ifnames=0
>
> Note 1:	I still can't 'bootctl install' without causing the damage I've
> described already. The system does boot though.

Perhaps bootctl is now meant to operate (without breaking things) with 
systemd-boot fully installed and configured.  If you're not using systemd-boot 
it tries to be too clever by half.


> Note 2:	I've tried to change this with 'efibootmgr -b 00 -L "Gentoo
Linux"',
> to no avail. It does nothing I can see.

I think --label can only be specified when you --create a new entry in the 
UEFI boot menu.  If there is an entry already present, I think you cannot 
modify it.  When I get things wrong at menu entry creation time, I delete the 
whole entry and reconstitute it afresh.


> Note 3:	This title comes from the file named two lines later; it has
nothing
> to do with the Title of Note 2.

Hmm ... I wonder what bootctl reads to populate its "title:" field.  Would you 
care to share the output of:

efibootmgr -v

-- 
Regards,

Mick