Completion of boot manager installation after EFI configuration failure

**elfring** · 04-Feb-2021, 09:16

I have tried out to perform the installation for the current software distribution according to the file “openSUSE-Tumbleweed-NET-x86_64-Snapshot20210202-Media.iso”.
This installation attempt has succeeded almost.

Unfortunately, the following information was displayed at the end.

Code:

YaST2
…
Error output: x86_64-efi will be installed for your platform.
/usr/sbin/grub2-install: error: EFI directory could not be found.

I would like to use the following partitions for a corresponding system configuration.

Code:

root@Microknoppix:/home/knoppix# parted --list
…
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  5370MB  5369MB  fat32           esp   boot, esp
 4      5370MB  16,1GB  10,7GB  ext3            boot
…

I would appreciate further tips so that I can completely activate boot managers for UEFI systems accordingly.

Which settings should I add for such an use case?

**malcolmlewis** · 04-Feb-2021, 09:28

Originally Posted by elfring

I have tried out to perform the installation for the current software distribution according to the file “openSUSE-Tumbleweed-NET-x86_64-Snapshot20210202-Media.iso”.
This installation attempt has succeeded almost.

Unfortunately, the following information was displayed at the end.

Code:

YaST2
…
Error output: x86_64-efi will be installed for your platform.
/usr/sbin/grub2-install: error: EFI directory could not be found.

I would like to use the following partitions for a corresponding system configuration.

Code:

root@Microknoppix:/home/knoppix# parted --list
…
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  5370MB  5369MB  fat32           esp   boot, esp
 4      5370MB  16,1GB  10,7GB  ext3            boot
…

I would appreciate further tips so that I can completely activate boot managers for UEFI systems accordingly.

Which settings should I add for such an use case?

Hi
The size of the ESP.... < or == to 512MB, boot 10GB? is partition 1 /boot/efi is partition 4 /boot?

**elfring** · 04-Feb-2021, 09:39

Originally Posted by malcolmlewis

The size of the ESP.... < or == to 512MB, boot 10GB?

I intentionally spent more storage space for these partitions.

I imagine that additional software tools and ISO files can be stored there.

is partition 1 /boot/efi is partition 4 /boot?

Such a connection can eventually be configured between the EFI system partition and the companion partition, can't it?

**malcolmlewis** · 04-Feb-2021, 09:47

Originally Posted by elfring

I intentionally spent more storage space for these partitions.

I imagine that additional software tools and ISO files can be stored there.

Such a connection can eventually be configured between the EFI system partition and the companion partition, can't it?

Hi
Like I said, reduce the size of the ESP one to 512MB, I normally use 260MB... else it won't be recognized by the system hardware as an ESP... It's a defined standard...

**arvidjaar** · 04-Feb-2021, 11:49

Originally Posted by malcolmlewis

reduce the size of the ESP one to 512MB else it won't be recognized by the system hardware as an ESP... It's a defined standard...

Care to provide link to standard where this is stated?

**arvidjaar** · 04-Feb-2021, 11:56

Originally Posted by elfring

Code:

/usr/sbin/grub2-install: error: EFI directory could not be found.

There is no such error string in upstream or openSUSE grub.

**malcolmlewis** · 04-Feb-2021, 14:00

Originally Posted by arvidjaar

Care to provide link to standard where this is stated?

Hi
My bad, I stand corrected, minimum size 32MB for 512, 260M for 4K drives.... (Might have been stated somewhere long ago when using elilo), anyway seems a pointless size, even when running the shell, BIOS updates, adding boot logos etc, never needed more... <shrug>

**mrmazda** · 04-Feb-2021, 23:17

FAT32 isn't a hospitable place for storing isos, which are often larger than the maximum file size for FAT32. Better to make a third partition for those other files, using a native format that features a more hospitable maximum file size, or ExFAT if you need Windows to be able to access those files.

FWIW, my ESP partitions are always 320MB, ample space to host readily accessible backups and test copies of boot files, in addition to the few files that must be there.

**karlmistelberger** · 05-Feb-2021, 00:20

Originally Posted by elfring

I have tried out to perform the installation for the current software distribution according to the file “openSUSE-Tumbleweed-NET-x86_64-Snapshot20210202-Media.iso”.
This installation attempt has succeeded almost.

Unfortunately, the following information was displayed at the end.

Code:

YaST2
…
Error output: x86_64-efi will be installed for your platform.
/usr/sbin/grub2-install: error: EFI directory could not be found.

I would like to use the following partitions for a corresponding system configuration.

Code:

root@Microknoppix:/home/knoppix# parted --list
…
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  5370MB  5369MB  fat32           esp   boot, esp
 4      5370MB  16,1GB  10,7GB  ext3            boot
…

I would appreciate further tips so that I can completely activate boot managers for UEFI systems accordingly.

Which settings should I add for such an use case?

Small is beautiful:

Code:

Model: ATA Samsung SSD 850 (scsi) 
Disk /dev/sdc: 500GB 
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B 
Partition Table: gpt 
Disk Flags:  

Number  Start   End     Size    File system     Name                          Flags 
 1      1049kB  107MB   106MB   fat16           EFI System Partition          boot, esp 
 2      107MB   32.3GB  32.2GB  ext4            Linux System 
 3      32.3GB  64.5GB  32.2GB  ext4            Linux System 
 4      64.5GB  262GB   198GB   ext4            Linux Filesystem 
 5      262GB   327GB   64.4GB  btrfs 
 6      327GB   359GB   32.2GB  ext4            Linux System 
 7      359GB   376GB   17.2GB  linux-swap(v1)                                swap 
 8      376GB   406GB   30.2GB  btrfs           Linux System 
 9      406GB   436GB   30.0GB  ext4            Linux System 
10      436GB   436GB   16.8MB                  Microsoft reserved partition  msftres 
11      436GB   500GB   63.8GB  ntfs            Basic data partition          msftdata

Whenever grub installation fails try this: https://karlmistelberger.wordpress.c...rub-efi-btrfs/

**mrmazda** · 05-Feb-2021, 00:44

Originally Posted by karlmistelberger

Small is beautiful:

Code:

Model: ATA Samsung SSD 850 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 500GB 
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B 
Partition Table: gpt 
Disk Flags:  

Number  Start   End     Size    File system     Name                          Flags 
 1      1049kB  107MB   106MB   fat16           EFI System Partition          boot, esp 
 2      107MB   32.3GB  32.2GB  ext4            Linux System 
 3      32.3GB  64.5GB  32.2GB  ext4            Linux System 
 4      64.5GB  262GB   198GB   ext4            Linux Filesystem 
 5      262GB   327GB   64.4GB  btrfs 
 6      327GB   359GB   32.2GB  ext4            Linux System 
 7      359GB   376GB   17.2GB  linux-swap(v1)                                swap 
 8      376GB   406GB   30.2GB  btrfs           Linux System 
 9      406GB   436GB   30.0GB  ext4            Linux System 
10      436GB   436GB   16.8MB                  Microsoft reserved partition  msftres 
11      436GB   500GB   63.8GB  ntfs            Basic data partition          msftdata

106MB won't be enough when your boot disk is larger than 16TB.

OTOH, 32GB isn't so small. These are among my larger root filesystems:

Code:

Model: ATA SPCCSolidStateDi (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 256GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:

Number  Start   End     Size    File system     Name                        Flags
 1      1049kB  337MB   336MB   fat32           ZD8P01 EFI System (ESP)     boot, esp
 2      337MB   2174MB  1837MB  linux-swap(v1)  ZD8P02 Linux Swap           swap
 3      2174MB  2593MB  419MB   ext2            ZD8P03 Linux reservation
 4      2593MB  6787MB  4194MB  ext4            ZD8P04 Linux /usr/local
 5      6787MB  13.5GB  6711MB  ext4            ZD8P05 Linux /home
 6      13.5GB  26.7GB  13.2GB  ext4            ZD8P06 Linux /pub
 7      26.7GB  35.1GB  8389MB  ext4            ZD8P07 openSUSE Tumbleweed
 8      35.1GB  43.5GB  8389MB  ext4            ZD8P08 openSUSE 15.0
 9      43.5GB  51.9GB  8389MB  ext4            ZD8P09 openSUSE 15.1
10      51.9GB  60.3GB  8389MB  ext4            ZD8P10 Debian 10 Buster
11      60.3GB  68.7GB  8389MB  ext4            ZD8P11 openSUSE 15.2
12      68.7GB  77.0GB  8389MB  ext4            ZD8P12 Tubuntu 2004 Focal
13      77.0GB  85.4GB  8389MB  ext4            ZD8P13 LinuxMint 20 XFCE
14      85.4GB  93.8GB  8389MB  ext4            ZD8P14 Debian 11 Bullseye
15      93.8GB  102GB   8389MB  ext4            ZD8P15 Fedora 33
16      102GB   111GB   8389MB  ext4            ZD8P16 Fedora 34
17      111GB   119GB   8389MB  ext4            ZD8P17 Tubuntu 1804 Bionic
18      119GB   127GB   8389MB  ext3            ZD8P18 openSUSE 15.3

I have none as large as 20GiB.