Unable to install AL on a nvme drive, error during install

Technical Issues & Assistance
#1

Hi,

I’m I’m doing very basic install on a nvme drive just 3 partitions: (boot, root, home). I already checked my bios settings don’t have nvme set into raid mode.

For boot-loader I am using systemdboot, haven’t tried grub. I’m getting an error and boot loader doesn’t seem to install at all, so I can’t even see the nvme if I spam F12 while booting up

The error states the following:

File system "/dev/block/259:1" is not on a GPT partition table.

Not sure what this means, but my /boot partition is properly formatted. And then when I press [Enter] it follows up with some more error stuff, same stuff which I found from other threads regarding nvme installs.

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I thought that AL installer knew how to handle nvmes by default in 2022, doesn’t look that way?

I mean the drive itself works just fine, but I’d love to use it as my primary system drive with AL installed on it :stuck_out_tongue:

#2

:nerd_face: of course it does handle NVME drives; I’ve only installed it over the last years on my NVME. Don’t know what exactly is the issue. But I assume you did your own partioning and sth went wrong there? Searching with your error delivered this link from Archlinux: [solved] Stuck in installation of bootloader / Installation / Arch Linux Forums

5 Likes
#3

Hello!

Have you checked with lshw (or similar) if the drive is recognized?
Did you partition with AL-installer or with other application?

A live distro should probably come in handy.

womp

#4

Ok, the problem was precisely what the error says xD even though partition was formatted properly (vfat for boot) it was not GPT, but dos.

I use fdisk, but forgot this step to set the disk label to GPT. And if it is dos, then for some reason you are only able to create 4 partitions, but 128 partitions with gpt. With fdisk you can type m to list all commands, or just type g :slight_smile: this is what sets the drive as gpt!

There was no other issues and it installed perfectly, in fact I have seen this problem before even with regular ssd lol.

2 Likes
#5

Glad that you got it fixed @Sorcerer . Props to @Peppe for the help.

#6

Great it helped! Happy sailing :wink: