Recovery

GRUB Tips

Boot from GRUB rescue

If bootloader file is damaged, it’s still possible to boot computer with GRUB rescue image.

This section is also applicable if you are in grub rescue>.

1. On another computer, generate rescue image with:

   pacman -S --needed mtools libisoburn grub
   grub-mkrescue -o grub-rescue.img
   dd if=grub-rescue.img of=/dev/your-usb-stick
   

   Boot computer from the rescue media. Both legacy and EFI mode are supported.

   Skip this step if you are in GRUB rescue.

2. List available disks with ls command:

   grub> ls (hd # press tab
   Possible devices are:
   
    hd0 hd1 hd2 hd3
   

   If you are dropped to GRUB rescue instead of booting from GRUB rescue image, boot disk can be found out with:

   echo $root
   # cryto0
   # hd0,gpt2
   

   GRUB configuration is loaded from:

   echo $prefix
   # (crypto0)/sys/BOOT/default@/grub
   # (hd0,gpt2)/sys/BOOT/default@/grub
   

3. List partitions by pressing tab key:

   grub> ls (hd0 # press tab
   Possible partitions are:
   
   Device hd0: No known filesystem detected - Sector size 512B - Total size  20971520KiB
   Partition hd0,gpt1: Filesystem type fat - Label `EFI', UUID 0DF5-3A76 - Partition start at 1024KiB - Total size 1048576KiB
   Partition hd0,gpt2: No known filesystem detected - Partition start at 1049600KiB - Total size 4194304KiB
   

   • If boot pool is encrypted:

     Unlock it with cryptomount:

     grub> insmod luks
     grub> cryptomount hd0,gpt2
     Attempting to decrypt master key...
     Enter passphrase for hd0,gpt2 (af5a240e13e24483acf02600d61e0f36):
     Slot 1 opened
     

     Unlocked LUKS container is (crypto0):

     grub> ls (crypto0)
     Device crypto0: Filesystem type zfs - Label `bpool_ip3tdb' - Last modification
     time 2021-05-03 12:14:08 Monday, UUID f14d7bdf89fe21fb - Sector size 512B -
     Total size 4192256KiB
     

   • If boot pool is not encrypted:

     grub> ls (hd0,gpt2)
     Device hd0,gpt2: Filesystem type zfs - Label `bpool_ip3tdb' - Last modification
     time 2021-05-03 12:14:08 Monday, UUID f14d7bdf89fe21fb - Sector size 512B -
     Total size 4192256KiB
     

4. List boot environments nested inside bpool/$INST_ID/BOOT:

   grub> ls (crypto0)/sys/BOOT
   @/ default/ be0/
   

5. Instruct GRUB to load configuration from be0 boot environment then enter normal mode:

   grub> prefix=(crypto0)/sys/BOOT/be0/@/grub
   grub> insmod normal
   grub> normal
   

6. GRUB menu should now appear.

7. After entering system, reinstall GRUB.

Switch GRUB prefix when disk fails

If you are using LUKS encrypted boot pool with multiple disks, the primary disk failed, GRUB will fail to load configuration.

If there’s still enough redundancy for the boot pool, try fix GRUB with the following method:

1. Ensure Slot 1 opened message is shown

   Welcome to GRUB!
   
   error: no such cryptodisk found.
   Attempting to decrypt master key...
   Enter passphrase for hd0,gpt2 (c0987ea1a51049e9b3056622804de62a):
   Slot 1 opened
   error: disk `cryptouuid/47ed1b7eb0014bc9a70aede3d8714faf' not found.
   Entering rescue mode...
   grub rescue>
   

   If error: access denied. is shown, try re-enter password with:

   grub rescue> cryptomount hd0,gpt2
   

2. Check prefix:

   grub rescue > set
   # prefix=(cryptouuid/47ed1b7eb0014bc9a70aede3d8714faf)/sys/BOOT/be0@/grub
   # root=cryptouuid/47ed1b7eb0014bc9a70aede3d8714faf
   

3. Set correct prefix and root by replacing cryptouuid/UUID with crypto0:

   grub rescue> prefix=(crypto0)/sys/BOOT/default@/grub
   grub rescue> root=crypto0
   

4. Boot GRUB:

   grub rescue> insmod normal
   grub rescue> normal
   

   GRUB should then boot normally.

5. After entering system, edit /etc/fstab to promote one backup to /boot/efi.

6. Make the change to prefix and root permanent by reinstalling GRUB.

Access system in chroot

1. Go through preparation.

2. Import and unlock root and boot pool:

   zpool import -NR /mnt rpool_$INST_UUID
   zpool import -NR /mnt bpool_$INST_UUID
   

   If using password:

   zfs load-key rpool_$INST_UUID/$INST_ID
   

   If using keyfile:

   zfs load-key -L file:///path/to/keyfile rpool_$INST_UUID/$INST_ID
   

3. Find the current boot environment:

   zfs list
   BE=default
   

4. Mount root filesystem:

   zfs mount rpool_$INST_UUID/$INST_ID/ROOT/$BE
   

5. chroot into the system:

   arch-chroot /mnt /bin/bash --login
   zfs mount -a
   mount -a
   

6. Finish rescue. See finish installation.

Backup and migrate existing installation

With the help of zfs send it is relatively easy to perform a system backup and migration.

1. Create a snapshot of root file system:

   zfs snapshot -r rpool/arch@backup
   zfs snapshot -r bpool/arch@backup
   

2. Save snapshot to a file or pipe to SSH:

   zfs send --options rpool/arch@backup > /backup/arch-rpool
   zfs send --options bpool/arch@backup > /backup/arch-bpool
   

3. Re-create partitions and root/boot pool on target system.

4. Restore backup:

   zfs recv rpool_new/arch < /backup/arch-rpool
   zfs recv bpool_new/arch < /backup/arch-bpool
   

5. Chroot and reinstall bootloader.

6. Update pool name in /etc/fstab, /boot/grub/grub.cfg and /etc/zfs/zfs-list.cache/*.

7. Update device name, etc, in /etc/fstab and /etc/crypttab.