NixOS Bootloader not working.

Stin6667 · July 1, 2023

Good day,

I have been banging my head on this for almost 2 days. I even used ChatGPT. And it still won't boot. I knew this project would be difficult. I just didn't know how.

I have gotten all the way to nixos-install. I keep getting an error, can not boot. error: Warning: do not know how to make this configuration bootable; please enable a boot loader

1) I have have used the default setting
2) I even put in grub.

3) extensive pointing at where to install the bootloader

But when enable uefi in the bios, the the drive will not show up. but when I change it to legacy it shows up. but in the the config file spefically has efi. As I am writing this I am going to try change both the BIOS and the config file to legacy and try. Any help will be AWESOME!

current code:

# Use the systemd-boot EFI boot loader.

boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;

boot.loader.efi.canTouchEfiVariables = true;

Thanks

J

Inception9269 · July 1, 2023

@Stin6667 Not sure if this is the problem, but have you tried using a different USB to do the install?

Last year was when I got super into Linux, and have tried out a whole bunch of distros before running one (EndeavourOS) exclusively for around 6 months. Eventually though I went over to Windows 11 (specifically the Ghost Spectre iso, wouldn't have gone to it if not for that). In this past month though I've been wanting to go back to Linux, but for some reason I was struggling to get the installation to work.

EndeavourOS I consider to be my tried and true distro, the one that never failed me, but I couldn't get it to install for the life of me. Garuda being my other go-to distro (with Arch based distros being the ones I love most). For both attempts I'd just get stuck on the black screen with white text, with it stuck on there with Garuda, while EndeavourOS would proceed with loading up all the modules and getting the OS ready to boot, but it'd always come to a stop before getting to desktop.

Even on a separate PC of mine it just wouldn't work. Eventually I decided to try using a different USB to do the install, and sure enough the UEFI boot option presented itself for that USB, and I was able to successfully install EndeavourOS (which I've been using for this past week).

Stin6667 · July 1, 2023

5 minutes ago, Inception9269 said:

@Stin6667 Not sure if this is the problem, but have you tried using a different USB to do the install?

Last year was when I got super into Linux, and have tried out a whole bunch of distros before running one (EndeavourOS) exclusively for around 6 months. Eventually though I went over to Windows 11 (specifically the Ghost Spectre iso, wouldn't have gone to it if not for that). In this past month though I've been wanting to go back to Linux, but for some reason I was struggling to get the installation to work.

EndeavourOS I consider to be my tried and true distro, the one that never failed me, but I couldn't get it to install for the life of me. Garuda being my other go-to distro (with Arch based distros being the ones I love most). For both attempts I'd just get stuck on the black screen with white text, with it stuck on there with Garuda, while EndeavourOS would proceed with loading up all the modules and getting the OS ready to boot, but it'd always come to a stop before getting to desktop.

Even on a separate PC of mine it just wouldn't work. Eventually I decided to try using a different USB to do the install, and sure enough the UEFI boot option presented itself for that USB, and I was able to successfully install EndeavourOS (which I've been using for this past week).

I got the installer working, I have installed it. but it won't boot. it says there is no boot loader

Inception9269 · July 1, 2023

46 minutes ago, Stin6667 said:

I got the installer working, I have installed it. but it won't boot. it says there is no boot loader

I never used NixOS, so I don't really know how their developers do things. You could try redoing the installation of it, or going into the live USB. I've used some distros that either on the live USB desktop, or as a button on the installation window present you with the ability to reinstall the bootloader. If they don't give you an option, only advice I can give is to do another installation attempt and see if that works (also I'd recommend installing to a dedicated drive, and not trying to dual boot with windows or some other distro. I have had linux installs that have broken as a result of trying to dual boot). I have had many linux installations in the past where one installation will fail, but the second time around will just magically work.

If none of that helps, honestly you should hit up NixOS' forums (if they have forums of their own). Whenever I have a problem with specific distros, I've learned that you're far more likely to get good advice and instructions on their own forums and not on this one here.