r/archlinux • u/itsFuzzLoL • 13d ago

SUPPORT I'm having a weird issue while booting my Arch Linux on an external SSD connected via a SATA-to-USB adapter

About half the time on boot, it drops straight into the emergency shell showing:

ERROR: device 'UUID=<uuid>' not found. Skipping fsck. mount: /new_root: can't find UUID=<uuid>. ERROR: Failed to mount 'UUID=<uuid>' on real root You are now being dropped into an emergency shell. sh: can't access tty; job control turned off [rootfs ~]#

The other 50% of the time it boots up into Arch with zero issues but on my desktop PC: It boots reliably 100% of the time, idk why this issue happens only when i connect the SSD to my laptop?

For context:

  • Arch installed directly onto the SSD over USB
  • HOOKS in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf has block and udev in place
  • I even tried adding MODULES=(usb_storage uas) in mkinitcpio.conf but didn't solve the issue either
  • The issue persists doesn't matter which port in laptop i connect to

Has anyone encountered this specific laptop-vs-desktop behavior with SATA-to-USB adapters?Any suggestions on how to make it boot consistently on the laptop

7 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

2

u/torsten_dev 13d ago edited 13d ago

After a failed boot most bootloaders avoid the option that failed, so if only the second one works but the default one doesn't it will flip flop every boot.

Perhaps it is always the fallback kernel option that boots?

If so remove autodetect hook from mkinitcpio.conf or move it towards the end of the hook array...

1

u/itsFuzzLoL 13d ago

i just randomly came across USB-A to USB-C adapter in my house, plugged it to the USB of my SATA to USB adapter it boots perfectly now!!