Fresh installation goes straight into GRUB mode (not rescue) with error: invalid filesystem.

[manu144x]

I've recently purchased a small mini pc with the intent to put a Proxmox with 2-3 containers maybe a VM on it. It's a Blackview MP80, if it helps.
It had a Windows 11 installation on it but I took it down obviously. From what I've been able to gather it has a 512GB SATA SSD, 16 GB of RAM and some Intel Alder Lake CPU.

I just did the installation normally (would be my 3rd Proxmox setup at this point) but as soon as it reboots after the installation I get the error: invalid filesystem and boots into GRUB. I tried to boot from the USB stick with rescue mode, I was able to boot and login into it, I've tried several of the solutions I've found that recommend using proxmox boot but nothing works. It keeps saying something about missing kernel when I try to init or reinit or anything really with the proxmox-boot-tool.

I have no configuration, nothing, I've reinstalled it 5 times already, same exact issue. I've also disabled Secure Boot, assuming it would help, reinstalled again, but it went again into the same routine. The installation runs fine, it detects the ssd, correct size and everything.

At least an idea or to point in a direction would be helpful, I could take it from there.

 

[SkyZoThreaD]

Hey ! what filesystem did ya choose ? ext4 ?
Thi is definitely uefi related but perhaps that hardware cant go legacy ?

 

[manu144x]

Yes, good old fashion ext4, I manage my backups well and I don't want the headaches of ZFS.

I tried enabling legacy mode but there's no option about it in the BIOS. Only UEFI.

 

[SkyZoThreaD]

I think the installer tried to install grub on the wrong drive. Maybe the bootloader you use on your thumbdrive ?
I personally use Ventoy. Never failed me so far...
Tho, it's a Debian.. you can still chroot it and do a grub-install2.

 

[manu144x]

I've tried to do the grub-install but I get the same message:

grub-install /dev/sda2 (I checked and this is not the USB, it's the 512 SSD) and that's what's mounted at /dev/boot
grub-install.real: error: unknown filesystem.

 

[manu144x]

Just for the fun of it, I tried also with the previous version, Proxmox 7, that one won't even boot into the installer...

Seems there may be something weird happening here, I might just buy a small nvme drive and use it instead of the sata one, maybe I'll get lucky.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/M8VwVNCceCz9QsYQ9

 

[SkyZoThreaD]

Grub-install in efi is supposed to take the mounted folder.

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi

Tho, the root cause is probably the boot loader of your installation media as I said earlier. Have-you tried Ventoy ?

 

[fabian]

ventoy wouldn't help..

does this system have more than one disk? can you post the output of "efibootmgr -v" when booted from a live CD in UEFI mode (or the rescue option of the PVE installer, if that works)?

 

[manu144x]

No, just one. The system did come with Windows 11 preinstalled. Would the problem be that proxmox did not completely format the hard drive?
I see there's something about Windows Boot Manager there...

 

[fabian]

could you also provide "mount" ? and maybe retry the grub-install with "-v"? thanks!

 

[manu144x]

Grub-install in efi is supposed to take the mounted folder.

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi

Tho, the root cause is probably the boot loader of your installation media as I said earlier. Have-you tried Ventoy ?

Well, it seems you were correct. I created the initial media with Rufus. I did it with Ventoy and it seems to have worked. It now gets stuck at Loading initial ramdisk... )

I've had this before with a complete installation and I had to reinstall it in the end. Maybe the hardware really does have some issues.

 

[fabian]

the "no more output after loading ramdisk" sounds like you might need some kernel parameter/.. to get graphical output working.. does the host come up (check with ping/..)?

 

[leesteken]

Well, it seems you were correct. I created the initial media with Rufus. I did it with Ventoy and it seems to have worked. It now gets stuck at Loading initial ramdisk... )

Check if you're not running into this problem with Ventoy: https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/pve-8-2-fresh-install-hangs-hard-on-reboot.151605/post-687659

 

[manu144x]

Check if you're not running into this problem with Ventoy: https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/pve-8-2-fresh-install-hangs-hard-on-reboot.151605/post-687659

Yes, that was the issue, booted back into the ventroy with proxmox installer, changed the grub and I AM IN!

Thank you all for your help!

 

[SkyZoThreaD]

You're welcome mate