Need to format the EFI partition with FAT32 or VFat

[aventide]

In the installation process, I found I needed to google an error message when I was attempting to mount my 512MB EFI partition onto /mnt/boot.

The solution was to first format the partition (FAT32 or VFat seem to be the right ones), and I was able to continue.

Can we add this to the guide?

[ejmg]

Interesting.

When we make the boot partition, formatting it as EFI ought to be the only action required as EFI itself is just a special code for FAT.

Was this on an lenovo x1 gen6? The guide is ultimately meant to help those trying to learn to install/use arch on a X1G6.

If it was on a X1G6, then I am more than open to a footnote/side note on the error message and the solution. Can you provide those?

If it wasn't, I am not necessarily opposed to still putting some kind of footnote. I just want to keep the guide from getting cluttered or confusing for the originally intended audience.

[aventide]

You caught me. I did the install on a third-gen X1 Carbon. I had to remind myself of that throughout the guide, but it still completely worked out, aside from the EFI partition format.

But, I wonder why being a 3rd-gen made any difference in the process, and I wonder if this is actually because I'm using the newest version of Arch (which differs from the guide in that wifi-menu is included by default, for example). There might be other differences now, as well.

Just want to be aware in case any 6th-gen thinkpad users encounter this, I suppose.

Great guide!

EDIT: My Arch version - 2019.07.01

[cdubuisson]

I'm installing Arch on X1 Carbon 6th and i needed to format my EFI partition as well with this command
mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/nvme0n1p1
before being able to mount it (step mount our bootloader)

[ejmg]

So to be clear: You had to exit gdisk and use mkfs specifically to get a functioning EFI partition?

[ejmg]

I would appreciate any error message documentation (what you specifically saw and/or links to what the messages mean via the Arch Wiki or similar authoritative source) and the solution source (again, Arch Wiki links or StackExchange references, etc).

I need a grasp around what actually went wrong as specifically as possible for the sake of ensuring the guide does not, well, misguide end-users. Having these things documented helps with that. Then we can look at how to add it to the guide!

[Morganamilo]

It's simple. Partitions and file systems are different things. Your guide tells people to make an EFI partition. But never tells people to format it.

[ejmg]

That makes a lot more sense for what is going on here, it wasn't really adding up otherwise.

[cdubuisson]

I don't have the exact message anymore but the message was close to the followings:

FAT-fs (nvme0n1p1): error, invalid access to FAT (entry ...)
FAT-fs (nvme0n1p1): filesystem has been set read-only (entry ...)

for the documention to format the EFI partition, i found this link on the arch wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/EFI_system_partition#Format_the_partition

I think you could just add the command to format the EFI partition mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/nvme0n1p1 in https://github.com/ejmg/an-idiots-guide-to-installing-arch-on-a-lenovo-carbon-x1-gen-6#format-and-mount-our-logical-partitions just between "2. swap" and "3. mount our new volumes "

By the way, great guide. Thanks a lot for sharing it :)