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StinkyEmptyAfterlife

Member

Registered: 2026-05-29

Posts: 7  

Help! Install failing repeatedly/failing to mount file system ext4

Hello. I attempted to install Devuan 6 on my main PC today. However, the installation failed multiple times. At this point, it isn't getting past the partitioning stage. I had Windows 11 up and running up till this point. Before installing, I tinkered with the BIOS a bit. I disabled and cleared the TPM chip and disabled the "Absolute" tracking system. I am not sure if these changes are relevant, but moving on to the installation... Each time I tried to install I was warned that the intel/sof/sof-tgl.ri firmware was missing. I ignored it as it seemed to be unrelated to the download. The first time through I didn't even manage to get past NW configuration. I had to try again with an Ethernet connection. 2nd time, the installation was almost fully complete, but encountered this:

Configuring shim-signed:amd64
Unable to configure GRUB
Executing 'update-grub' failed
This is a fatal error

After which the installer took me back to the main menu. I had the option to try installing the GRUB boot loader again, but it once again failed. I aborted the install and tried again, but when my PC restarted it took me to some kind of GRUB terminal. I restarted and went to BIOS this time. 'debian' was now above my installation USB in the boot order, but I booted from the installation media manually.

And that's where I'm at now. Partitioning fails every time I try to install. I tried switching the installation USB for a fresh one; no dice. This is the error I keep getting now:

The attempt to mount a file system with type ext4 in /dev/nvme0n1p2 at / failed.

Currently, nvme0n1p2 is a 989GB ext4 partition. So yeah, my computer is a bit unusable right now but at least I can boot from USBs. I could really use some help to fix this and properly install Devuan. I read somewhere that the issue could be that my ext4 partition is corrupted, but I don't know if that is the case for me.

Last edited by StinkyEmptyAfterlife (Today 06:05:26)

kapqa

Member

Registered: 2019-01-02

Posts: 670  

Re: Help! Install failing repeatedly/failing to mount file system ext4

one safe bet with desktop computer is always to go into BUOS and press F5 or F8 for default setting;
afterwards you can attempt to install Linux in UEFI or Legacy Modo depending on your needs.
found that with Linux the most failsafe has been to install from burned DVD-iso's , but modern .iso not always find enough space on a 4.7-GB-DVD or even 8.5-GB-DVD;
Devaun is here a notable exception; but had bit more problem lately with installing Devuan 6 than before;

you just need make sure that your eventual Windows installation and Linux are installed the same method (UEFI or legacy BIOS), otherwise grub won't see them vis-a-vis.

if you have a newer computer, it will most certainly be with UEFI (even UEFI only);
sometimes Microsoft forces on certain Windows pre-installed OEM-PC Secure-Boot setting, which makes it ab it more difficult to install Linux, but eventually you will succeed.

rolfie

Member

Registered: 2017-11-25

Posts: 1,451  

Re: Help! Install failing repeatedly/failing to mount file system ext4

Hi there. I do not get the full picture yet, your post is a bit confused.

I had Windows 11 up and running up till this point.

What is your goal? Replace Win11 completely or a parallel installation to Win11? The steps to take are different. Before going into details, we should clarify this topic.

Before installing, I tinkered with the BIOS a bit. I disabled and cleared the TPM chip and disabled the "Absolute" tracking system.

TPM isn't relevant for the installation of Excalibur.

Personally, I would go and switch off Secure Boot. On some PCs this is called "Other OS". And I delete all SB keys. Don't need them.

What is this "the "Absolute" tracking system"?

Each time I tried to install I was warned that the intel/sof/sof-tgl.ri firmware was missing.

This is Audio stuff, you can ignore it until Excalibur is up and running.

The first time through I didn't even manage to get past NW configuration. I had to try again with an Ethernet connection.

You may install w/o network. I often do.

Setting up wifi can be very challening in the installer, depending on the HW used. The better solution: Ethernet normally is no big problem, except for on some exotic chipsets.

I had the option to try installing the GRUB boot loader again, but it once again failed.

Sounds like there is an issue with getting the efi grub installed. That can have several reasons. Maybe a confusion between legacy/efi install?

Some remarks:
Your PC must be an modern UEFI capable system, that means only an installation in efi mode makes sense. Make sure that you have disabled CSM in the bios.

When booting the install media, make sure you boot it in efi mode. The bios should show a prefix like efi or uefi before the name of the device.

For an efi installation you need a FAT32 formatted ESP partition. When you do manual partitioning, the ESP has to be configured in the partitioner as ESP, it does not need to be partitioned. Win leaves a relatively small ESP of a bit more than 100MB. When you do a clean Devuan only install, spend 1024 MiB. 

It should be no deal to use /dev/nvme0n1p2 as / with ext4 file system. When its empty, you can have it formatted by the installer without data loss. Just the assignment has to be correct.

Good luck.

PS: Here you can find some reading: https://www.devuan.org/os/install

Last edited by rolfie (Today 13:31:31)

rbit

Member

Registered: 2018-06-12

Posts: 124  

Re: Help! Install failing repeatedly/failing to mount file system ext4

What's the filename of the ISO you're using?

From your description, I'm pretty sure you're using one of the installer ISOs, not the live ISO, but just want confirmation of that.

You mentioned you're using USB for the installer.  How did you copy the ISO image to the USB drive?  The preferred method is to write the ISO directly to the USB block device (for example, using dd).  Multiboot schemes may cause issues with the installer, such as booting it in legacy mode instead of EFI mode.

StinkyEmptyAfterlife

Member

Registered: 2026-05-29

Posts: 7  

Re: Help! Install failing repeatedly/failing to mount file system ext4

First of all, thanks for the help thus far. I'll provide a bit more context than my initial post in this reply. First of all, I am using a laptop not desktop. My plan was/is to completely switch from Windows 11 to Devuan 6. No dual booting. Second, the ISO I am using is "devuan_excalibur_6.1.1_amd64_netinstall.iso". I burned it right onto the USB with BalenaEtcher and I'm booting straight from it. Strangely enough, when I go into BIOS the USB shows up twice but booting the first one brings up the installer (haven't tried the second).

For my BIOS settings, I already disabled Secure Boot but didn't mention it in my first post. The "Absolute" tracking system is to my understanding a feature that helps you get the physical location of your PC if you lost it. I didn't have the relevant software so I saw no reason to keep it enabled.

Now in terms of the EFI/UEFI/legacy stuff, I am not very familiar with those so I might need some more help. I can confirm BIOS is listing my USB as UEFI. My BIOS doesn't have a CSM option. I suppose my PC is UEFI only.

Last thing: to my understanding I should be all clear to fully wipe the drive and try again? Theres an option to do that right in BIOS I just dont want to mess anything up. Also, should I go for manual instead of auto partitioning? One of you mentioned making a 1024 MB partition for ESP.