AVL-MXE on Macbook: unknown filesystem type 'efivarfs' [Solved]

[fehlix]

mx-goodies:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: 21.02.03+4
Version table:
21.02.03+4 500
500 http://it.mxrepo.com/mx/repo buster/main amd64 Packages
500 http://it.mxrepo.com/mx/repo buster/main i386 Packages

OK, looks good:
do install this way:
First run this, and report any errors, if any:

sudo apt update

if no errors reported, do install it this way:

sudo apt install mx-goodies

If that worked run

quick-system-info-mx

[fehlix]

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Setting up mx-goodies (21.02.03+4) ...
mount: /sys/firmware/efi/efivars: unknown filesystem type 'efivarfs'.
dpkg: error processing package mx-goodies (--configure):
 installed mx-goodies package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 32
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mx-goodies
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Ah ok, we are in a loop ...
OK now, post the output of:

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inxi -Sxxxza

[fehlix]

OK, I think I found what it is...
The issue is related to the PREEMPT_RT kernel used by AVL-MXE, which do disable efivarfs by default.

Now, the fixes:
First let's fix the mx-goodies install hanger:
Please run this commands to finish the installation of mx-goodies:
Do copy/paste this command into terminal:

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sudo sed -i 's%/etc/init.d/efimount$%& || :%' /var/lib/dpkg/info/mx-goodies.postinst

++ EDIT++ corrected the command!
( We will fix it with a updated package also!)
Now finish the installtion

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sudo apt install -f

By this the mx-goodies package would be finally installed

Now the efivarfs fix:
Do run this two commands:

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sudo sed -i 's/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="efi=runtime"/' /etc/default/grub

and

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sudo update-grub

Now reboot and the mentioned issue in post #1 would probably have been fixed.
HTH

+++EDIT+++ Please note the adjusted commands posted

[fehlix]

Just adjusted the commands posted.. do use the latest posted

[darkad]

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sudo dpkg --configure -a
Setting up mx-goodies (21.02.03+4) ...

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[code]
Snapshot created on: 20201203_1342
System:    Host: <filter> Kernel: 5.9.1-rt20avl1 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A 
           parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.9.1-rt20avl1 root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet 
           threadirqs noresume 
           Desktop: Xfce 4.14.3 tk: Gtk 3.24.5 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm4 dm: LightDM 1.26.0 Distro: AVL-MXE 
           base: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) 
Machine:   Type: Unknown System: Apple product: MacBook4,1 v: 1.0 serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 2 v: Mac-F22788A9 
           serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: Apple model: Mac-F22788A9 v: PVT serial: <filter> UEFI: Apple v: MB41.88Z.00C1.B00.0802091535 date: 02/09/08 
CPU:       Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 Duo T8100 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Penryn family: 6 model-id: 17 (23) 
           stepping: 6 microcode: 60F L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 8378 
           Speed: 1197 MHz min/max: 800/2100 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1197 2: 1197 
           Vulnerabilities: Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled 
           Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: EPT disabled 
           Type: mds status: Vulnerable: Clear CPU buffers attempted, no microcode; SMT disabled 
           Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI 
           Type: spec_store_bypass status: Vulnerable 
           Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization 
           Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Full generic retpoline, STIBP: disabled, RSB filling 
           Type: srbds status: Not affected 
           Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics vendor: Apple driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
           chip ID: 8086:2a02 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.10 driver: intel resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 965GM (CL) v: 2.1 Mesa 20.3.4 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel 82801H HD Audio vendor: Apple driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:284b 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.9.1-rt20avl1 
Network:   Device-1: Broadcom and subsidiaries BCM4321 802.11a/b/g/n vendor: Apple AirPort Extreme driver: b43-pci-bridge 
           v: N/A port: efa0 bus ID: 02:00.0 chip ID: 14e4:4328 
           Device-2: Marvell 88E8058 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet driver: sky2 v: 1.30 port: 5000 bus ID: 03:00.0 chip ID: 11ab:436a 
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
           IF-ID-1: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 223.57 GiB used: 13.94 GiB (6.2%) 
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Crucial model: CT240M500SSD1 size: 223.57 GiB block size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B 
           speed: 1.5 Gb/s serial: <filter> rev: MU05 temp: 30 C scheme: GPT 
Partition: ID-1: / raw size: 221.29 GiB size: 216.81 GiB (97.98%) used: 13.94 GiB (6.4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2 
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 2.00 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap swappiness: 10 (default 60) cache pressure: 100 (default) 
           dev: /dev/sda3 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 61.0 C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           1: deb http://liquorix.net/debian/ buster main
           2: deb http://www.bandshed.net/kernels/apt/ buster main
           3: deb [trusted=yes] https://cinelerra-gg.org/download/pkgs/debian10/ buster main
           4: deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/ buster main
           5: deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/ buster stable
           6: deb http://security.debian.org/ buster/updates main
           7: deb-src http://security.debian.org/ buster/updates main
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/connectify.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ buster-updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ buster main contrib non-free
           2: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian-security/ buster/updates main contrib non-free
           3: deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ buster main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kxstudio-debian-ppas.list 
           1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kxstudio-debian/libs/ubuntu/ bionic main
           2: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kxstudio-debian/music/ubuntu/ bionic main
           3: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kxstudio-debian/plugins/ubuntu/ bionic main
           4: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kxstudio-debian/apps/ubuntu/ bionic main
           5: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kxstudio-debian/kxstudio/ubuntu/ bionic main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kxstudio-external.list 
           1: deb [arch=amd64,i386] https://kx.studio/repo/ stable free
           2: deb [arch=amd64,i386] https://kx.studio/repo/ gcc5 free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list 
           1: deb http://it.mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ buster main non-free
           2: deb http://it.mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ buster ahs
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list 
           1: deb http://repository.spotify.com/ stable non-free
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/various.list 
Info:      Processes: 201 Uptime: 15m Memory: 3.83 GiB used: 839.4 MiB (21.4%) Init: SysVinit v: 2.96 runlevel: 5 default: 5 
           Compilers: gcc: 8.3.0 alt: 8 Shell: quick-system-in running in: quick-system-in inxi: 3.0.36 

[/code]

[darkad]

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sudo update-grub
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found theme: /boot/grub/themes/avl-mxe-diehard/theme.txt
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-12.1-liquorix-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.11.0-12.1-liquorix-amd64
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.9.1-rt20avl1
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.9.1-rt20avl1
Found mtest-64.efi image: /boot/uefi-mt/mtest-64.efi
mount: /sys/firmware/efi/efivars: unknown filesystem type 'efivarfs'.

[fehlix]

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sudo update-grub
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found theme: /boot/grub/themes/avl-mxe-diehard/theme.txt
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-12.1-liquorix-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.11.0-12.1-liquorix-amd64
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.9.1-rt20avl1
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.9.1-rt20avl1
Found mtest-64.efi image: /boot/uefi-mt/mtest-64.efi
mount: /sys/firmware/efi/efivars: unknown filesystem type 'efivarfs'.

Yes, you need to reboot, after having applied the grub/efi=runtime part of the fixes.
Your QSI still shows this bootparamter and mssing the one efi=runtime

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System:    Host: <filter> Kernel: 5.9.1-rt20avl1 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A 
           parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.9.1-rt20avl1 root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet 
           threadirqs noresume 

You can also manually edit /etc/default/grub
and change the line:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
to
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="efi=runtime"
save and run update-grub again and reboot.
And when rebooted, check e.g. whith Quick-System info the bootparamter containes efi=runtime.
Now re-run
update-grub
again.

[AVLinux]

Hi,

Thank you @fehlix for your expertise on this, I never would have known the answer... I wonder why I have never encountered this before running RT Kernels for many years...?

[fehlix]

Hi,

Thank you @fehlix for your expertise on this, I never would have known the answer... I wonder why I have never encountered this before running RT Kernels for many years...?

The latest 5.10 kernel we are using now in MX-19.4-AHS as default brought up the issue of not providing automatically access to NVRAM/efivars, when booting in UEFI mode. So we introduced this extra mount of efivars, otherwise grub-install would not be able to create boot entries when booting in UEFI. Now, as we normally not running preempt_rt kernels, we haven't realized that those preempt_rt kernels would also need some special handling to provide efivarfs access. And as it appears efi=runtime added as boot parameter would do the trick. I also checked the 5.10-rt kernel available from mx-ahs repos, which shows the identical symptom to the 5.9-rt kernel, i.e. those would also need the special efi=runtime boot parameter, regardless whether booting in sysvinit or systemd.

[AVLinux]

I see..

So would you recommend making 'efi=runtime' a one of the default boot parameters on the next ISO update?