"efibootmgr: Could not set variable Boot0000: No such file or directory" and "efibootmgr: Could not prepare boot variable: No such file or directory"

Question

grub-efi-amd64-signed installing for x86_64-efi platform occasionally (~1 out of 20 tests) fails to create the Boot0000 record with the following errors "efibootmgr: Could not set variable Boot0000: No such file or directory" and "efibootmgr: Could not prepare boot variable: No such file or directory"

I have even attempted to delete all boot records before running grub-install -v /dev/sda without success.

I want to get this reliability working using grub over suggested readings to use rEFInd.

The rEFInd Boot Manager: Keeping rEFInd Booting

The following sequence is my debug information:

+ efibootmgr -v
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 1 seconds
No BootOrder is set; firmware will attempt recovery
Boot0002* Hard Drive    BBS(HD,,0x0)AMGOAMNO........m.K.I.N.G.S.T.O.N. .S.M.S.2.0.0.S.3.6.0.G....................A.........................>..Gd-.;.A..MQ..L.0.5.2.0.B.6.2.7.1.6.3.0.5.B.B.D. . . . ......AMBOAMNO........{.K.i.n.g.s.t.o.n.D.a.t.a.T.r.a.v.e.l.e.r. .3...0.P.M.A.P....................A.......................N..Gd-.;.A..MQ..L.K.i.n.g.s.t.o.n.D.a.t.a.T.r.a.v.e.l.e.r. .3...0.P.M.A.P......AMBO
Boot0003* UEFI: KingstonDataTraveler 3.0PMAP    PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1d,0x7)/USB(2,0)/HD(1,MBR,0x4294967189,0x800,0x1cdf000)AMBO

update-grub

Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-131-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-131-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
done
++ seq 0 9

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0000 -B

efibootmgr: Could not delete Boot0000: No such file or directory
efibootmgr: Could not delete boot variable: No such file or directory

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0001 -B

efibootmgr: Could not delete Boot0001: No such file or directory
efibootmgr: Could not delete boot variable: No such file or directory

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0002 -B

BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 1 seconds
No BootOrder is set; firmware will attempt recovery
Boot0003* UEFI: KingstonDataTraveler 3.0PMAP

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0003 -B

BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 1 seconds
No BootOrder is set; firmware will attempt recovery

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0004 -B

efibootmgr: Could not delete Boot0004: No such file or directory
efibootmgr: Could not delete boot variable: No such file or directory

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0005 -B

efibootmgr: Could not delete Boot0005: No such file or directory
efibootmgr: Could not delete boot variable: No such file or directory

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0006 -B

efibootmgr: Could not delete Boot0006: No such file or directory
efibootmgr: Could not delete boot variable: No such file or directory

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0007 -B

efibootmgr: Could not delete Boot0007: No such file or directory
efibootmgr: Could not delete boot variable: No such file or directory

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0008 -B

efibootmgr: Could not delete Boot0008: No such file or directory
efibootmgr: Could not delete boot variable: No such file or directory

for i in '$(seq 0 9)'
efibootmgr -b 0009 -B

efibootmgr: Could not delete Boot0009: No such file or directory
efibootmgr: Could not delete boot variable: No such file or directory

efibootmgr -v

BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 1 seconds
No BootOrder is set; firmware will attempt recovery

grub-install -v /dev/sda

grub-install: info: executing modprobe efivars 2>/dev/null.
grub-install: info: Looking for /sys/firmware/efi ...
grub-install: info: ...found.
Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
grub-install: info: cannot open /boot/grub/device.map': No such file or directory. grub-install: info: /dev/sda1 is not present. grub-install: info: Looking for /dev/sda1. grub-install: info: /dev/sda is a parent of /dev/sda1. grub-install: info: /dev/sda1 starts from 34. grub-install: info: opening the device hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: drive = 0. grub-install: info: the size of hostdisk//dev/sda is 117231408. grub-install: info: drive = 0. grub-install: info: the size of hostdisk//dev/sda is 117231408. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Partition 0 starts from 34. grub-install: info: /dev/sda1 is present. grub-install: info: Looking for /dev/sda1. grub-install: info: /dev/sda is a parent of /dev/sda1. grub-install: info: /dev/sda1 starts from 34. grub-install: info: opening the device hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: drive = 0. grub-install: info: the size of hostdisk//dev/sda is 117231408. grub-install: info: drive = 0. grub-install: info: the size of hostdisk//dev/sda is 117231408. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Partition 0 starts from 34. grub-install: info: /dev/sda1 is present. grub-install: info: Looking for /dev/sda1. grub-install: info: /dev/sda is a parent of /dev/sda1. grub-install: info: /dev/sda1 starts from 34. grub-install: info: opening the device hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: drive = 0. grub-install: info: the size of hostdisk//dev/sda is 117231408. grub-install: info: drive = 0. grub-install: info: the size of hostdisk//dev/sda is 117231408. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for DISKFILTER devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid1x devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09_be devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for mdraid09 devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for dmraid_nv devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: Scanning for ldm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: scanning hostdisk//dev/sda for LDM. grub-install: info: no LDM signature found. grub-install: info: Scanning for lvm devices on disk hostdisk//dev/sda. grub-install: info: no LVM signature found. grub-install: info: Partition 0 starts from 34. grub-install: info: drive = 0. grub-install: info: the size of hostdisk//dev/sda is 117231408. ...grub-install info continued... grub-install: info: adding 170 padding fixup entries. grub-install: info: writing 960 bytes of a fixup block starting at 0xc000. grub-install: info: reading /usr/lib/grub/x86_64-efi/fshelp.mod. grub-install: info: reading /usr/lib/grub/x86_64-efi/ext2.mod. grub-install: info: reading /usr/lib/grub/x86_64-efi/part_gpt.mod. grub-install: info: reading /usr/lib/grub/x86_64-efi/search_fs_uuid.mod. grub-install: info: reading /boot/grub/x86_64-efi/load.cfg. grub-install: info: kernel_img=0xd7cc90, kernel_size=0x18a00. grub-install: info: the core size is 0x1dbd8. grub-install: info: writing 0x1ee00 bytes. grub-install: info: copying/usr/lib/shim/shimx64.efi.signed' -> /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu/shimx64.efi'. grub-install: info: copying/usr/lib/grub/x86_64-efi-signed/grubx64.efi.signed' -> /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu/grubx64.efi'. grub-install: info: copying/usr/lib/shim/mmx64.efi' -> /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu/mmx64.efi'. grub-install: info: copying/boot/grub/x86_64-efi/load.cfg' -> /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu/grub.cfg'. grub-install: info: Registering with EFI: distributor =ubuntu', path = `\EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi', ESP at hostdisk//dev/sda,gpt1.
grub-install: info: executing efibootmgr --version </dev/null >/dev/null.
grub-install: info: executing modprobe -q efivars.
grub-install: info: executing efibootmgr -c -d /dev/sda -p 1 -w -L ubuntu -l \EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi.
efibootmgr: Could not set variable Boot0000: No such file or directory
efibootmgr: Could not prepare boot variable: No such file or directory
Installation finished. No error reported.

update-grub

Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-131-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-131-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
done

efibootmgr -v

BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 1 seconds
No BootOrder is set; firmware will attempt recovery

I have written a bash script to 100% reproduce this problem:

#!/bin/bash
# UEFI NVRAM Variable Reproducibility Unit Test
set -x
while true
do
        efibootmgr -v
        for i in $(seq 0 9)
        do
                efibootmgr -b 000$i -B
        done
        efibootmgr -v
        grub-install
        if [ $(efibootmgr -v | grep -c ubuntu) -eq 0 ]
        then
                echo "BUG!!! OS will now fail to boot!!!"
                exit 0
        fi
done

The following is my workaround solution:

# ensure fallback UEFI NVRAM boot record variable exists
efibootmgr -c -d /dev/sda -p 1 -w -L fallback -l '\EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi'

Creating a second redundant boot record is a perfect workaround for my unreliable hardware problem. This way grub-install can continue to delete, edit and use the Boot0000/ubuntu record. If the Boot0000/ubuntu record is ever lost then the Boot0001/fallback untouched record will be automatically selected by the BIOS and boot the OS.

/var/log/kern.log -> kernel: [ 179.804812] efivars: set_variable() failed: status=8000000000000009

This in combination with the efi_no_storage_paranoia=1 kernel parameter gives me the hardware reliability I need.

Answer 1

I have a similar problem with my ACER SWITCH3 SW312-31. I contacted ACER support and received the answer, that the only way to update the EFI (frimware) is to use the installed windows10. I could not find any way with the installed EFI to update the firmware. Fortunately now I could boot and log in regularly into my (root) account. I am not certain how I maged it. Before I could not, I updated ubuntu 19.04 to 19.10 and on EFI I uploaded the new GRUB / EFI files. Than it happend again, that I could not log in. It seamed that a graphic driver did not work properly. The latest action was to disable the EFI secure cheeck and I could log in. I will check all logging.

Answer 2

You need to be booted in UEFI mode and have efivarfs mounted:

mount efivarfs /sys/firmware/efi/efivars -t efivarfs

Mounting efivarfs will fail if you're not running in UEFI mode, so that is an easy test. If you cannot boot your distro in UEFI mode directly (e.g. by starting shimx64.efi or grubx64.efi from the UEFI Shell), then booting a rescue system like GRML is probably your best bet.