Can't Install CachyOS on Laptop — Bootctl Error Code 1

Max · October 10, 2025, 9:04pm

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to install CachyOS for the first time on my Asus laptop, but I can’t get the installation to complete successfully. It always fails at roughly the same point, no matter which boot manager I use (I’ve tried GRUB, systemd-boot, and Limine).

Secure Boot and Fast Boot are both disabled in the BIOS. I’ve also reformatted my USB drive twice, but I still get the same error.

Here’s the error message (using GRUB):

The installation command [‘bootctl’, ‘–path=/tmp/calamares-root-eh_m8jc1/boot’, ‘install’] returned error code 1.

And here’s the full log: https://termbin.com/p0fz

Does anyone know what might be causing this issue? Any help would be appreciated!

triam · October 11, 2025, 5:18am

2025-10-10 - 18:28:09 [6]:     Setting up actions for "/dev/nvme0n1" with 0 entries. 
2025-10-10 - 18:28:09 [6]:     ..  Can not resize "/dev/nvme0n1" , filesystem "unknown" does not support resize. 
2025-10-10 - 18:28:09 [6]:     ..  Checking if "/dev/nvme0n1" can be replaced. 
2025-10-10 - 18:28:09 [6]:     ..  NO, insufficient storage 
     Required  storage B: 9126805504 "(8GiB)" 
     Available storage B: 1048576 "(0GiB)" 
2025-10-10 - 18:28:09 [6]:     ..  NO, insufficient storage 
     Required  storage B: 11274289152 "(10.5GiB)" 
     Available storage B: 314568704 "(0GiB)" for "/dev/nvme0n1p1" length: 614400 sectorsUsed: 8 fsType: "fat32" 
2025-10-10 - 18:28:09 [6]:     ..  Checking if "/dev/nvme0n1p1" can be replaced. 
2025-10-10 - 18:28:09 [6]:     ..  NO, insufficient storage 
     Required  storage B: 9126805504 "(8GiB)" 
     Available storage B: 314572800 "(0GiB)" 
2025-10-10 - 18:28:09 [6]:     ..  Can not resize "/dev/nvme0n1p2" , filesystem "luks" does not support resize. 
2025-10-10 - 18:28:09 [6]:     ..  Checking if "/dev/nvme0n1p2" can be replaced.

EFI partition too small or no free space to write the bootloader? Try recreating the partition table with GParted (this will wipe the disk), then retry and let Calamares handle the partitioning. If it still fails, try manual partitioning. Dual boot ?

Max · October 12, 2025, 1:38pm

I tried partitioning with GParted and rebooting, but I got the same error.
Manual partitioning also fails. Could it be a problem with my USB drive, or is the PC itself blocking the installation?

mattsteg · October 12, 2025, 1:55pm

Partitioning to what? How is your disk currently partitioned, and do you want to keep whatever is on it?

Max · October 12, 2025, 2:17pm

I only have one SSD in the laptop. I partitioned it to FAT32, and I don’t want to keep anything on it.

mattsteg · October 12, 2025, 2:18pm

So just delete all partitions. You don’t want to partition it to FAT32.

Max · October 12, 2025, 2:36pm

Just did that same error.

mattsteg · October 12, 2025, 3:15pm

Can you share more of what options you are selecting?

Follow this and choose erase disk

Max · October 12, 2025, 5:43pm

I follow the official CachyOS desktop installation guide. With the following steps.

Download the CachyOS desktop ISO file.
Verify the checksum.
Use BalenaEtcher to create a bootable USB drive.
Disable Fast Boot and Secure Boot in the BIOS.
Boot the laptop from the USB drive.
Choose option one in launcher : CachyOs
Connect to Wi-Fi.
Choose GRUB as the bootloader.
Select region: North America → Toronto.
Set keyboard layout to AZERTY.
Choose Erase Disk. (Without encryption) Use Btrfs as the filesystem.
Select KDE Plasma as the desktop environment.
I Don’t touch the additional packages.
Create username and password, then start the installation.

On my last attempt, I used GParted to delete all existing partitions and left the drive as unallocated space before booting from the CachyOS USB drive.

triam · October 12, 2025, 6:49pm

Last layout had two partitions (/boot and /) and no EFI — so it was meant for BIOS, not UEFI?
What was the bootloader’s destination?

mattsteg · October 12, 2025, 6:54pm

There’s also an error downloading a package. Tjos could be a network issue or transient package issue that could rezolve with a retry.

Max · October 12, 2025, 8:16pm

Also, in the BIOS under Boot Options, there’s a “Windows Boot Manager,” but I can’t boot from it. It’s still there even after wiping the drive.

triam · October 12, 2025, 8:43pm

Is the BIOS set to Legacy mode or UEFI ? Did you create an EFI partition during manual partitioning?

Max · October 13, 2025, 3:07pm

How do you check where the boot loader goes ?

I just tried manually partitioning, created

one partition with 2048 Mib with mount point : /boot/efi and flags : boot
One partition with 950Gib with mount point : / and no flags.

And got the same error.

Max · October 13, 2025, 3:08pm

I checked the Bios is set to UEFI.

triam · October 13, 2025, 5:04pm

Irrelevant if UEFI…
What you do should work…

Yanom1212 · October 13, 2025, 5:59pm

I think i have the same problem when installing on my computer

mattsteg · October 13, 2025, 6:23pm

So I circled back and read your logs rather than just the response in-thread.

There’s a 404 error accessing at least one package, possibly a network error or the rolling release getting caught in a gap. rerunning the install might help.

There was also an error in installing the bootloader so that would explain not seeing anything to boot.

Partitioning actually looked like it went fine.

Max · October 13, 2025, 7:53pm

I’ve reinstalled multiple times with different settings, but it always comes back with the same error.

I’ve also remade my bootable USB three times now, and I’m still getting the same issue. What do you suggest I modify to get the bootloader to install correctly?

mattsteg · October 13, 2025, 7:59pm

Does the error come after the system has fully installed? You might be able to just use cachy-chroot to chroot into the installed but unbootable system, run pacman -Syu and then pacman -S YOURBOOTLOADER if so.