`pacstrap -i /mnt base` fails because of linux 'leftovers' [SOLVED]

Question

Hi,
In the process of trying to install Arch (on Acer Aspire V3, UEFI Bios, dual-boot with win 8.1) I accidentally skipped the step of manually creating a configuration file to add an entry for Arch Linux to the gummiboot manager. As a result I could not boot into arch and also failed chrooting into it. I then tried to wipe out the linux partitions (root and home) and reinstall the base system, but after wiping them out and loading again arch from the live USB and running
pacstrap -i /mnt base base-devel
I got the following error:
error: failed to commit transaction (conflicting files)
linux: mnt/boot/vmlinuz-linux exists in filesystem
I tried looking it up online but the only similar thing I could find was the Beginners guide entry saying I should run:
pacman-key --init && pacman-key --populate archlinux
I ran it but it didn't help me.
I also ran
efibootmgr -B -b <number>
to delete the linux entry but that did not help either (i.e. the linux entry is gone, but I still get that error message).
I'd like to wipe out any remaining 'leftovers' of the old linux installation and make a new one, without damaging my windows installation (which I assume should mean without wiping out the EFI partition).
How can I achieve that?
Last edited by rangel (2014-02-25 09:45:31)

Answer 1

I have root and home on two separate partitions. I wiped them by deleting the partitions and making new ones using cgdisk. According to this I mounted the EFI system (which is on a separate partition, which came with the win installation) on /mnt/boot using:
mkdir -p /mnt/boot
mount /dev/sdXY /mnt/boot
I assume (but not entirely sure) that I should delete whatever's left in the EFI partition, but I'd like to do it 'surgically' and not wipe it out (so as not to damage the win installation).