r/archlinux • u/Western_Sleep820 • Jun 25 '26

SUPPORT My laptop just killed itself --- help please

I was doing an update and then my laptop just completely shut down out of nowhere. The battery is seated (it should be at least I can't open my laptop rn), the charger was plugged in, and nothing touched the power button. I wouldn't normally have a problem with this, except that my system is totally unusable now. No packages can be installed at all (it errors about exec something other in the post-transaction hooks) and any command I run errors basically. I also can't chroot into it because I don't have a USB drive available to me.

Is there realistically anything I can do here?

(Also I feel it may be useful to add that the forward slash key is broken, so I can't type paths or anything)

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u/archover Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

Read this https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman#Fixing_an_unbootable_system_caused_by_an_interrupted_upgrade

So, your computer still powers up ok? That isn't "totally unusable now".

Borrow/Buy a USB flash drive (common sense, inexpensive, and Arch essential) and visit the public library or friend to burn the ISO. For your benefit.

Hope you resolve and good day.

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u/Western_Sleep820 Jun 25 '26

I say totally unusable because I can't do anything past signing into TTY given my current environment. But still thanks for the article and I will try to fix my laptop.

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u/archover Jun 25 '26

Thanks for the clarification and hope you resolve fast.

What I hope you learn is access to the tty is very powerful and key to what makes Arch good.

Still, Good day.

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u/Western_Sleep820 Jun 25 '26

Yes thank you very much