Exception: Could not retrieve the required installation files

[Fabio Marconi]

Hello
20120423, amd64 ubuntu
Performed two tests from usb with persistence (used for other installation) with the same result, in win 8 yesterday it works on edubuntu.
I select help me with.., it start, near the end this error.
04-23 18:30 ERROR TaskList: Could not retrieve the required installation files
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "\lib\wubi\backends\common\tasklist.py", line 197, in __call__
  File "\lib\wubi\backends\common\backend.py", line 618, in extract_kernel
Exception: Could not retrieve the required installation files
04-23 18:30 DEBUG TaskList: # Cancelling tasklist
04-23 18:30 DEBUG TaskList: # Finished tasklist
04-23 18:30 ERROR root: Could not retrieve the required installation files
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "\lib\wubi\application.py", line 58, in run
  File "\lib\wubi\application.py", line 130, in select_task
  File "\lib\wubi\application.py", line 205, in run_cd_menu
  File "\lib\wubi\application.py", line 122, in select_task
  File "\lib\wubi\application.py", line 228, in run_cd_boot
  File "\lib\wubi\backends\common\tasklist.py", line 197, in __call__
  File "\lib\wubi\backends\common\backend.py", line 618, in extract_kernel
Exception: Could not retrieve the required installation files

[Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa)]

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/987402

[bcbc (bcbc)]

You've never been able to install from USB - the problem is the ISO size (it measures the whole USB partition). The edubuntu one succeeded (but only because it's beta, would fail after release):
04-22 17:00 DEBUG CommonBackend: Checking C:\ubuntu\install\installation.iso
04-22 17:00 DEBUG Distro: checking Edubuntu ISO C:\ubuntu\install\installation.iso
04-22 17:00 DEBUG Distro: wrong size: 3994284032 > 3500000000
04-22 17:00 DEBUG TaskList: ### Finished check_iso
04-22 17:00 ERROR CommonBackend: CD check failed, but ignoring because CD is Beta
04-22 17:00 DEBUG TaskList: ## Finished use_cd

Now that the image says Release, it's shutting you down:
04-23 18:25 DEBUG Distro: parsing info from str=Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120423)
04-23 18:25 DEBUG Distro: parsed info={'name': 'Ubuntu', 'subversion': 'Release', 'version': '12.04', 'build': '20120423', 'codename': 'Precise Pangolin', 'arch': 'amd64'}
04-23 18:25 INFO Distro: Found a valid CD for Ubuntu: D:\
...
04-23 18:30 DEBUG CommonBackend: Checking C:\ubuntu\install\installation.iso
04-23 18:30 DEBUG Distro: checking Ubuntu ISO C:\ubuntu\install\installation.iso
04-23 18:30 DEBUG Distro: wrong size: 3994284032 > 900000000
04-23 18:30 DEBUG TaskList: ### Finished check_iso
04-23 18:30 DEBUG TaskList: ## Finished use_cd
04-23 18:30 DEBUG TaskList: ## Running extract_kernel...
04-23 18:30 ERROR TaskList: Could not retrieve the required installation files
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "\lib\wubi\backends\common\tasklist.py", line 197, in __call__
  File "\lib\wubi\backends\common\backend.py", line 618, in extract_kernel
Exception: Could not retrieve the required installation files

But in general, this sort of size check (which was designed to prevent installing from a DVD ISO) means that USB installs will fail, unless you have the 'right size partition'. The limit is 900,000,000 bytes, except for the recently added Edubuntu which only has the DVD ISO.

In any case, the Wubi install from CD was disabled for Precise, so not sure why the USB install should be allowed (when it doesn't work anyway). As far as I am aware the only legitimate way to install inside Windows is running Wubi.exe standalone and let it download everything. At least that's what I though that bug 975251 was intended for.

[Evan (ev)]

I've committed a fix as:
http://people.canonical.com/~evand/wubi/precise/wubi-r266.exe

Please give that a spin and let me know if that fixes it. bcbc, thanks for the debugging.

[Kate Stewart (kate.stewart)]

We need to release note this for 12.04, and will pick it up for 12.04.1 images, unless other circustances force a respin.

[Fabio Marconi (fabiomarconi)]

Hello Evan
Thanks for the fix, it works.
Still affected by bug 961707 that makes it unusable in win 8, where I have suggested to write wubildr and wubildr.mbr in the recovery directory too.
Fabio

[Dave Walker (davewalker)]

This is now resolved in the latest image, the Release Notes task is invalid.

Thanks.