[Raring] [Kubuntu] Install fails at 'grub-install dummy'

[Scott Testerman]

On a fresh install of Kubuntu 13.04 to a mechanical hard drive (no SSD installed) with ASUS F1-A75M PRO motherboard, installation fails at grub install. The drive was wiped by writing zeros prior to installation. The system was previously running Kubuntu 12.10 successfully, including EFI boot.

The relevant portion of the logs appears to be here:

grub-installer: info: Installing grub on 'dummy'
grub-installer: info: grub-install does not support --no-floppy
grub-installer: info: Running chroot /target grub-install --force
grub-installer: error: Running 'grub-install --force failed.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: ubiquity 2.14.8 [modified: lib/partman/automatically_partition/question]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-19.29-generic 3.8.8
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-19-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.331
Date: Sat Jul 20 23:48:06 2013
InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash oem-config/enable=true --
LiveMediaBuild: Kubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: grub-installer
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Scott Testerman (scott-testerman)]

This error seems similar to Bug 998902 (install to SSD) and Bug 1169220 (install to btrfs).

[Scott Testerman (scott-testerman)]

The installer also destroyed the EFI boot process, requiring clearing the BIOS via a motherboard jumper in order to return the system to a working condition. Fortunately, there is a workaround for this particular motherboard, which is simply to install in BIOS mode instead of EFI mode.