Bootloader install fails in VMware Fusion

[Robert Barabas]

The bootloader attempted to install itself onto /dev/sda5 and failed. Settings were the default for partitioning except for LVM which was explicitly selected. The hardware in question is a VMware VM. I have not seen this error when I installed Ubuntu with the "main" 15.04 installer.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
Package: ubiquity 2.21.13
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.18.0-13.14-generic 3.18.5
Uname: Linux 3.18.0-13-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.16.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.351
Date: Fri Mar 20 20:45:54 2015
InstallCmdLine: file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-mate.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu-MATE 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Alpha amd64 (20150225)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=linux
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
SourcePackage: grub-installer
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

I am going to attempt another install and review the default layout.

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

A screen shot of the error

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

Screenshot of the layout and available options

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

Screenshot of (failed) attempt to pick /dev/sda

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

Same problem without LVM

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

The kernel in the "main" Ubuntu installer is newer, 3.19.0-9. Grub is there 2.02-beta2-21. I'll try the daily build to see if this is resolved in there.

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

The problem still exists in the recent daily build (http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-mate/daily-live/20150320/).

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

I stumbled upon the same error in the main installer (vervet-desktop-amd64.iso from 2015-03-20), also.

Disk was erased and partitions recreated. LVM was selected for partitioning. All available updates were applied.

Attached screenshot.

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

Just reproduced it again with the vanilla installer. Looks like the vanilla installer is affected also.

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

Same with vanilla 03-21 build.

[dc (darkcharl)]

grub-mkdevicemap --no-floppy -m - output

[dc (darkcharl)]

cat /proc/mounts output

[dc (darkcharl)]

udevadm info -q property -n /dev/sda output

[dc (darkcharl)]

root@ubuntu-mate:/usr/lib/ubiquity# python -c 'from ubiquity import misc; print misc.is_removable("/dev/sda")'
None

[dc (darkcharl)]

Mar 21 15:04:59 ubuntu-mate ubiquity: Setting up grub-pc (2.02~beta2-21) ...
Mar 21 15:04:59 ubuntu-mate ubiquity:
Mar 21 15:04:59 ubuntu-mate ubiquity: Creating config file /etc/default/grub with new
version
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate ubiquity: Setting up grub-gfxpayload-lists (0.6) ...
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate ubiquity: Error:
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate ubiquity: /dev/sda5: unrecognised disk label
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate ubiquity: grub-probe: error:
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate ubiquity:
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate ubiquity: unknown filesystem
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate ubiquity: .
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate grub-installer: info: Installing grub on '/dev/sda5'
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate grub-installer: info: grub-install does not support --no-f
loppy
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate grub-installer: info: Running chroot /target grub-install
 --force "/dev/sda5"
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate grub-installer: Installing for i386-pc platform.
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate grub-installer: grub-install: error:
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate grub-installer:
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate grub-installer: unable to identify a filesystem in hostdis
k//dev/sda; safety check can't be performed
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate grub-installer: .
Mar 21 15:05:00 ubuntu-mate grub-installer: error: Running 'grub-install --force "/de
v/sda5"' failed.

[dc (darkcharl)]

root@ubuntu-mate:~# ls -la /dev/mapper/
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 100 Mar 21 11:02 .
drwxr-xr-x 20 root root 4440 Mar 21 11:02 ..
crw------- 1 root root 10, 236 Mar 21 11:00 control
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Mar 21 11:16 ubuntu--mate--vg-root -> ../dm-0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Mar 21 11:02 ubuntu--mate--vg-swap_1 -> ../dm-1

root@ubuntu-mate:~# dmsetup ls --tree
ubuntu--mate--vg-swap_1 (252:1)
 └─ (8:5)
ubuntu--mate--vg-root (252:0)
 └─ (8:5)

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

Please:
  1. Report to <https://www.debian.org/Bugs/>.
  2. Paste the new report URL here.
  3. Set this bug status back to "confirmed".

Thank you.

[Robert Barabas (robert-barabas)]

Looks like the bug is triggered by selecting LVM.

Also, there appears to be a potential issue with cleanup. After I cleared the disks manually, removed the complete LVM structure removal and repartitioned the disk via fdisk I was able to perform a complete install without selecting LVM again with both the vanilla and the Mate Ubuntu installer.

[dc (darkcharl)]

System log from a sporadic successful run with lvm selected

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

I don't think there is any need to forward this to upstream yet.

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for ubiquity (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]