I have reprovisioned a windows image with maas-image-builder as per https://bugs.launchpad.net/curtin/+bug/1618474/comments/1 and retested with xenial as default commissioning images. This fails to install with the error below:
Below are event log and install logs:
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Latest machine events
Event Time
Queried node's BMC - Power state queried: on Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:20:23
Node changed status - From 'Deploying' to 'Failed deployment' Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:20:03
Marking node failed - Installation failed (refer to the installation log for more information). Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:20:03
Node installation failure - 'curtin' failed: curtin command install Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:20:03
Node installation failure - 'curtin' failed: preparing for installation Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:20:03
Node installation failure - 'curtin' failed: running 'sh -c apt-get update --quiet && apt-get --assume-yes install python2.7' Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:20:03
PXE Request - installation Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:18:01
Node powered on Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:15:49
Powering node on Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:15:44
User starting deployment - (root) Wed, 07 Sep. 2016 12:15:43 Load next 10 events View full history
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Machine output
Hit:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease [95.7 kB]
Get:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease [92.2 kB]
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [94.5 kB]
Get:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/main Sources [868 kB]
Get:6 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/restricted Sources [4808 B]
Get:7 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/universe Sources [7728 kB]
Get:8 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/multiverse Sources [179 kB]
Get:9 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main Sources [187 kB]
Get:10 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe Sources [92.5 kB]
Get:11 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/multiverse Sources [3220 B]
Get:12 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 Packages [383 kB]
Get:13 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main Translation-en [146 kB]
Get:14 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe amd64 Packages [324 kB]
Get:15 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe Translation-en [111 kB]
Get:16 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/main Sources [1400 B]
Get:17 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/universe Sources [800 B]
Get:18 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/main amd64 Packages [1540 B]
Get:19 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/main Translation-en [1484 B]
Get:20 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/universe amd64 Packages [1000 B]
Get:21 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/universe Translation-en [584 B]
Get:22 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main Sources [38.3 kB]
Get:23 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe Sources [8952 B]
Get:24 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse Sources [728 B]
Get:25 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main amd64 Packages [138 kB]
Get:26 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main Translation-en [56.6 kB]
Get:27 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe amd64 Packages [41.1 kB]
Get:28 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe Translation-en [24.9 kB]
Fetched 10.6 MB in 4s (2224 kB/s)
Reading package lists...
E: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/xenial-updates/InRelease rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_InRelease -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_InRelease).
E: Failed to fetch store:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_binary-amd64_Packages.xz rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_binary-amd64_Packages -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_binary-amd64_Packages).
E: Failed to fetch store:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_i18n_Translation-en.xz rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_i18n_Translation-en -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_i18n_Translation-en).
E: Failed to fetch store:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_binary-amd64_Packages.xz rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_binary-amd64_Packages -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_binary-amd64_Packages).
E: Failed to fetch store:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_i18n_Translation-en.xz rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_i18n_Translation-en -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_i18n_Translation-en).
E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
Installation failed with exception: Unexpected error while running command.
Command: ['sh', '-c', 'apt-get update --quiet && apt-get --assume-yes install python2.7']
Exit code: 100
Reason: -
Stdout: b'Hit:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease\nGet:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease [95.7 kB]\nGet:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease [92.2 kB]\nGet:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [94.5 kB]\nGet:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/main Sources [868 kB]\nGet:6 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/restricted Sources [4808 B]\nGet:7 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/universe Sources [7728 kB]\nGet:8 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/multiverse Sources [179 kB]\nGet:9 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main Sources [187 kB]\nGet:10 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe Sources [92.5 kB]\nGet:11 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/multiverse Sources [3220 B]\nGet:12 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 Packages [383 kB]\nGet:13 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main Translation-en [146 kB]\nGet:14 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe amd64 Packages [324 kB]\nGet:15 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe Translation-en [111 kB]\nGet:16 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/main Sources [1400 B]\nGet:17 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/universe Sources [800 B]\nGet:18 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/main amd64 Packages [1540 B]\nGet:19 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/main Translation-en [1484 B]\nGet:20 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/universe amd64 Packages [1000 B]\nGet:21 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports/universe Translation-en [584 B]\nGet:22 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main Sources [38.3 kB]\nGet:23 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe Sources [8952 B]\nGet:24 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse Sources [728 B]\nGet:25 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main amd64 Packages [138 kB]\nGet:26 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main Translation-en [56.6 kB]\nGet:27 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe amd64 Packages [41.1 kB]\nGet:28 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe Translation-en [24.9 kB]\nFetched 10.6 MB in 4s (2224 kB/s)\nReading package lists...\nE: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/xenial-updates/InRelease rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_InRelease -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_InRelease).\nE: Failed to fetch store:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_binary-amd64_Packages.xz rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_binary-amd64_Packages -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_binary-amd64_Packages).\nE: Failed to fetch store:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_i18n_Translation-en.xz rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_i18n_Translation-en -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_main_i18n_Translation-en).\nE: Failed to fetch store:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_binary-amd64_Packages.xz rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_binary-amd64_Packages -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_binary-amd64_Packages).\nE: Failed to fetch store:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_i18n_Translation-en.xz rename failed, Stale file handle (/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_i18n_Translation-en -> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_xenial-updates_universe_i18n_Translation-en).\nE: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.\n'
Stderr: ''
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ubuntu@maas2-production:~$ dpkg -l |grep maas
ii maas 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all "Metal as a Service" is a physical cloud and IPAM
ii maas-cli 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all MAAS client and command-line interface
ii maas-common 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all MAAS server common files
ii maas-dhcp 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all MAAS DHCP server
ii maas-dns 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all MAAS DNS server
ii maas-proxy 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all MAAS Caching Proxy
ii maas-rack-controller 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all Rack Controller for MAAS
ii maas-region-api 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all Region controller API service for MAAS
ii maas-region-controller 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all Region Controller for MAAS
ii python3-django-maas 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all MAAS server Django web framework (Python 3)
ii python3-maas-client 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all MAAS python API client (Python 3)
ii python3-maas-provisioningserver 2.0.0+bzr5189-0ubuntu1~16.04.1 all MAAS server provisioning libraries (Python 3)
Niether MAAS or curtin decides to install python2.7. I think you have modified your Windows preseed to make that install. Please ensure that the windows preseed template is the same that ships with MAAS.