debian-installer/main-menu changes priority

[Joshua Powers]

During a test install of Bionic it appears that the debian-installer/main-menu option changes priority from medium to critical part way through the test:

Dec 6 04:18:55 debconf: --> INPUT medium debian-installer/main-menu
Dec 6 04:18:55 debconf: <-- 30 question skipped
Dec 6 04:18:55 debconf: --> GO
...
Dec 6 04:19:54 debconf: --> METAGET debian-installer/live-installer/title Description
Dec 6 04:19:54 debconf: <-- 0 Install the system
Dec 6 04:19:54 debconf: --> SET debian-installer/main-menu Install the system
Dec 6 04:19:54 debconf: <-- 0 value set
Dec 6 04:19:54 debconf: --> INPUT critical debian-installer/main-menu
Dec 6 04:19:54 debconf: <-- 0 question will be asked
Dec 6 04:19:54 debconf: --> GO

Working test on Dec 1:
https://paste.ubuntu.com/26126878/

Failing test on Dec 6:
https://paste.ubuntu.com/26126090/

Steps to reproduce:
1. Get latest ISO from: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/daily/pending/

2. Pull out the kernel and initrd
$ mkdir iso
$ bsdtar xfp bionic-server-amd64.iso -C iso
$ cp iso/install/vmlinuz .
$ cp iso/install/initrd.gz .

3. Create QEMU disk
$ qemu-img create -f qcow2 vdisk.img 4G

4. Launch ISO via QEMU
$ qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -cpu host -m 1024 -boot d \
    -initrd initrd.gz -kernel vmlinuz -display none -nographic \
    -hda vdisk.img -cdrom bionic-server-amd64.iso \
    -append 'console=ttyS0 locale=en_US.UTF-8 priority=critical'

5. Proceed with the install by 1) enter user info and 2) select disk

6. Eventually the "Ubuntu installer main menu" will appear. Even if you click on "Install the system" the installation step will fail.

[Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre (cyphermox)]

This looks a bit like a hardware (or kernel driver) issue, the problem happens much earlier than where the system appears to stop, you're just getting that because the install fails in general, so it throws you back to the main menu.

You got dpkg-divert failing to be found, apt-get failing, etc.:
http://paste.ubuntu.com/26127207/

And in general, sprinkled here and there on the log, there are usercopy / scsi subsystem kernel errors:
http://paste.ubuntu.com/26127212/

[Joshua Powers (powersj)]

@cyphermox, thanks for looking. I added Linux to get their look at it as it does look like the kernel rev changed between the last successful ISO and the current failing ISO:

Last Successful ISO had:
/pool/main/l/linux/linux-image-4.13.0-16-generic_4.13.0-16.19_amd64.deb
Currently failing ISO has:
/pool/main/l/linux/linux-image-4.13.0-17-generic_4.13.0-17.20_amd64.deb

[Joshua Powers (powersj)]

Here is syslog from booting using the commands in the bug description:
https://paste.ubuntu.com/26127285/

This is another boot with DEBCONF_DEBUG=developer enabled:
https://paste.ubuntu.com/26127333/

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1736770

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

There are messages in that syslog pointing to a refusal from busybox tar to unpack some symlinks. There has been a new merge of busybox from unstable after the datestamps in those logs. Are the symptoms still the same with the current daily image?

[Joshua Powers (powersj)]

It looks like the installer is getting further now, however, failing on kernel package install:

https://paste.ubuntu.com/26166359/

Shall we close this bug and open a new one for that issue?

[Joshua Powers (powersj)]

I take this back, it is still an issue with the amd64 ISO:
https://paste.ubuntu.com/26178135/