Kernel parameter handling issue in EFI boot mode + work-around

[Thomas Dreibholz]

I am trying to create Packer autoinstall images with EFI boot using the new autoinstaller. With EFI boot mode, I noticed a kernel parameter handling issue.

Starting with a Ubuntu Server 20.04.1 ISO, I can boot the kernel of the ISO by providing the following command line parameter in *BIOS* boot mode:
      "boot_wait": "5s",
      "boot_command": [
        "<enter><enter><f6><esc><wait> ",
        "autoinstall ds=nocloud-net;seedfrom=http://{{ .HTTPIP }}:{{ .HTTPPort }}/",
        "<wait>"
       ]

However, the same approach fails in *EFI* boot mode:
      "boot_wait": "3s",
      "boot_command": [
          "<esc><wait>",
          "<esc><wait>",
          "linux /casper/vmlinuz --- autoinstall ds=nocloud-net;seedfrom=http://{{ .HTTPIP }}:{{ .HTTPPort }}/<enter><wait>",
          "initrd /casper/initrd<enter><wait>"
       ]

Checking /proc/cmdline, I noticed that in this case it is "... autoinstall ds=nocloud-net". The part after the semicolon is cut off.

Fix is to use quotes (") for ds="...". Then, the cmdline of the booted kernel will be correct:
      "boot_command": [
          "<esc><wait>",
          "<esc><wait>",
          "linux /casper/vmlinuz --- autoinstall ds=\"nocloud-net;seedfrom=http://{{ .HTTPIP }}:{{ .HTTPPort }}/\"<enter><wait>",
          "initrd /casper/initrd<enter><wait>"
       ]

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: grub-efi-amd64-bin 2.04-1ubuntu26.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-42.46-generic 5.4.44
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-42-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.6
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Thu Aug 20 15:10:56 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-01-21 (212 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Alpha amd64 (20200117.1)
SourcePackage: grub2
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Vasudevan (vasuper)]

Hi Thomas,

Were you able to find a solution to this?
I am facing a similar issue on netint of ubuntu in EFI.

[Michael Hudson-Doyle (mwhudson)]

I think this problem must be "outside" Ubuntu, i.e. in whatever passes the command line to the VM/machine being started.