grub-pc hangs while package is configured

[inode77]

Binary package hint: grub-pc

1)
# lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu karmic (development branch)
Release: 9.10

2)
# apt-cache policy grub-pc
grub-pc:
  Installed: 1.97~beta2-2ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1.97~beta2-2ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1.97~beta2-2ubuntu1 0
        500 http://ch.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

3)
I expected the update to run without any problems.

4)
Updates downloads and hangs upon configuring grub-pc

# dpkg --configure -a
Processing triggers for menu ...
Processing triggers for python-support ...
WARNING: WARNING: /usr/share/pyshared/lsb_release.py is linked but does not belong to any package.
Setting up grub-pc (1.97~beta2-2ubuntu1) ...
Installation finished. No error reported.
This is the contents of the device map /boot/grub/device.map.
Check if this is correct or not. If any of the lines is incorrect,
fix it and re-run the script `grub-install'.

(hd0) /dev/sda
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-9-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-9-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-8-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-8-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
^C (abort by me using CTRL+C)
dpkg: error processing grub-pc (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script killed by signal (Interrupt)
Processing triggers for libc6 ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Setting up libmagickcore2 (7:6.5.1.0-1.1ubuntu3) ...

Setting up libmagickwand2 (7:6.5.1.0-1.1ubuntu3) ...

Setting up rss-glx (0.9.0-2ubuntu3) ...
Setting up obex-data-server (0.4.4-2build1) ...
Processing triggers for libc6 ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Errors were encountered while processing:
 grub-pc

FS is either NTFS or ext4 (swap) so nothing special

# fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 128.0 GB, 128035676160 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 15566 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xXxxxxxxxx

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 13 102400 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 13 5100 40856576 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda3 5100 7775 21485520 83 Linux
Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda4 7775 15567 62589240 5 Extended
Partition 4 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda5 7775 14218 51755728+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 14218 15434 9767488+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 15434 15567 1065928+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

[inode77 (simon-gerber)]

Reboot renders grub unusable thus system not bootable anymore.

Using ubuntu 9.10a4 resuce mode from alternate cd I manually removed /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober and reconfigured grub-pc without problems.

System is up again.

[Alex Wauck (awauck)]

This happens for me with grub-pc 1.97~beta2-2ubuntu2. I have two hard disks (one Ubuntu, one Windows 7) and a SATA optical drive. The process that actually hangs appears to be grub-mkdevicemap.

[Alex Wauck (awauck)]

I ran strace on grub-mkdevicemap. I have attached the results. grub-mkdevicemap itself enters a state where it cannot be killed. strace was killable, but only with kill -9. It looks like it didn't like opening /dev/sdc, which is a SD/MMC reader.

[Wizzleby (wizzleby)]

I have encountered this bug. While upgrading from aptitude, it seemed
like the process must be killed with ^C, but I find if I run update-grub,
then at the point of it stopping (after memtest), hitting return a few
times brings up an interesting error that I think I saw something similar to
in /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober:
Found on Password
    is not yet supported by grub-mkconfig.
done

However, I still have this program as unconfigured in dpkg.

[Christian Mangold (neversfelde)]

Same problem here.

grub-pc:
  Installiert: 1.97~beta2-2ubuntu2
  Kandidat: 1.97~beta2-2ubuntu2
  Versions-Tabelle:

[Alex Wauck (awauck)]

When this problem occurs, check dmesg for a kernel oops. I have been having oopses in usb_storage, and I think it may be related. That would also explain why configuring grub-pc sometimes works for me and sometimes doesn't. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the oops is related to my USB memory card reader.

[Jörn Dreyer (j.dreyer)]

same problem and yep, got a kernel oops ... usb sdcard reader present
[ 7321.141260] INFO: task grub-mkdevicema:25249 blocked for more than 120 seconds.
[ 7321.141260] "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs" disables this message.
[ 7321.141260] grub-mkdevice D 0000000000000000 0 25249 25246 0x00000000
[ 7321.141260] ffff880042de9c28 0000000000000086 0000000000000000 0000000000015580
[ 7321.141260] ffff8800ab01b110 0000000000015580 0000000000015580 0000000000015580
[ 7321.141260] 0000000000015580 ffff8800ab01b110 0000000000015580 0000000000015580
[ 7321.141260] Call Trace:
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81522447>] __mutex_lock_slowpath+0xd7/0x160
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81147bd0>] ? blkdev_open+0x0/0xc0
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81522346>] mutex_lock+0x26/0x50
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81147858>] __blkdev_get+0x38/0x3a0
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81147bd0>] ? blkdev_open+0x0/0xc0
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81147bcb>] blkdev_get+0xb/0x10
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81147c3c>] blkdev_open+0x6c/0xc0
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81117ed6>] __dentry_open+0xe6/0x2e0
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff811181d7>] nameidata_to_filp+0x57/0x70
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff811275fa>] do_filp_open+0x2ca/0xac0
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff810ef679>] ? __do_fault+0x419/0x4e0
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81032419>] ? default_spin_lock_flags+0x9/0x10
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81277912>] ? __strncpy_from_user+0x22/0x60
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81132072>] ? alloc_fd+0x102/0x150
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81117ca4>] do_sys_open+0x64/0x160
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81117dcb>] sys_open+0x1b/0x20
[ 7321.141260] [<ffffffff81011fc2>] system_call_fastpath+0x16/0x1b

[Pequetrefe (lecochon3)]

Hi. I had a similar if not the same problem. I stopped the grup-pc install and rebooted. Then I got a message telling me to run manually: " sudo dpkg --configure -a ". Then I rebooted again and I got my problem solved. I'm not an expert at this kind of things. I hope it can help you guys.

[Jonathan Ernst (jonathan.ernst)]

Another workaround is to unmount all USB mass storage drives, and then to rmmod usb_storage. Configuring grub-pc then works here.

[PeterLi65 (peter-littmann)]

Seems to be similar by installing grub-pc 1.97~beta4-1ubuntu5 (usb harddisk mounted):

50mounted-tests: debug: /usr/lib/linux-boot-probes/mounted/40grub2 succeeded
Apr 1 00:35:05 mediondt linux-boot-prober: debug: linux detected by /usr/lib/linux-boot-probes/50mounted-tests
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493096] devkit-disks- D c08185c0 0 13791 1876 0x00000000
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493103] f32a1c44 00000086 f4960000 c08185c0 f25a4df8 c08185c0 076901d2 000006a0
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493112] c08185c0 c08185c0 f25a4df8 c08185c0 00000000 000006a0 c08185c0 f259a800
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493120] f25a4b60 f32a1cf4 7fffffff f32a1cf8 f32a1ca0 c05724d5 f32a1c58 00000092
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493129] Call Trace:
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493142] [<c05724d5>] schedule_timeout+0x185/0x200
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493149] [<c030762f>] ? __blk_run_queue+0x6f/0x120
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493153] [<c02fced6>] ? elv_insert+0x116/0x1f0
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493157] [<c05721f2>] wait_for_common+0xa2/0x120
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493163] [<c013c4c0>] ? default_wake_function+0x0/0x10
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493167] [<c0572302>] wait_for_completion+0x12/0x20
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493172] [<c030a4c5>] blk_execute_rq+0x75/0xd0
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493175] [<c030a380>] ? blk_end_sync_rq+0x0/0x30
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493180] [<c0309fbf>] ? blk_rq_append_bio+0x1f/0x60
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493183] [<c030a1ad>] ? __blk_rq_map_user+0x8d/0x110
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493187] [<c030a2f3>] ? blk_rq_map_user+0xc3/0x150
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493193] [<c014ea00>] ? capable+0x10/0x40
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493198] [<c030d996>] sg_io+0x226/0x360
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493203] [<c030e212>] scsi_cmd_ioctl+0x412/0x480
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493210] [<c03c5d5d>] sd_ioctl+0x8d/0xe0
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493215] [<c01b48a8>] ? filemap_fault+0xa8/0x340
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493219] [<c030b54a>] __blkdev_driver_ioctl+0x6a/0x80
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493223] [<c030ba81>] blkdev_ioctl+0x91/0x610
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493229] [<c020e92f>] block_ioctl+0x2f/0x50
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493233] [<c020e900>] ? block_ioctl+0x0/0x50
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493238] [<c01f55cc>] vfs_ioctl+0x1c/0x90
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493242] [<c01f58f1>] do_vfs_ioctl+0x71/0x310
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493247] [<c057614b>] ? do_page_fault+0x19b/0x380
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493251] [<c01f5bef>] sys_ioctl+0x5f/0x80
Apr 1 01:03:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7440.493255] [<c01033ac>] syscall_call+0x7/0xb
Apr 1 01:05:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7560.493091] devkit-disks- D c08185c0 0 13791 1876 0x00000000
Apr 1 01:05:06 mediondt kernel: [ 7560.493098] f32a1c44 00000086 f4960000 c08185c0 f25a4df8 c08185c0 07...

[PeterLi65 (peter-littmann)]

After rebooting and detaching my usb harddrive I was able to complete dpkg --configure -a

[eyemeansit (eyemeansit)]

I also had this problem, on Kubuntu 10.04, but when I unplugged my HP printer usb cable (printer has an SD card slot for pix), I was then able to run "sudo dpkg –configure -a" and it completed without a hiccup! I personally wonder if that is also why installation from the live cd (both kubuntu and Mint 9 KDE) came to a dead stop when it was trying to install grub. It always stopped at "looking for other operating systems..."

Thanks guys! this was driving me bonkers!

[Dan McGuirk (incandenza)]

This happens to me, reproducibly (as long as usb_storage is loaded), when upgrading from 10.04 to 10.10. It results in an unusable system that I wasn't even able to fix via chrooting.

As mentioned earlier, making sure the usb_storage module is not loaded works as a workaround.

[MarcRandolph (mrand)]

2.5 years later, and this bug appears to be unfixed.

I'm doing 10.04 LTS upgrade testing to 12.04. I installed 10.04 and then tell it to install updates (before upgrading to 12.04). During the update, I end up stuck at "Configuring grub-pc" window in update-manager. It will not let me continue unless I select "continue without installing GRUB?"

This is really bad for less technical users.

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

Marc, do you also get the hung task error in dmesg, and does unloading the usb_storage module before upgrading fix it?

[Aaron C. de Bruyn (darkpixel2k)]

I'm getting this about once a second in syslog:

udevd[17223]: timeout: killing '/sbin/blkid -o udev -p /dev/sdb' [18986]

Fdisk only shows /dev/sda.

/dev/sdb may have been my android phone that was plugged in hours ago.

Running rmmod usb_storage did not fix the issue.

[Sergio Barjola (sbarjola)]

I'm testing kernel mainline, 3.3.0-999-generic, in Ubuntu 12.04 and update-grub hangs and not end.
With the linux-image-3.2.0-19-generic, I have not this problem.

[jmrasor (jmrasor)]

This bug affected me as well, on a near-fresh install of Lubuntu 12.04 to a USB stick, inserted into a laptop.

The upgrade was about 80% done when it hung on setting up grub-pc. I waited a few minutes, killed the process, rebooted. Grub menu looked good; system rebooted properly.
Launched Update Manager: it reported partial upgrade, with software index broken. Tried the recommended sudo apt-get install -f: failed, dpkg was interrupted. Tried sudo dpkg --configure -a: "GRUB bootloader was previously installed to a disk that is no longer present, or whose unique identifier has changed for some reason."
Then dpkg offered to put GRUB on one of 3 devices: two disks (including the USB stick), and the USB stick's Linux partition. I chose the stick. Setting up grub-pc appeared to proceed normally, with no errors reported. dpkg continued on its merry way. I then relaunched Update Manager; it reported all up to date. Reboot the laptop: again, the GRUB menu looked good and the system rebooted properly. The Update Manager reported all up to date.

[jmrasor (jmrasor)]

The other OS's on the laptop (Windows 7, Linux Mint) also booted properly after this adventure.

[RoestVrijStaal (roestvrijstaal)]

Bump.

After installing Kubuntu 17.10.1 I'm also experiencing this bug.

I installed grub on /dev/sda

Unfortunately I HAVE to reconfigure grub-pc because dpkg demands that.

Reinstalling explicitly grub-pc seems to do the trick.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for grub2 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]