I was trying to save my grub installation in (hd0), so i tried to install it into (hd0,9), ie sda10, my / partition, and the installer crashed

[Galileon Galilei]

Binary package hint: ubiquity

the following message was displayed

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/ubiquity", line 123, in ?
    install(sys.argv[1])
  File "/usr/bin/ubiquity", line 55, in install
    ret = wizard.run()
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/gtkui.py", line 297, in run
    self.process_step()
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/gtkui.py", line 827, in process_step
    self.progress_loop()
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/gtkui.py", line 611, in progress_loop
    raise RuntimeError, ("Install failed with exit code %s\n%s" %
RuntimeError: Install failed with exit code 1
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 1347, in ?
    install.run()
  File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 365, in run
    self.configure_bootloader()
  File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 1070, in configure_bootloader
    raise InstallStepError(
InstallStepError: GrubInstaller failed with code 1

[Galileon Galilei (galileon)]

/var/log/syslog

[Galileon Galilei (galileon)]

/var/log/partman

[Galileon Galilei (galileon)]

using the live cd, i mounted my original dapper /boot (which lives at /dev/sda1) into /mnt, and edited my grub/menu.lts, added an entry for my knot2 system and it booted ok.

I also tried to install without formatting my /boot partition, but the installer refused. is there any particular reason for this?

it would be interesting if the installer could simply use the old grub, and just add its entry into menu.lst, or at least backup the menu.lst into menu.lst.old, and replace the original with its own. then the user's old grub conf can still be recovered...

[Vassilis Pandis (pandisv)]

Can you please attach /var/log/installer/syslog as well ? Thanks in advance.

[Galileon Galilei (galileon)]

i don't seem to have it in my install, i can't find the file you mentioned...is it only available during installation, or is it copied into the target system?

cheers

[Vassilis Pandis (pandisv)]

Did you manage to install Ubuntu after all? If yes, then you will have the file in /var/log/installer/syslog. If you didn't manage to complete the installation, please try to reproduce the problem and after the installer crashes, attach the aforementioned file. Thanks.

[Paul Dufresne (paulduf)]

Extract from /var/log/syslog:
Sep 21 12:21:41 ubuntu grub-installer: Running "install --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 /boot/grub/stage1 (hd0,9) (hd0,9)1+18 p (hd0,9)/boot/grub/stage2 /boot/grub/menu.lst"... failed
Sep 21 12:21:41 ubuntu grub-installer:
Sep 21 12:21:41 ubuntu grub-installer: Error 6: Mismatched or corrupt version of stage1/stage2
Sep 21 12:21:41 ubuntu grub-installer: grub> quit
Sep 21 12:21:41 ubuntu grub-installer: error: Running 'grub-install --no-floppy "(hd0,9)"' failed.

[Paul Dufresne (paulduf)]

Pushing to Confirmed (was New).
Unlikely to get /var/log/installer/syslog, and being an ubiquity bug, need to be decided by an ubiquity developer.

[Krzysztof Lichota (krzysiek-launchpad-ubuntu-com)]

I have run into similar bug using Kubuntu 8.04.1 desktop CD. The installer disappeared without any warning and there was not /boot/grub/menu.lst on installed system. The stage files were present.

In installer log I have found the following errors:
Exception in KDE frontend (invoking crash handler):
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/bin/ubiquity", line 229, in <module>
    main()
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/bin/ubiquity", line 224, in main
    install(args[0])
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/bin/ubiquity", line 68, in install
    ret = wizard.run()
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/kde_ui.py", line 406, in run
    self.progress_loop()
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/kde_ui.py", line 708, in progress_loop
    (ret, realtb))
RuntimeError: Install failed with exit code 1
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 1913, in <module>
    install.run()
  File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 419, in run
    self.configure_bootloader()
  File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 1422, in configure_bootloader
    "GrubInstaller failed with code %d" % ret)
InstallStepError: GrubInstaller failed with code 1

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/bin/ubiquity", line 229, in <module>
    main()
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/bin/ubiquity", line 224, in main
    install(args[0])
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/bin/ubiquity", line 68, in install
    ret = wizard.run()
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/kde_ui.py", line 406, in run
    self.progress_loop()
  File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/kde_ui.py", line 708, in progress_loop
    (ret, realtb))
RuntimeError: Install failed with exit code 1
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 1913, in <module>
    install.run()
  File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 419, in run
    self.configure_bootloader()
  File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 1422, in configure_bootloader
    "GrubInstaller failed with code %d" % ret)
InstallStepError: GrubInstaller failed with code 1

I was trying to install to /dev/sdb1 and install GRUB into (hd1,0).

Ubiquity version: Ubiquity 1.8.12

Here is output of fdisk -l for my system:
Disk /dev/sda: 640.1 GB, 640135028736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77825 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 608 4883728+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 609 2432 14651280 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 2433 77825 605594272+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 2433 2699 2144646 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 2700 8778 48829536 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sda7 8779 14857 48829536 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sda8 14858 20936 48829536 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sda9 20937 33094 97659103+ 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sda10 33095 45252 97659103+ 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sda11 45253 57410 97659103+ 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sda12 57411 69568 97659103+ 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sda13 ...

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Thanks for your report. I recently tracked this down and fixed it as bug 185878.