Unsolicited attempt to import files and settings

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

Binary package hint: ubiquity

I tried to install a clean 32-bit build of 11.04. I tried both natty-desktop-i386.iso from the daily build and ubuntu-11.04-beta2-dvd-i386.iso. However, even if I didn't check any of the existing Ubuntu installations in other partitions when being asked if I wanted to import stuff, the installer still made an import attempt. (The import attempt failed, though, with the note that it couldn't unmount the partition from which it was about to import...)

This happened during a couple if installation attempts that failed also in another respect (see bug #770090). I can't tell whether the two issues are related or not. Reporting them as two separate bugs for now.

[Ironphil (p-plamondon)]

This problem is still in the final version (desktop live cd only, not the alternate installer). After the failed attempt to import settings (which I had not selected), the installer fails and leave the system in an unbootable state (partition was formatted, files were copied but grub was not updated).
I simply cannot install ubuntu from the live cd, I absolutely need to use the alternate installer.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

Also the desktop CD image for Oneiric Alpha 1 suffers from this bug.
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/oneiric/alpha-1/oneiric-desktop-amd64.iso

Like Ironphil I was able to use the alternate install CD, though.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

This problem repeated itself when I tried to install Oneiric Alpha 3 via http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/oneiric/alpha-3/oneiric-desktop-amd64.iso

However, while previously only the grub menu entries for the new version became non-working, this time grub was really screwed up, leaving me with a "grub rescue>" prompt and not being able to start the system from the disk. After having spent a few hours on a failed attempt to fix it, I took my laptop to the store where I bought it and payed them for doing it.

After that and as before I was able to successfully install Alpha 3 via the alternate image.

I really think that this bug should be given high priority. In my case it resulted in a computerless state for a day (imagine!).

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

Depends which type of imports you refer to. There is "reuse" and "migration-assistant". Reuse tries to "reinstall" on top of existing installation without formatting it first. Migration-assistant tries to copy bookmarks/user settings/files etc from previous installation.

In quantal, migration assistant has been removed.
If you do not want to reuse, make sure partitions are formatted.

If you still experience this problem please file a bug using `ubuntu-bug ubiquity` which collects relevant logs (/var/log/syslog & /var/log/installer/*)

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

I don't think the install dialogue was that specific about the type of import.

Yesterday I had reasons to use multiple later desktop CDs, and it worked, so the problems described in this bug report seem to have been fixed somehow. Setting the status as such.