Existing LVM volume group missing in new installer

[pipegeek]

Steps to reproduce:

On a system with an existing LVM VG inside a LUKS volume:

1) Boot the ubuntu-23.04-beta-desktop-amd64.iso install image

2) In a terminal, decrypt the LUKS volume, and enable the LVM volume group with `vgchange -a y`. Confirm the LVs inside it (if any) are mountable, then unmount them.

3) Run ubuntu-desktop-installer.

4) Under "Type of installation", choose "Manual partitioning"

5) The volume group does not appear under Manual partitioning, so it is impossible to install onto it. There's also no way from this stage to create an LVM2 volume group to install into -- which means the only way to do a LUKS/LVM install is by erasing the disk first (as it's supported using that option). IE, there's no way to do it alongside an existing Windows installation.

If you follow these same steps using Ubiquity, the VG appears in the list of volumes, and you can proceed with the install.

[pipegeek (pipegeek)]

Attaching logs from running the install in ubiquity.

[pipegeek (pipegeek)]

Attaching ubuntu-desktop-installer log for run where LVM was not detected

[Lukáš Chmela (lukaschmela)]

I experienced the same behaviour with LUKS1 and LUKS2 partition created manually (without LVM) on a Windows PC when trying to install Ubuntu 23.04 in a dual-boot mlde. I ended uo installing Ubuntu 22.10 using its (old) installer and then upgrading the distribution to 23.04. Sad that encrypted installation was not tested before releasing Ubuntu 23.04.

The installer does not even list LUKS1- and LUKS2-encrypted partitions mapped using `cryptsetup open` to /dev/mapper/something_crypt.

[Mike Ferreira (mafoelffen)]

This, to me, and many others on Ubuntu Forum, is a show stopper for Users trying to install LVM, other than default. We have verified that is was a problem when this was aplha.

Unlike the subiquity installer, the new installer's partitioner is not LVM, LUKS, BTRFS, nor ZFS aware.

Before, you would jump into a console or terminal session, setup your partition layout, setup your filesystem(s), use other to get into the filesystem 'aware' partitioner, use change to mount the filesystem how you pleased, then continue the install into that filesystem.

This is no longer possible.

Now that 23.04 is 'released', no longer in a dev cycle, and we are in the 23.10 dev cycle, this should be escalated as this is now a Live, current release. This is embarrassing. We have stepped back and lost capabilities and options.

I feel we need to work this out in the 23.10 dev cycle (now), so that it is polished in the 24.04 dev cycle and worked out before the 24.04 LTS release.

[Mike Ferreira (mafoelffen)]

This is same in DEV 24.04...

I also have a question both here: https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/subiquity/+question/708132

And here: https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-desktop-installer/issues/2361

That would shed some light on what is possible or not...

But both are unanswered in over a month.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Closing that ubuntu-desktop-installer report since the component is deprecated. We aren't going to fix 23.10 installer bugs at this point and Noble uses ubuntu-desktop-provision, feel free to reopen/reassign to that component if that's still an issue with the noble beta image

[Mike Ferreira (mafoelffen)]

This is still the same with 24.04 LTS. Which you said Noble beta. This is now a hot-topic on the Forum.

We talked about this being a sore subject during the Noble Dev cycle...

It's like your answer of "Won't fix" is more being heard by the Users as "The User's don't matter."

We (us testers) were even told "The Dev's have bigger priorities than fixing that."

I spent a year and a half asking "what" the new partitoner is... on launchpad.net, and on the ubuntu-desktop-installer github. Was brushed aside on all fronts.

This is building a momentum, and leaving a bad taste in peoples mouths. It is not going away on it's own, and I will make sure it isn't forgotten.

I even heard one long-time user, state that "this is why Ubuntu 24.04 will NOT find find a home in his shop." <-- Specifically because the new partitioner does not recognize pre-existing LVM2 structures.

*** Do I need to openopen a New Bug report for Mantic, Noble, and Ocular on this? The repo's for Ocular are open, there are no new packages yet, and it will be a while before there is an ISO. I'm sure it won't be fixed by then.

If so, I will file one in a heart-beat, then start letting concerned and affected Users know where to subscribe to it.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

This bug is now open again for 24.04.