"No root file system is defined" error using preseeded LVM/atomic partitioning scheme

[Riccardo Murri]

I am using a preseed file for automating netboot installs.

However, *if there's only one disk and it is already partitioned* I
often get this error:

"""
!! Partition disks
No root file system
No root file system is defined.

Please correct this from the partitioning menu.
"""

It seems that the installer gets confused when it would have no
changes to perform on the filesystem (i.e., installing a machine twice
in a row with the same preseed file).

I have never seen the error if there is more than one disk (however,
in this setup the disk being installed is not the first one, which may
or may not be relevant).

I have never seen this error when starting with a blank disk.

The error is frequent but not systematic: there are times when the
installation proceeds normally. So far, I have only tested the
procedure with VMs so I cannot say if this can be replicated with a
physical machine.

The relevant section from the preseed file is:

        ### Partitioning

        d-i partman-auto/disk string /dev/sda
        d-i partman-auto/method string lvm
        d-i partman/default_filesystem string ext4

        d-i partman-auto/disk string /dev/sda
        d-i partman-auto/method string lvm

        # do not ask for confirmation, ever
        d-i partman/choose_partition select finish
        d-i partman/confirm boolean true
        d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true
        d-i partman/exception_handler select Retry
        d-i partman-basicfilesystem/no_swap boolean false
        d-i partman-lvm/confirm boolean true
        d-i partman-lvm/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true
        d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm boolean true
        d-i partman-md/confirm boolean true
        d-i partman-md/device_remove_md boolean true
        d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label boolean true

I have also tried the following explicit recipe, to no avail:

        d-i partman-auto/expert_recipe string \
              boot-lvm :: \
                      32 64 128 ext2 \
                              $primary{ } $bootable{ } \
                              method{ format } format{ } \
                              use_filesystem{ } filesystem{ ext2 } \
                              mountpoint{ /boot } \
                      . \
                      512 10240 -1 ext3 \
                              method{ lvm } format{ } \
                              $primary{ } $defaultignore{ } \
                              device{ /dev/sda } vg_name{ vg0 } \
                      . \
                      1024 8192 16384 ext3 \
                              $lvmok{ } in_vg{ vg0 } lv_name{ root } \
                              method{ format } format{ } \
                              use_filesystem{ } filesystem{ ext4 } \
                              mountpoint{ / } \
                      . \
                      64 512 300% linux-swap \
                              $lvmok{ } in_vg{ vg0 } lv_name{ swap } \
                              method{ swap } format{ } \
                      .

This could be the same issue described in bug #993552 .

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.