12.10 grub-install faltal error - on installing on FAT partition

[Jesper]

fatal error trying to install final release 12.10. Have tried several diffrent partition settings, but it fails in the same way.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: ubiquity 2.12.16
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-17.28-generic 3.5.5
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-17-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.328
Date: Fri Nov 2 23:23:19 2012
InstallCmdLine: file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash -- maybe-ubiquity
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=linux
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
SourcePackage: grub-installer
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[RaduStoica (radumstoica)]

Hello,

  Thanks for reporting this. Can you add some information about the computer you are running on? Laptop make, processor, etc.

  Also, check this thread out, the errors mentioned there seem similar to yours: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1713950

[Jesper (jesper-almstrom)]

I have a Dell E6410 laptop with 8Gb of ram and a i5 Intel CPU.

Intresting link. I tried to pop out the SD card and then the installation process worked (did not fail on the last step "grub-install fatal error").
So the workaround is easy, but I would call it a bug that the installation wizard cant handle the fact that a SD card is inserted into the laptop.
Note that I did try to point out /dev/sda1 for the MBR but the installation still failed.
Im writing this comment from the new 12.10 installation.
Good luck finding that bug,
Jesper

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

In UbiquitySyslog.txt:

Nov 3 03:17:59 ubuntu ubiquity: Warning: Unable to open /dev/mmcblk0 read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/mmcblk0 has been opened read-only.
Nov 3 03:17:59 ubuntu ubiquity: Warning: Unable to open /dev/mmcblk0 read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/mmcblk0 has been opened read-only.

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

In UbiquitySyslog.txt:

Nov 3 03:18:00 ubuntu grub-installer: error: Running 'grub-install --force "/dev/mmcblk0"' failed.

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

In UbiquitySyslog.txt:

Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: Exception during installation:
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: Traceback (most recent call last):
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: File "/usr/share/ubiquity/plugininstall.py", line 1732, in <module>
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: install.run()
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: File "/usr/share/ubiquity/plugininstall.py", line 81, in wrapper
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: func(self)
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: File "/usr/share/ubiquity/plugininstall.py", line 245, in run
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: self.configure_bootloader()
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: File "/usr/share/ubiquity/plugininstall.py", line 1042, in configure_bootloader
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: "GrubInstaller failed with code %d" % ret)
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: ubiquity.install_misc.InstallStepError: GrubInstaller failed with code 1
Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py:

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

The cause for the dev/sda1 install attempted you have described in comment #3 may be:

Nov 3 03:17:57 ubuntu grub-installer: info: Identified partition label for /dev/sda1: msdos

Is it correct that you have tried to create a multi boot solution alongside Windows?

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

The problem seems to be also that your grup-install target is a FAT partition:

Nov 3 02:58:26 ubuntu 10freedos: debug: /dev/mmcblk0p1 is a FAT partition (mounted by GRUB)

which later gives the

Nov 3 03:23:11 ubuntu plugininstall.py: ubiquity.install_misc.InstallStepError: GrubInstaller failed with code 1

[Jesper (jesper-almstrom)]

The drive that I tried to install on was a dual boot before (Ubuntu 32 bit 12.04, upgraded from 11.10 and Windows 7 NTFS). To my knowledge there was no FAT partition on the /dev/sda1
As stated before I tried to to select /dev/sda1 explicitly when I tried to install the first times. This bug report was generated by Ubuntu in my last attempt and i dont know what selection I did this time.