Grub fails to chainload the Windows Boot Manager on aarch64 laptops

[AArch64]

After an update to 2.04 Grub fails to chainload into Windows.

When selecting the menu item to boot into the Windows Boot Manager, the menu flashes and returns.

When trying to chainload/boot via the Grub command line, nothing happens and the prompt reappears.

When using the same commands in an earlier version (on a bootable USB stick) Windows sparks into life.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[AArch64 (aarch64-laptops)]

I should add that I experienced this on an AArch64 platform.

[Richard Henwood (rjhenwood)]

I have also experienced this issue on AArch64 Lenovo C630 - using Eoan Grub.

[RussianNeuroMancer (russianneuromancer)]

I also found this bug is reproducible on my Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS with grub2 from Eoan repository.

[AArch64 (aarch64-laptops)]

With `set debug="chain,secureboot,dl"` added to the Grub menu entry, we get a flash of:

  SecureBoot: 0
  SetupMode: 0
  linuxefi_secure_validate: 1
  No shimlock protocol loader/efi/chainloader: Secure boot is not enabled

Looks like Grub is insisting on Secure Boot, which we need to disable in order to boot Linux.

[Dmitry-a-durnev (dmitry-a-durnev)]

For me is reproducible on AMD64: windows 10 EFI boot entry not boots any more. Worked with 2.0.2?

[RussianNeuroMancer (russianneuromancer)]

> Worked with 2.0.2?

Worked with 2.0.2 from ppa:aarch64-laptops/grub

[Dmitry-a-durnev (dmitry-a-durnev)]

Tried with

set debug=chain

got the following messages (grub 2.04-1ubuntu5, AMD64 arch, ubuntu 19.10):

loader/efi/chainloader.c:1057: linuxefi_secure_validate: 1
loader/efi/chainloader.c:262: No shimlock protocol loader/efi/chainloader.c:537: Secure boot is not enabled
alloc magic is broken at 0x7bf9b340: 0
Aborted. Press any key to exit.

Press any key - returns to grub menu. But once I pressed <return> and it successfully booted win 10! At other times there was no 'alloc magic' error and no pause to press any key: just returned to boot menu instantly.

[Ivan Larionov (xeron-oskom)]

I have the same issue.

I can boot Windows 10 from BIOS/EFI boot menu, but can't boot it from grub. Setting debug=chain shows that grub tries to use SecureBoot, but it's disabled.

Wiping my grub installation, downgrading to 2.02 from disco and reinstalling it fixed the issue.

[Omkar Chorghe (omkar22)]

I am facing the same bug, can't boot into windows.
After updating to Ubuntu 19.10.

[Rene Meier (meier.rene)]

I'm also facing the same problem and I found a solution which worked for me on amd64. My system is using UEFI without secure boot from a gpt partitioned drive.

Please try to install the package shim-signed.

This fixed the problem for me. Chainloading Windows even works after uninstalling the package again. So I expect it is something related to the installation process of the package. Maybe it leaves some important files in /boot after uninstalling.

[RussianNeuroMancer (russianneuromancer)]

> I'm also facing the same problem and I found a solution which worked for me on amd64.

Doesn't work for me on aarch64: Bug 1849863

[John Finestone (jsfines)]

I have the same problem. To clarify, I can't boot into Windows from Grub, but can boot into Ubuntu. When I get into Ubuntu, I run the Boot Repair application, and after I shut down or restart, I can get into Windows. But once, I shut down Windows or restart, Grub won't allow me to reboot into Windows, so I have to reload Ubuntu and start the process over.

[Beowulf (s-highlander)]

I have the same issue. Dual boot does not work anymore, Windows does not boot.

[Beowulf (s-highlander)]

My notebook is HP ProBook 470 G4

[Ivan Larionov (xeron-oskom)]

I'm testing the fix for a similar amd64 bug 1845289 but I have a feeling it may also help on arm64. Feel free to test it https://launchpad.net/~xeron-oskom/+archive/ubuntu/grub2.

[Giovanni (gfalivene)]

I have the same issue. Dual boot does not work anymore, Windows does not boot.My notebooks are acer aspire e 15 and acer - 371

[Giovanni (gfalivene)]

I have the same issue. Dual boot does not work anymore, Windows does not boot.My notebooks are acer aspire e 15 and acer - 371

if active, secure boot grub works

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

The standard UEFI boot path for Ubuntu is always to boot via shim and then to grub.

But we also know that the signed shim binary we currently have for arm64 is broken on this architecture.

The fixed shim is in the process of being signed and in the meantime this is simply an unsupported configuration.

If this is reproducible when chainloading from shim to grub, then it is a valid bug and requires further investigation. But there are log messages in the bug history suggesting that the lack of shim might be the cause, so for the moment I am assuming that is the case and marking this as invalid.

Given that you've mentioned having secureboot turned off anyway, you could try the unsigned shim binaries from https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-uefi-team/+archive/ubuntu/ppa/+packages to see if you can reproduce the problem when booting shim->grub.

[Giovanni (gfalivene)]

thanks for the support.
I tried to install shim unsigned but without success.
if the secure boot is active, grub works correctly.
if inactive grub does not launch windows.
tried on my 2 acer notebooks (Aspire E 5 and the v-371)

Il giorno lun 4 nov 2019 alle ore 21:30 Steve Langasek <
<email address hidden>> ha scritto:

> The standard UEFI boot path for Ubuntu is always to boot via shim and
> then to grub.
>
> But we also know that the signed shim binary we currently have for arm64
> is broken on this architecture.
>
> The fixed shim is in the process of being signed and in the meantime
> this is simply an unsupported configuration.
>
> If this is reproducible when chainloading from shim to grub, then it is
> a valid bug and requires further investigation. But there are log
> messages in the bug history suggesting that the lack of shim might be
> the cause, so for the moment I am assuming that is the case and marking
> this as invalid.
>
> Given that you've mentioned having secureboot turned off anyway, you
> could try the unsigned shim binaries from https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-
> uefi-team/+archive/ubuntu/ppa/+packages
> <https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-uefi-team/+archive/ubuntu/ppa/+packages>
> to see if you can reproduce the
> problem when booting shim->grub.
>
> ** Changed in: grub2 (Ubuntu)
> Status: Confirmed => Invalid
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1839317
>
> Title:
> Grub fails to chainload the Windows Boot Manager on aarch64 laptops
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/1839317/+subscriptions
>

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

ok if this is reproducible for you even using the unsigned shim from the ppa, then this seems to require further investigation.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Daniel Ferradal (dferradal)]

I can confirm it happens to me to in amd64 PC.

Here is the info of the package installed right now:

Package: grub2
Version: 2.04-1ubuntu12
Priority: extra
Section: universe/admin
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <email address hidden>
Original-Maintainer: GRUB Maintainers <email address hidden>
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Installed-Size: 16,4 kB
Depends: grub-pc (= 2.04-1ubuntu12), grub-common (= 2.04-1ubuntu12)
Homepage: https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/
Download-Size: 2.576 B
APT-Sources: http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu eoan/universe amd64 Packages
Description: GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (dummy package)
 This is a dummy transitional package to handle GRUB 2 upgrades. It can be
 safely removed

Package: grub2-common
Version: 2.04-1ubuntu12
Priority: optional
Section: admin
Source: grub2
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <email address hidden>
Original-Maintainer: GRUB Maintainers <email address hidden>
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Installed-Size: 1.338 kB
Depends: grub-common (= 2.04-1ubuntu12), dpkg (>= 1.15.4) | install-info, libc6 (>= 2.28), libdevmapper1.02.1 (>= 2:1.02.36), libefiboot1 (>= 37), libefivar1 (>= 37), liblzma5 (>= 5.1.1alpha+20120614)
Conflicts: grub-legacy
Breaks: grub (<< 0.97-54), grub-cloud-amd64 (<< 0.0.4), grub-coreboot (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-doc (<< 0.97-29ubuntu60), grub-efi-amd64 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-efi-arm (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-efi-arm64 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-efi-ia32 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-efi-ia64 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-ieee1275 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-legacy-doc (<< 0.97-29ubuntu60), grub-pc (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-uboot (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-xen (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-yeeloong (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), shim (<< 13)
Replaces: grub, grub-cloud-amd64 (<< 0.0.4), grub-common (<< 1.99-1), grub-coreboot (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-doc (<< 0.97-29ubuntu60), grub-efi-amd64 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-efi-arm (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-efi-arm64 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-efi-ia32 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-efi-ia64 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-ieee1275 (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-legacy, grub-legacy-doc (<< 0.97-29ubuntu60), grub-pc (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-uboot (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-xen (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7), grub-yeeloong (<< 2.02+dfsg1-7)
Homepage: https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/
Task: ubuntu-live, kubuntu-live, xubuntu-live, lubuntu-live, ubuntustudio-desktop-core, ubuntustudio-desktop, ubuntukylin-live, ubuntu-mate-live, ubuntu-budgie-live
Supported: 9m
Download-Size: 589 kB
APT-Manual-Installed: yes
APT-Sources: http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu eoan/main amd64 Packages
Description: GRand Unified Bootloader (common files for version 2)
 This package contains common files shared by the distinct flavours of GRUB.
 The files in this package are specific to GRUB 2, and would break GRUB
 Legacy if installed on the same system

I can "fix it" temporarily doing grub-install /dev/sda but next windows reboot it fails again.

I have forced windows to use "\EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi" so I am not sure if grub2 is to blame, but on ubuntu 19.04 this...

[Daniel Ferradal (dferradal)]

To answer my own comment #23.

I managed to work around this like this:
* Forcing Windows 10 to use \EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi as in "bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi"
* Changing BIOS setup to use Secure Boot (Didn't have it, didn't want it. never had it).

Not both ubuntu and windows 10 boot correctly when grub menu shows up.

[Giovanni (gfalivene)]

thank you

Il giorno dom 10 nov 2019 alle ore 04:45 Steve Langasek <
<email address hidden>> ha scritto:

> ok if this is reproducible for you even using the unsigned shim from the
> ppa, then this seems to require further investigation.
>
> ** Changed in: grub2 (Ubuntu)
> Status: Invalid => New
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1839317
>
> Title:
> Grub fails to chainload the Windows Boot Manager on aarch64 laptops
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/1839317/+subscriptions
>

[Giovanni (gfalivene)]

activated the proposed deposits and updated.
now with grub 2.04-1ubuntu12.1 all right

[RussianNeuroMancer (russianneuromancer)]

I tested 2.04-1ubuntu12.1 with ubuntu-linuxefi.patch on Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS and I can confirm that booting Windows 10 works fine now.

[Beowulf (s-highlander)]

The issue has been resolved for me when in grub version 2.04-1ubuntu12.1.

[dimes (john-fallenbit)]

Still broken here(which includes an apt-get update and apt-get dist-upgrade today).

Versions of grub installed:

ii grub-common 2.04-1ubuntu12.1
ii grub-efi-amd64 2.04-1ubuntu12.1
ii grub-efi-amd64-bin 2.04-1ubuntu12.1
ii grub-efi-amd64-signed 1.128.1+2.04-1ubuntu12.1
ii grub2-common 2.04-1ubuntu12.1

Secure boot on or off.