df: /sys/firmware/efi/efivars: Invalid argument causes error on login/live session

[fossfreedom]

df: /sys/firmware/efi/efivars: Invalid argument appears on first display of the live session - I note subsequently that at the end of the installation curtin fails due to an efivars error - looking at syslog I saw various efivars errors so I'm filing this with the kernel since this is the first instance.

Note - raised separate issue for the installation crash which has now been duplicated against https://bugs.launchpad.net/subiquity/+bug/2003222

i.e. running grep efivars /var/log/*

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 23.10
Package: linux-image-6.5.0-7-generic 6.5.0-7.7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.5.0-7.7-generic 6.5.3
Uname: Linux 6.5.0-7-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs
ApportVersion: 2.27.0-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: ubuntu-budgie 2077 F.... wireplumber
 /dev/snd/seq: ubuntu-budgie 2074 F.... pipewire
CRDA: N/A
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CasperVersion: 1.486
CurrentDesktop: Budgie:GNOME
Date: Sun Oct 8 16:27:29 2023
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu-Budgie 23.10 "Mantic Minotaur" - Daily amd64 (20231008.1)
MachineType: {report['dmi.sys.vendor']} {report['dmi.product.name']}
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=C.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 TERM=xterm-256color
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
ProcFB: 0 i915drmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz layerfs-path=minimal.standard.live.squashfs --- quiet splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-6.5.0-7-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-6.5.0-7-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 20230919.git3672ccab-0ubuntu2
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 02/02/2018
dmi.bios.release: 0.1
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MBP91.88Z.00D9.B00.1802021100
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag#
dmi.board.name: Mac-6F01561E16C75D06
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: MacBookPro9,2
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-6F01561E16C75D06
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMBP91.88Z.00D9.B00.1802021100:bd02/02/2018:br0.1:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBookPro9,2:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-6F01561E16C75D06:rvrMacBookPro9,2:cvnAppleInc.:ct10:cvrMac-6F01561E16C75D06:skuSystemSKU#:
dmi.product.family: MacBook Pro
dmi.product.name: MacBookPro9,2
dmi.product.sku: System SKU#
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa)]

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
https://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/2038765

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

The log messages specifically refer to lightdm, "2023-10-08T16:35:59.205065+00:00 ubuntu-budgie lightdm[1890]: df: /sys/firmware/efi/efivars: Invalid argument", and I noticed this patch in lightdm:

https://git.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lightdm/tree/debian/patches/04_language_handling.patch?h=applied/ubuntu/devel#n79

[fossfreedom (fossfreedom)]

After installing via the legacy iso I saw the same message on login.

Opening a terminal and typing df I saw again the same message in the terminal followed by the normal df output.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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