subiquity install fails: kernel modules not found

[Paride Legovini]

Since 2019-03-18 the disco and bionic amd64-smoke-default tests (i.e. the basic installation using all the default installer options) are failing. The installation fails because the installer tries to load some kernel modules which are not found on the system, and /lib/modules is indeed empty. The relevant syslog excerpt for a failed install follows, while attached is the full syslog.

curtin_log.1438[1688]: Running command ['modprobe', '--use-blacklist', 'bcache'] with allowed return codes [0] (capture=False)
curtin_log.1438[1688]: modprobe: ERROR: ../libkmod/libkmod.c:586 kmod_search_moddep() could not open moddep file '/lib/modules/4.15.0-47-generic/modules.dep.bin'
curtin_event.1438[1708]: finish: cmd-install/stage-partitioning/builtin/cmd-block-meta/clear-holders: FAIL: removing previous storage devices
curtin_event.1438[1708]: finish: cmd-install/stage-partitioning/builtin/cmd-block-meta: FAIL: curtin command block-meta
curtin_log.1438[1688]: modprobe: FATAL: Module bcache not found in directory /lib/modules/4.15.0-47-generic
curtin_log.1438[1688]: finish: cmd-install/stage-partitioning/builtin/cmd-block-meta/clear-holders: FAIL: removing previous storage devices
curtin_log.1438[1688]: TIMED BLOCK_META: 0.323
curtin_log.1438[1688]: finish: cmd-install/stage-partitioning/builtin/cmd-block-meta: FAIL: curtin command block-meta
curtin_log.1438[1688]: Traceback (most recent call last):
curtin_log.1438[1688]: File "/snap/subiquity/664/lib/python3.6/site-packages/curtin/commands/main.py", line 201, in main
curtin_log.1438[1688]: ret = args.func(args)
curtin_log.1438[1688]: File "/snap/subiquity/664/lib/python3.6/site-packages/curtin/log.py", line 97, in wrapper
curtin_log.1438[1688]: return log_time("TIMED %s: " % msg, func, *args, **kwargs)
curtin_log.1438[1688]: File "/snap/subiquity/664/lib/python3.6/site-packages/curtin/log.py", line 79, in log_time
curtin_log.1438[1688]: return func(*args, **kwargs)
curtin_log.1438[1688]: File "/snap/subiquity/664/lib/python3.6/site-packages/curtin/commands/block_meta.py", line 74, in block_meta
curtin_log.1438[1688]: meta_clear(devices, state.get('report_stack_prefix', ''))
curtin_log.1438[1688]: File "/snap/subiquity/664/lib/python3.6/site-packages/curtin/commands/block_meta.py", line 1555, in meta_clear
curtin_log.1438[1688]: clear_holders.start_clear_holders_deps()
curtin_log.1438[1688]: File "/snap/subiquity/664/lib/python3.6/site-packages/curtin/block/clear_holders.py", line 638, in start_clear_holders_deps
curtin_log.1438[1688]: util.load_kernel_module('bcache')
curtin_log.1438[1688]: File "/snap/subiquity/664/lib/python3.6/site-packages/curtin/util.py", line 330, in load_kernel_module
curtin_log.1438[1688]: subp(['modprobe', '--use-blacklist', module])
curtin_log.1438[1688]: File "/snap/subiquity/664/lib/python3.6/site-packages/curtin/util.py", line 266, in subp
curtin_log.1438[1688]: return _subp(*args, **kwargs)
curtin_log.1438[1688]: File "/snap/subiquity/664/lib/python3.6/site-packages/curtin/util.py", line 132, in _subp
curtin_log.1438[1688]: cmd=args)
curtin_log.1438[1688]: curtin.util.ProcessExecutionError: Unexpected error while running command.
curtin_log.1438[1688]: Command: ['modprobe', '--use-blacklist', 'bcache']
curtin_log.1438[1688]: Exit code: 1

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

I think, tomorrow's daily will be fixed, but we shall see.

[Michael Hudson-Doyle (mwhudson)]

We built new disco images and they passed testing (and local smoke testing). Bionic is still broken though.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Angel Cervera Claudio (angelcervera-8)]

Workaround to be able to install in the meantime?

[Angel Cervera Claudio (angelcervera-8)]

I understand that the bug has been fixed and released, but the problem is still present in 19.04-live-server-amd64 and 18.04.2-live-server-amd64

Is this bug really fixed?

[Angel Cervera Claudio (angelcervera-8)]

Working: ubuntu-18.04.2-server-amd64.iso
BUG: ubuntu-18.04.2-live-server-amd64.iso

So looks like the problem is the "live" installer. I suppose that the same scenery with 19.04

How to reopen the BUG?

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

This was a critical bug that prevented installations of Ubuntu 19.04 from working during the devel series with the server live image. We certainly did not release Ubuntu 19.04 with an installer image that could not install Ubuntu. If you think there is something wrong with the Ubuntu 19.04 installer, please file a new bug report with logs showing exactly what is happening on your system.