grub not configured with live CD install with pre-existing /home partition (Gutsy RC)

[jhaig]

Binary package hint: migration-assistant

Please excuse any slight inaccuracies. I have now installed Feisty, and I cannot remember the details exactly.

I attempted to install the Gutsy RC on a laptop that already had Edgy installed. The disk is partitioned as follows:

  /dev/sda3 - 12G (root)
  /dev/sda1 - 1G (swap)
  /dev/sda2 - 65G (/home)

I tried to do a full reinstall, formatting the root partition and keeping /home. The install proceeds as usual until after all the packages are installed, at which point the /home partition gets mounted on /mnt/migrationassistant. There then appears to be a problem unmounting this partition with an error (in /var/log/syslog) saying that it cannot access /media/.hal-mtab. I am guessing that this causes the installer to terminate prematurely. On rebooting I found that grub had not been configured correctly.

I have just reinstalled Feisty and it appears that it has the same problem except that the migration assistant happens before the package install and after failing to unmount the partition, it gives the option to continue or abort. I manually unmounted and continued, and the install completed successfully.

[Evan (ev)]

Can you please attach /var/log/installer/syslog from the installed system, or if you have the opportunity to run the installer again, please run it with the debug option (`ubiquity --debug` in a terminal window), and attach /var/log/syslog and /var/log/installer/debug from the live CD environment after the installer hangs/crashes.

Thanks!

[jhaig (josephhaig)]

I have just run the installer again in debug mode and attached the debug log, as requested.

[Evan (ev)]

I need /var/log/syslog after the crash as well.

Thanks!

[jhaig (josephhaig)]

syslog attached

[jhaig (josephhaig)]

I still get this with Hardy. I notice that this bug is still marked as "Undecided" importance. I raised this 6 months ago and it is impossible for me to install other than by upgrading from Feisty. In my mind, this issue is 'Critical'.

[Evan (ev)]

Do you get this message with both the "Try Ubuntu" and "Install Ubuntu" options, specifically the latter?

If the problem still occurs can you start the desktop CD with the "Try Ubuntu" option, then edit /usr/lib/ubiquity/migration-assistant/ma-apply and write set -x on the second line, then save it and run the installer again. Please then attach /var/log/syslog from the desktop CD environment after the installer crashes.

I apologize for neglecting this bug for so long. There were several similar issues regarding the code around mounting that were fixed, but it now appears that your bug is unique from them.

[jhaig (josephhaig)]

Thanks. I managed to install in the end by editing one of the install
scripts (I forget which) commenting out the section that ran the
migration assistant. If I knew a bit more python I might have looked
at it a bit more but I'm afraid my knowledge extends to putting a # in
front of a few lines.

I remember that in the summary before the install stated there was
some comment about not finding /user on the /dev/sda2 (/home)
partition. I am guessing that it is expecting to find a Windows file
structure and failing when it doesn't find one.

2008/5/6 Evan Dandrea <email address hidden>:
> Do you get this message with both the "Try Ubuntu" and "Install Ubuntu"
> options, specifically the latter?
>
> If the problem still occurs can you start the desktop CD with the "Try
> Ubuntu" option, then edit /usr/lib/ubiquity/migration-assistant/ma-apply
> and write set -x on the second line, then save it and run the installer
> again. Please then attach /var/log/syslog from the desktop CD
> environment after the installer crashes.
>
> I apologize for neglecting this bug for so long. There were several
> similar issues regarding the code around mounting that were fixed, but
> it now appears that your bug is unique from them.
>
> ** Changed in: migration-assistant (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Undecided => High
> Status: Incomplete => Confirmed
>
>
>
> --
> grub not configured with live CD install with pre-existing /home partition (Gutsy RC)
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/152261
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[lpd (lpd-major2nd)]

I have the same (?) problem -- "Install Ubuntu" from 7.10 amd64 CD with preexisting /home partition appears to complete normally, but when I try to boot, GRUB says:

GRUB Loading stage1.5.

GRUB loading, please wait ...
Error 15

My environment is a little different:

/dev/hda1 -- /
/dev/hda5 -- swap
/dev/hda6 -- /tmp
/dev/hda7 -- /usr
/dev/hda8 -- /var
/dev/hda9 -- /home

The previously installed release was either 5.04 or 6.10, but it shouldn't matter in any case, because I reformatted all the partitions except swap and /home. (FWIW, I've had different show-stopping problems with the installer every time I've tried to upgrade -- 3 times so far, 3 different problems. That's why I don't upgrade at every release -- every upgrade attempt seems to result initially in several hours of frustration followed by a bug report.)

[Gyorgyi Toth (tgyorgyi27)]

I'm not sure if it is exactly the same problem, but from my noob perspective, it looks quite it.

I had a stable and functioning dual-boot of Hardy and XP (with XP installed first) until a few days ago I did a new install of Hardy with the latest Live CD. I used manual partitioning during the Live CD process, and used the same partition as before, only this time I also made a separate partition for /home. The Live CD install proceeds, files are copied, etc., no error messages on the graphic interface, only, at one point the install stops and I am returned to the Live CD desktop. On the partition where Ubuntu is supposedly installed, there are a lot of files, but there is no /boot/grub folder.

After restarting, I also got Error 15, in order to have at least one functioning OS I used fixmbr and fixboot from the XP recovery CD, so now at least I can boot into windows, but Ubuntu install happens the same every time.

I did not have this problem when I had no separate /home partition, but this could not be the problem, could it?

[jhaig (josephhaig)]

If it is the same problem as I saw I know a way of getting round it,
although I'm not entirely clear of the details. Unfortunately (for
you), it involves avoiding the "migrate users" step, which will mean
that your new Ubuntu install will not have all the XP users set up
automatically for you.

I thought I had pasted my workaround to the bug report, but evidently
I didn't. Here is something I sent to someone else who also had the
problem:

"I managed to install completely by commenting out the section in the
installer that calls the migration helper. I cannot remember where
the section I cut was, but I think it was in
/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py (use the end of syslog I submitted as a
guide - <http://launchpadlibrarian.net/10049783/syslog>)."

I'm afraid, other than reinstalling my own machine I cannot give more
details. I hope this is useful for you.

Regards,

Joe

2008/8/13 Gyorgyi Toth <email address hidden>:
> I'm not sure if it is exactly the same problem, but from my noob
> perspective, it looks quite it.
>
> I had a stable and functioning dual-boot of Hardy and XP (with XP
> installed first) until a few days ago I did a new install of Hardy with
> the latest Live CD. I used manual partitioning during the Live CD
> process, and used the same partition as before, only this time I also
> made a separate partition for /home. The Live CD install proceeds, files
> are copied, etc., no error messages on the graphic interface, only, at
> one point the install stops and I am returned to the Live CD desktop. On
> the partition where Ubuntu is supposedly installed, there are a lot of
> files, but there is no /boot/grub folder.
>
> After restarting, I also got Error 15, in order to have at least one
> functioning OS I used fixmbr and fixboot from the XP recovery CD, so now
> at least I can boot into windows, but Ubuntu install happens the same
> every time.
>
> I did not have this problem when I had no separate /home partition, but
> this could not be the problem, could it?
>
> --
> grub not configured with live CD install with pre-existing /home partition (Gutsy RC)
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/152261
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Gyorgyi Toth (tgyorgyi27)]

Thank you, I will give it a try. I am beyond caring about migrating user preferences, I just want a functioning OS... Anyway, I mainly posted at Launchpad, so that folks know this bug is still there.

----- Original Message ----
From: jhaig <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Wednesday, 13 August, 2008 10:52:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Bug 152261] Re: grub not configured with live CD install with pre-existing /home partition (Gutsy RC)

If it is the same problem as I saw I know a way of getting round it,
although I'm not entirely clear of the details. Unfortunately (for
you), it involves avoiding the "migrate users" step, which will mean
that your new Ubuntu install will not have all the XP users set up
automatically for you.

I thought I had pasted my workaround to the bug report, but evidently
I didn't. Here is something I sent to someone else who also had the
problem:

"I managed to install completely by commenting out the section in the
installer that calls the migration helper. I cannot remember where
the section I cut was, but I think it was in
/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py (use the end of syslog I submitted as a
guide - <http://launchpadlibrarian.net/10049783/syslog>)."

I'm afraid, other than reinstalling my own machine I cannot give more
details. I hope this is useful for you.

Regards,

Joe

2008/8/13 Gyorgyi Toth <email address hidden>:
> I'm not sure if it is exactly the same problem, but from my noob
> perspective, it looks quite it.
>
> I had a stable and functioning dual-boot of Hardy and XP (with XP
> installed first) until a few days ago I did a new install of Hardy with
> the latest Live CD. I used manual partitioning during the Live CD
> process, and used the same partition as before, only this time I also
> made a separate partition for /home. The Live CD install proceeds, files
> are copied, etc., no error messages on the graphic interface, only, at
> one point the install stops and I am returned to the Live CD desktop. On
> the partition where Ubuntu is supposedly installed, there are a lot of
> files, but there is no /boot/grub folder.
>
> After restarting, I also got Error 15, in order to have at least one
> functioning OS I used fixmbr and fixboot from the XP recovery CD, so now
> at least I can boot into windows, but Ubuntu install happens the same
> every time.
>
> I did not have this problem when I had no separate /home partition, but
> this could not be the problem, could it?
>
> --
> grub not configured with live CD install with pre-existing /home partition (Gutsy RC)
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/152261
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

--
grub not configured with live CD install with pre-existing /home partition (Gutsy RC)
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/152261
You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
of the bug.

Status in “migration-assistant” source package in Ubuntu: Confirmed

Bug description:
Binary package hint: migration-assistant

Please excuse any slight inaccuracies. I have now installed Feisty, and I cannot remember the details exactly.

I attempted to install the Gutsy RC on a laptop that ...