Could not install grub-efi-amd64/Ubuntu 12.10 upgrade

[Ashley Robjohns]

Recieved the following error during the upgrade of Ubuntu 12.04 to 12.10

- - -
Could not install 'grub-efi-amd64'

The upgrade will continue but the 'grub-efi-amd64' package may not be in a working state. Please consider submitting a bug report about it.

Subprocess install post-installation script returned error exit status 1
- - -

Then when trying to install grub-efi-amd64 manually, the following:

:/boot$ sudo apt-get install grub-efi-amd64
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
grub-efi-amd64 is already the newest version.
grub-efi-amd64 set to manually installed.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Setting up grub-efi-amd64 (2.00-7ubuntu11) ...
/usr/sbin/grub-probe: error: cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/mapper/isw_ddhbgcdgch_Borg_storage1. Check your device.map.
/boot/efi doesn't look like an EFI partition.
Path `/boot/grub' is not readable by GRUB on boot. Installation is impossible. Aborting.
dpkg: error processing grub-efi-amd64 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of grub-efi:
 grub-efi depends on grub-efi-amd64 (= 2.00-7ubuntu11); however:
  Package grub-efi-amd64 is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing grub-efi (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                                                                                                          Errors were encountered while processing:
 grub-efi-amd64
 grub-efi
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

:/boot$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 12.10
Release: 12.10
ashley@borg1:/boot$ apt-cache policy ubiquity
ubiquity:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 2.12.16
  Version table:
     2.12.16 0
        500 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-updates/main amd64 Packages
     2.12.14 0
        500 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal/main amd64 Packages

Boot-repair info script output (before running repair): http://paste.ubuntu.com/1418355/
Boot-repair fails as grub-efi-amd64 not installed

Obviously I don't want to restart the computer as it won't boot if grub isn't installed.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Todd Chaffee (tc-toddbiz)]

Any fix for this on the horizon? I can't get Ubuntu 12.10 working alongside Windows 8 due to this bug.

[Ashley Robjohns (ashley-robjohns)]

Todd,

Are you running a fake-raid also? I believe the problem is to do with raid configuration and how grub sees the volumes. I managed to work around this problem by installing Ubuntu alongside Windows, then running the Boot Repair from the Ubuntu live cd. It corrected the problem, but it will reoccur if grub is updated in the future. It will however get things working in the time being.

[Marcus Hayhurst (hayhursm)]

I received the same error when trying to install grub-efi on a MacBook Pro 8,3 (with rEFInd installed through OS X).

marcus@macbookpro:/boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu$ sudo apt-get install grub-efi efibootmgrReading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
efibootmgr is already the newest version.
efibootmgr set to manually installed.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  grub-gfxpayload-lists grub-pc grub2
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  grub-efi grub-efi-amd64
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 3 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/45.1 kB of archives.
After this operation, 430 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 601330 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing grub2 ...
Removing grub-gfxpayload-lists ...
Removing grub-pc ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Selecting previously unselected package grub-efi-amd64.
(Reading database ... 601309 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking grub-efi-amd64 (from .../grub-efi-amd64_2.00-7ubuntu11_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package grub-efi.
Unpacking grub-efi (from .../grub-efi_2.00-7ubuntu11_amd64.deb) ...
Setting up grub-efi-amd64 (2.00-7ubuntu11) ...
Install device isn't specified.
Usage: grub-install [OPTION] [INSTALL_DEVICE]
Install GRUB on your drive.

  -h, --help print this message and exit
  -v, --version print the version information and exit
  --modules=MODULES pre-load specified modules MODULES
  --boot-directory=DIR install GRUB images under the directory DIR/grub
                          instead of the /boot/grub directory
  --target=TARGET install GRUB for TARGET platform
                          [default=current]
  --directory=DIR use GRUB images from DIR. Takes precedence
                          over target
  --grub-setup=FILE use FILE as grub-setup
  --grub-mkimage=FILE use FILE as grub-mkimage
  --grub-mkrelpath=FILE use FILE as grub-mkrelpath
  --grub-probe=FILE use FILE as grub-probe
  --allow-floppy make the drive also bootable as floppy (default
                          for fdX devices). May break on some BIOSes.
  --recheck delete device map if it already exists
  --force install even if problems are detected
  --force-file-id use identifier file even if UUID is available
  --disk-module=MODULE disk module to use (biosdisk or native). This
                          option is only available on BIOS target.
  --no-nvram don't update the `boot-device' NVRAM
                          variable. This option is only available on
                          IEEE1275 targets.
  --removable the installation device is removable. This option
                          is only available on EFI.
  --bootloader-id=ID the ID of bootloader. This option is only
                          available on EFI.
  --efi-directory=DIR use DIR as the EFI System Partition root.
  --uefi-secure-boot install an image usable with UEFI Secure
                          Boot. ...

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for ubiquity (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]