Comment 39 for bug 1893964

> No this is a feature. Both bootloaders are setup.

I understand the argument now but I am not convinced. I still think that the real situation here is not being understood.

*If* this is a clean install on an empty hard disk, then OK, argument accepted.

Additionally: *if* one of the automatic disk partitioning options is accepted, either "use the whole disk" *or* the option to automatically partition a disk and take some space off Windows, OK.

But there is a circumstance which is not being considered here: if the user picks "do something else" *and* ALL of the following set of conditions are met:

 - the PC is in BIOS mode, which means no ESP is needed;

 - AND the disk is MBR, which means that only 4 partitions are allowed and requiring an unnecessary additional partition is actively harmful;

 - AND there is an existing OS, meaning the ability to change firmware boot modes is already limited by the other, which means you CANNOT predict what the other OS will do or what it needs.

The error is wrong: no ESP is needed in BIOS mode.

ALSO it is spurious: many PCs can't be toggled, AND if there is another OS, such as Windows or DOS or anything non-Linux, then it MUST NOT be toggled because it will break the other OSes.

AND it is wasting a precious resource.

Whoever had this idea did not think it through enough, and the alleged "feature" of being able to boot in 2 modes does not apply if the machine is dual-booting.

Basically if it is a custom install, it is in BIOS mode, and there's another OS, then it means the user cannot, may not and must not change the boot mode, then DON'T COMPLAIN.

The errror is spurious, it gives false info, it pointlessly alarms users about something that is not a problem.

If you let users do their own partitioning then trust them and don't warn them over something that is not a problem.

The design is wrong. The decision is bogus. The assumptions are incorrect.

This a Red Hat level of wrong-headedness, and I speak as a former RH employee.

It is against the Ubuntu guiding principles of freedom and helping users.

It is actively user-hostile because of things that whoever designed this didn't think of.