xubuntu groovy install - bootloader install failure

[Chris Guiver]

Xubuntu groovy (daily) QA-test install on
dell [optiplex] 990 (i7-2600, 16gb, nvidia geforce gt 6600 gt)

Error writing boot loader, asked for my to select device, but I was unable to select SDA device

Bootloader install failed -
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qyh42gnuqXJo3WcU6
Bootloader install failed selections -
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GPzsEwBH58T3MdxU7

-- iso.qa.ubuntu.com details
box had internet cable disconnected, install was as expected until error box appeared that it was unable to write boot loader to device & select box asking me to select device was offered, I kept trying to use sda (ssd) but it'd reject & ask again. I tried a few times before clicking continue

install completed, on reboot I get no OS found error

** Expected Results
I'd expect the SSD selected to be acceptable, not repeating errors & then fail to boot on selecting continue.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
Package: ubiquity 20.10.10
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-20.21-generic 5.8.10
Uname: Linux 5.8.0-20-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu48
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CasperVersion: 1.452
Date: Thu Oct 1 11:29:32 2020
InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed maybe-ubiquity quiet splash ---
LiveMediaBuild: Xubuntu 20.10 "Groovy Gorilla" - Beta amd64 (20200930)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=C.UTF-8
RebootRequiredPkgs:
 linux-image-5.8.0-20-generic
 linux-base
SourcePackage: ubiquity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

This issue has been noted before, but it was occuring after the error reported in the bug

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1897173

the error message that is mentioned in that bug however no longer appears, thus the separate filing

[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:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/1897991

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

FYI. This box isn't mine, so it's not used very often in my QA

Lubuntu & main Ubuntu have installed to it in recent day(s) though.

(I've been trying to re-install windows 7 for it's owner, and it's been failing to install for unknown reason.. When that's resolved I'll lose access to the box again)

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

kubuntu groovy (daily) installed cleanly to this box
(minor unrelated graphic glitches after reboot)

[Łukasz Zemczak (sil2100)]

Is this issue reproducible on that machine? This feels machine-specific - but also weird that Kubuntu and other flavors did not surface this problem. I think there's not much we can do for beta, but I poked the Xubuntu flavor maintainers to take a look.

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

(repeat of comments made earlier on #ubuntu-flavors)

I had the issue with prior ISOs as mentioned comment #3

Yes I performed test again (same box) & got same result (photos were from 2nd attempt; box turned off between re-try.

I did NOT re-create this issue using the Ubuntu daily (2020-09-30) on same d990 box.

--
I tried using the Xubuntu daily on
sony vaio svp112a1cw (i5-9400u, 4gb, intel haswell-ULT)
and it did NOT have this issue either.

This install however had what I considered a different issue "System Bootloader not found. Initializing defaults\n..."
which is filed as https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1898041 right/wrongly

(I also clouded issue by including two issues; filing against linux as I couldn't decide on package; & kernel sure is wrong. If the bootloader is related to this, it should be removed from other bug & package changed to xubuntu-desktop|meta on 1898041)

[Sean Davis (bluesabre)]

I'm also seeing the same with Vmware Workstation on Xubuntu 200930.

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

I tried to QA-test installs on

- hp dc7700 (c2d-e6320, 5gb, nvidia quadro nvs 290)

error installing bootloader, as per this bug report; couldn't select sda to write to, eventually continued. on reboot, it fails to load, last BIOS message was

"Attempting Boot from Hard Drive" & just sits there.

- dell [optiplex] 755 (c2d-e8300, 8gb, amd/ati radeon rv610/radeon hd2400 pro/xt)

error on bootloader appeared as per this bug report, where it wouldn't accept sda as device to install bootloader to... after numerous tries I hit continue via skip..

on reboot, I get only a blinking cursor top left

[ajgreeny (ajg-charlbury)]

I also have this problem.
Today's Xubuntu iso (Sun Oct 11 2020) boots well in KVM/QEMU virt-manager and appears to install until it bets to grub installation where it says it can ot install grub to /dev/sda and offers alternatives which are the partitions.

I tried creating a new partition gpt table and adding EFI and small grub-boot partition (can't remember exactly what it's called) but still no success.

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

Possible duplicates, or related to this are

- https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub-installer/+bug/1898342
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub-installer/+bug/1899370

[ajgreeny (ajg-charlbury)]

Adding to my report at #10, I replaced my daily current iso with daily pending and tried again using KVM/QUEMU and virt-manager.
This time I noticed for the first time, an option to boot using UEFI firmware and at last the installation was a success.

It looks as if the iso boots in UEFI mode by default if installed in KVM virt-manager, and this is the first and only time that I have seen this behaviour.