Installer crashes during file copy

[GeorgeAmbrose]

Binary package hint: ubiquity

Installer copies files up to 98%, then crashes with the following traceback:

Traceback (most recent call last):
 File "/usr/bin/ubiquity", line 130, in ?
   install(sys.argv[1])
 File "/usr/bin/ubiquity", line 55, in install
   ret = wizard.run()
 File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/ubiquity/frontend/kde-ui.py", line 311, in run
   self.process_step()
 File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/ubiquity/frontend/kde-ui.py", line 734, in process_step
   self.mountpoints_to_summary()
 File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/ubiquity/frontend/kde-ui.py", line 1047, in mountpoints_to_summary
   self.progress_loop()
 File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/ubiquity/frontend/kde-ui.py", line 524, in progress_loop
   raise RuntimeError, ("Install failed with exit code %s; see "
RuntimeError: Install failed with exit code 1; see /var/log/installer/syslog and /var/log/syslog

I wanted to format one partition and keep all the others. I don't use xfs or ntfs. This is what went wrong.

** Attachment added: "GeorgeAm's /var/log/syslog"
  http://librarian.launchpad.net/3025173/syslog

** Attachment added: "GeorgeAm's /var/log/installer/syslog"
  http://librarian.launchpad.net/3025174/syslog

** Attachment added: "GeorgeAm's /var/log/partman"
  http://librarian.launchpad.net/3025176/partman

This bug is similar to #49178, but there are enough differences to file this one separately:

In my case xfs and ntfs had nothing to do with the bug. It had everything to do with trying to use an
old /var partition. For some reason the installer only wants to work on cleanly formatted system
partitions like '/', and '/var'.

In my case I was trying to reuse an old '/var' (which had my web pages inside /var/www), and kubuntu
would have none of it. So I used a different idle partition as a new '/var', and formatted it, and it
worked. That was the only thing that changed between it not working and then beginning to work.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Thanks for your report. As you've noticed, at present, you must reformat system partitions (e.g. /, /boot, /usr, or /var) during installation; bug 47046 is filed to note that the partitioner should warn you about this up-front.