mythbuntu 10.10 installer hangs at "Configure Hardware"

[david cuddy]

Binary package hint: ubiquity

First time install of 10.10 from the Live CD onto a brand-new 1 TB hard drive.
The installers stops doing anything when the status bar indicates it's about 3/4 done. Fifteen minutes later, it's made no further progress.
CD light not flashing. No sign of any activity.
I tried three times - got the same result each time.

Options chosen:
-combined front/back end
- use Nvidia graphics drivers. Enable TV-out (S-video)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: ubiquity 2.4.8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.33-generic 2.6.35.4
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Tue Nov 2 11:48:42 2010
LiveMediaBuild: Mythbuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: ubiquity

[david cuddy (d-cuddy)]

Additional info:
After several unsuccessful attempts to install from the 10.10 Mythbuntu CD, I downloaded the 10.4 Mythbuntu distro and gave it a shot.
The 10.4 installer successfully ran to completion.
Thus it would appear that my h/w environment is not the cause of the 10.10 installer problem (hanging during 'Configure Hardware' phase).

[Mario Limonciello (superm1)]

According to those logs, it's in the process of rebuilding the initramfs which is one of the last steps for the configure_hardware step.

Nov 2 15:25:37 ubuntu ubiquity: update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic

Could you check to see if you have a that process still running (ps aux)? It doesn't seem like it was killed by the OOM (that should be in the logs if so).

This code falls directly in ubiquity, not the mythbuntu ubiquity plugins. Could you by chance compare to a standard Ubuntu 10.10 CD to help prove this assertion? I suspect it should also fail there.

[david cuddy (d-cuddy)]

Mario,
Thanks for looking at my logs.

I'll have to scrounge another blank hard drive so I can try a standard
install of 10.10. Would I do the same thing to invoke the installer with
the debugger (i.e. ubiquity -d )

Two neophyte questions:
- what is a "that process"? (see if you have a that process...)
- what is a OOM?
In any event, I can't go looking for a 'that process', as I've moved on to a
10.4 install.

Will report back re the 10.10 install if I can find an unused drive for
testing.

Dave

> From: Mario Limonciello <email address hidden>
> Reply-To: Bug 670003 <email address hidden>
> Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:10:55 -0000
> To: David Cuddy <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 670003] Re: mythbuntu 10.10 installer hangs at "Configure
> Hardware"
>
> According to those logs, it's in the process of rebuilding the initramfs
> which is one of the last steps for the configure_hardware step.
>
> Nov 2 15:25:37 ubuntu ubiquity: update-initramfs: Generating
> /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
>
> Could you check to see if you have a that process still running (ps
> aux)? It doesn't seem like it was killed by the OOM (that should be in
> the logs if so).
>
> This code falls directly in ubiquity, not the mythbuntu ubiquity
> plugins. Could you by chance compare to a standard Ubuntu 10.10 CD to
> help prove this assertion? I suspect it should also fail there.
>
> ** Changed in: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> mythbuntu 10.10 installer hangs at "Configure Hardware"
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/670003
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in ³ubiquity² package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: ubiquity
>
> First time install of 10.10 from the Live CD onto a brand-new 1 TB hard drive.
> The installers stops doing anything when the status bar indicates it's about
> 3/4 done. Fifteen minutes later, it's made no further progress.
> CD light not flashing. No sign of any activity.
> I tried three times - got the same result each time.
>
> Options chosen:
> -combined front/back end
> - use Nvidia graphics drivers. Enable TV-out (S-video)
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
> Package: ubiquity 2.4.8
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.33-generic 2.6.35.4
> Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic i686
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Tue Nov 2 11:48:42 2010
> LiveMediaBuild: Mythbuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
> ProcEnviron:
> LANG=en_US.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: ubiquity
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/670003/+subscribe

[Mario Limonciello (superm1)]

Sorry should have been clearer.

Yeah, do the same thing where you invoke the installer with ubiquity -d.

That process, I was referring to was "update-initramfs".
OOM is the out of memory killer. If the system is starved for RAM it would kill large applications. In this case you've got 1g of ram, so it hopefully shouldn't be activated.

Thanks!

[Pontus Goffe (goffe-pontus)]

My install hangs identical. I also have nVidia but it doesnt matter if I choose the OSS driver. I have AMD Sempron and used the 64-bit iso from USB.

[Mario Limonciello (superm1)]

Pontus:

Could you try to reproduce with standard Ubuntu too?

On Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 12:29, Pontus Goffe <email address hidden>wrote:

> My install hangs identical. I also have nVidia but it doesnt matter if I
> choose the OSS driver. I have AMD Sempron and used the 64-bit iso from
> USB.
>
> --
> mythbuntu 10.10 installer hangs at "Configure Hardware"
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/670003
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
> Installer Team, which is subscribed to ubiquity in ubuntu.
>

--
Mario Limonciello
<email address hidden>

[david cuddy (d-cuddy)]

Mario,
I've downloaded the 10.10 Ubuntu installer (10-10-desktop-i386) and procured
another hard drive so I can try a standard install. I can't even boot the
CD. After the purple Ubuntu splash screen appears for a while, I get a
BusyBox prompt.
"Can not mount /dev/loop0 cdrom/casper/filesystem.squashfs"

Perhaps my download and/or CD burn got corrupted. Will try downloading the
installer again.

Dave

> From: Mario Limonciello <email address hidden>
> Reply-To: Bug 670003 <email address hidden>
> Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:10:55 -0000
> To: David Cuddy <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 670003] Re: mythbuntu 10.10 installer hangs at "Configure
> Hardware"
>
> According to those logs, it's in the process of rebuilding the initramfs
> which is one of the last steps for the configure_hardware step.
>
> Nov 2 15:25:37 ubuntu ubiquity: update-initramfs: Generating
> /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
>
> Could you check to see if you have a that process still running (ps
> aux)? It doesn't seem like it was killed by the OOM (that should be in
> the logs if so).
>
> This code falls directly in ubiquity, not the mythbuntu ubiquity
> plugins. Could you by chance compare to a standard Ubuntu 10.10 CD to
> help prove this assertion? I suspect it should also fail there.
>
> ** Changed in: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> mythbuntu 10.10 installer hangs at "Configure Hardware"
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/670003
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in ³ubiquity² package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: ubiquity
>
> First time install of 10.10 from the Live CD onto a brand-new 1 TB hard drive.
> The installers stops doing anything when the status bar indicates it's about
> 3/4 done. Fifteen minutes later, it's made no further progress.
> CD light not flashing. No sign of any activity.
> I tried three times - got the same result each time.
>
> Options chosen:
> -combined front/back end
> - use Nvidia graphics drivers. Enable TV-out (S-video)
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
> Package: ubiquity 2.4.8
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.33-generic 2.6.35.4
> Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic i686
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Tue Nov 2 11:48:42 2010
> LiveMediaBuild: Mythbuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
> ProcEnviron:
> LANG=en_US.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: ubiquity
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/670003/+subscribe

[Pontus Goffe (goffe-pontus)]

Standard (64 bits) Ubuntu installed fine. Earlier I tried 32bits mythbuntu but it failed the same.

[Mario Limonciello (superm1)]

Pontus:

Thanks for the confirmation that it worked with 64 bit Ubuntu. Are you by
chance selecting either of the options on the prepare page for downloading
updates or to install software that increases hardware support when
installing Mythbuntu and reproducing this error? If so, can you please try
without them selected?

On Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 14:12, Pontus Goffe <email address hidden>wrote:

> Standard (64 bits) Ubuntu installed fine. Earlier I tried 32bits
> mythbuntu but it failed the same.
>
> --
> mythbuntu 10.10 installer hangs at "Configure Hardware"
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/670003
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
> Installer Team, which is subscribed to ubiquity in ubuntu.
>

--
Mario Limonciello
<email address hidden>

[david cuddy (d-cuddy)]

Mario,
You asked me to try a standard install of 10.10 to see if it fails in the
same way as it did when I tried to install Mythbuntu 10.10.

I have, and it does. The installer progress bar gets about 2/3 of the way
through the second phase, and then hangs at "Configuring hardware..".

I opened the little logging pane at the bottom of the Installer window. As
before, the last log record reads:
Ubuntu ubiquity: update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initd.im.6.35-22-generic

You asked me to check processes running with ps aux.
I can't - I don't know how to open a terminal window. The panel at the top
of the screen is devoid of the Applications menu. The network, volume, and
power-down icons are present at the right end of the panel, but there's
nothing at the left.

This test was with the 10.10-desktop-i386 CD.
At setup, I did not select download updates or install 3rd party media
files.

Dave

> From: Mario Limonciello <email address hidden>
> Reply-To: Bug 670003 <email address hidden>
> Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:10:55 -0000
> To: David Cuddy <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 670003] Re: mythbuntu 10.10 installer hangs at "Configure
> Hardware"
>
> According to those logs, it's in the process of rebuilding the initramfs
> which is one of the last steps for the configure_hardware step.
>
> Nov 2 15:25:37 ubuntu ubiquity: update-initramfs: Generating
> /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
>
> Could you check to see if you have a that process still running (ps
> aux)? It doesn't seem like it was killed by the OOM (that should be in
> the logs if so).
>
> This code falls directly in ubiquity, not the mythbuntu ubiquity
> plugins. Could you by chance compare to a standard Ubuntu 10.10 CD to
> help prove this assertion? I suspect it should also fail there.
>
> ** Changed in: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> mythbuntu 10.10 installer hangs at "Configure Hardware"
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/670003
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in ³ubiquity² package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: ubiquity
>
> First time install of 10.10 from the Live CD onto a brand-new 1 TB hard drive.
> The installers stops doing anything when the status bar indicates it's about
> 3/4 done. Fifteen minutes later, it's made no further progress.
> CD light not flashing. No sign of any activity.
> I tried three times - got the same result each time.
>
> Options chosen:
> -combined front/back end
> - use Nvidia graphics drivers. Enable TV-out (S-video)
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
> Package: ubiquity 2.4.8
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.33-generic 2.6.35.4
> Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic i686
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Tue Nov 2 11:48:42 2010
> LiveMediaBuild: Mythbuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
> ProcEnviron:
> LANG=en_US.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: ubiquity
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/670003/+subscribe

[Pontus Goffe (goffe-pontus)]

This time the install was successful. 64bit iso and I did not check the option for updates. The other option I did not check read "install third party software (Fluendo)". I didnt find anything like "increase hardware support".

After reboot the mythbuntu splash hangs instead, I can get ssh access though and /var/log/Xorg.nn.log says I have no screen and that it cant find the nvidia module.
I've done a dist-upgrade but it makes no difference.
I'll try again tomorrow with the included nVidia driver.

[Pontus Goffe (goffe-pontus)]

OK, I'm happy. This time I did as last except for the nVidia driver and the install was successful. After reboot I did an dist-upgrade and also installed the nVidia driver.

[david cuddy (d-cuddy)]

Pontus,
Glad to hear you're happy. I am still unable to install 10.10. I don't understand your recipe for success ("...except the nVidia driver"). Could you clarify exactly what process you followed with the LiveCD installer.

I'm using the 32-bit desktop ISO for my Sempron 2600 system. Perhaps the bug is specific to the 32-bit release and not the 64-bit variant.

[Pontus Goffe (goffe-pontus)]

I was asked not to perform any updates during installation, but if I at the same time choose nVidias closed source driver the install succeeds but after reboot the screen is blank.

If I choose the open source driver during install, I can still see things after reboot and switch driver post-install.

[david cuddy (d-cuddy)]

OP has additional data to report.

After my efforts to install 10.10 Mythbuntu from the LiveCd failed at "Configuring hardware" two weeks ago, I put Meerkat on the back burner. Today, I spent the afternoon performing some more experiments.

- the bug I reported is still present and 100% reproducible. The installer hangs at "Configuring hardware" while generating /boot/initrd.img.2.6.35.22-generic WHEN INSTALLING TO A SATA-CONNECTED 1TB SEAGATE DRIVE.

- I obtained an old 160 GB IDE drive and connected it to my system. The 10.10 installer completes successfully WHEN INSTALLING TO THE IDE DRIVE. But see caveat below.

- note that the Mythbuntu 10.04 LTS installer worked successfully to another SATA drive. I have been booting from and using that 10.04 system for the last week or so.

The 10.10 installation roadblock would seem to be hardware dependent: if the target is an IDE drive, it works fine. If the target is the SATA drive, it fails. My hardware comprises:
- Asus K8N with Sempron 2600+
- onboard IDE controller
- onboard SATA controller
- Promise SATA 300 TX SATA controller (PCI card)
- brand-new Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB drive (ST31000333AS)
- Asus V9520 Magic/T video card w/GeForce FX5200

Thinking that the onboard Asus controller might have some obscure firmware glitches, I tried the installation using both the internal SATA controller and the add-on PCI controller. In both cases, the 10.10 installer hangs when generating the initrd.img file. Something in 10.10 has regressed compared to 10.04.

--------
Caveat - I can confirm the bug reported by Pontus Goffe regarding choice of video driver. If I install 10.10 to the IDE drive and choose the Nvidia video driver, the installer completes OK. But when the system boots, it hangs at the purple splash screen. However, if I install 10.10 and stick with the open source driver (the default), the new installation then boots successfully. Once the Ubuntu desktop appeared, I was able to activate the Nvidia driver. After another reboot, the 10.10 system came up, using the Nvidia driver. This is similar behavior to that which Pontus reported above.

It seems unwise to offer the choice of video driver during the installation process given that the resulting system will not boot reliably if the Nvidia driver is chosen.

[Gerard (gerard78)]

Long time I don't post, since Ubuntu 9.10 problems and seems 10.10 continue its steps...
Let's see...

I successfully installed Ubuntu 10.04 on my Sempron 2600+ 512 RAM after a loong installation process.

The problem came with 10.10, it freezes on "Configuring Hardware" while generating /boot/initrd.img.2.6.35.22-generic as David yeah but I think that he says isn't correct as I'm installing to a 20GB partitioned "old" HD IDE, not SATA.

In the other hand we have the same processor so seems that perhaps the problem may stay there..and I don't wan't to think in kernel troubles...So kernel problems have something related to processors ? Answers, ideas welcome.

[Gerard (gerard78)]

I forgot, the oldie HD had some bad sectors founded and repared by HD Regenerator last year but even then, I successfully upgraded from Ubuntu 9.10 to 10.04.

The problem came yesterday when triyng to boot with UB 10.04 partition, didn't boot and a busybox appeared. I passed HD Regenerator again and found 6 bad sectors and 1 delay (what is it?) so I try to install 10.10 but I can't. Even then yesterday I was able to boot from Windows XP. Suggestions ?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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