[Bug 610898] Re: grub-pc upgrade renders computer unbootable when Wubi is installed to partition other than Windows

[bcbc]

PS should have mentioned in Results of last testcase (repeat testcase 3)
1. After update, debconf-show grub-pc shows installed-devices: /dev/loop0
2. No wubildr on /host before or after test (expected)
3. Also, I rebooted into Ubuntu following the updates to confirm it worked (kind of
important to mention this)
--------------------------------------

Repeat of testcase 1 follows...

Testcase 1: Maverick 10.10 on E: drive (ntfs partition /dev/sda3)
=============================================
Grub version in wubildr at install 1.98+20100804-5ubuntu2
Grub version in Ubuntu at install 1.98+20100804-5ubuntu3
Lupin-support version is 0.32
debconf-show grub-pc ---> install-devices:  <blank>
Only grub.cfg and grubenv in /boot/grub
No wubildr on /host

Test method:
Add Proposed to sources,through synaptic (not running other updates)
Latest available version of grub-pc shown as 1.98+20100804-5ubuntu3.3
Latest available version of lupin-support is 0.32.1
Select grub-pc (which includes grub-common) and lupin-support and
applied updates.

Expected result:
===========
1. wubildr on /dev/sda2 will be updated (that's on C:)
2. grub modules added to /boot/grub
3. /boot/grub/grub.cfg changed as expected with new modules present.
4. No prompt to install grub to /dev/sda

Results:
=====
1. wubildr on /dev/sda2 updated to 1.98+20100804-5ubuntu3.3 and no /host/wubildr (expected)
2. grub modules added to /boot/grub as expected
3. /boot/grub/grub.cfg changed as expected
4. There was no prompt to install grub to /dev/sda
 (grub is now version 1.98+20100804-5ubuntu3.3 on Ubuntu)
5. debconf-show grub-pc install-devices: /dev/loop0
6. Rebooting into Ubuntu worked

Conclusion:
========
The test was successful.

PS as mentioned before - the same partition tests will be done later
this evening. They probably aren't as critical since they worked before
the lupin update anyway. But I'll do them to make sure there's no
regression.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/610898

Title:
  grub-pc upgrade renders computer unbootable when Wubi is installed to
  partition other than Windows

Status in Release Notes for Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in Wubi, Windows Ubuntu Installer:
  Triaged
Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “lupin” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “grub2” source package in Lucid:
  Fix Committed
Status in “lupin” source package in Lucid:
  Fix Committed
Status in “grub2” source package in Maverick:
  Fix Committed
Status in “lupin” source package in Maverick:
  Fix Committed
Status in “grub2” source package in Natty:
  Invalid
Status in “lupin” source package in Natty:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  Users with wubi 10.04 are running the latest grub-pc updates, and it's
  installing the grub2 bootloader to their drive MBR, rendering their
  computers unbootable.

  Users are reporting that the computer boots straight to a grub rescue
  prompt, with the error 'no such device xxxxxxx'. They cannot boot
  windows or access their system restore utilities. Grub2 is in the MBR
  pointing to partition #256.

  I first reported this on the #grub IRC channel, in the following bug
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/576724, and now
  here as it's probably correct to create a new bug (an there's been no
  response yet).

  Here are the links to the ubuntuforums.org threads...
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1538228
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1537956
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1538170
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1482621 (this is an older thread, but a new user (softis) added to it and has the same issue).
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1540744
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1540772
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1539672

  I suspect, but cannot be certain, that it may be related to another
  bug in the lupin-support overrides of grub, that fails to identify a
  wubi installed ubuntu, when it has been installed to a partition other
  than the main windows partition.
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lupin/+bug/604417

  Although not conclusive, it seems that the most affected users
  reported installing wubi to a partition other than windows.

  
  =====================
  FOLLOW UP: Aug 13 2010
  =====================
  I ran a new 10.04 wubi install on two computers. On the first wubi was installed on the same partition as windows. On the second it was installed on an external drive. 

  After installing, I booted wubi on both, connected to the internet and immediately downloaded all updates. When the grub-pc screen was presented, I clicked Forward (without checking the box) and then proceeded to select ALL devices presented to install grub.
  On the WUBI on the same partition as Windows, this had no effect (verified with Bootinfoscript)
  On the WUBI on a different partition than Windows, this installed grub to the MBR of both drives, with grub looking in partition #256.

  ===========
  CONFIRMED:
  ===========
  This only affects WUBI installs on a partition other than windows, therefore, is probably a duplicate of bug 604417.

  
  Side note:
  On both computers, Wubi would not start upon reboot after completion of updates. When I clicked on Ubuntu under the Windows Boot Manager, both computers rebooted. (This is totally unrelated to the MBR issue). To fix I had to boot each wubi install from a grub command line (from a direct ubuntu install),  and then run "sudo update-grub", after which I was able to boot normally into the wubi install using the Windows Boot Manager.  I'm not sure how a user with just wubi would do this!? Chroot from a live CD!?

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