[Bug 530071] Re: Lucid Default live-cd install fails with 4K sector / Advanced Format drives

[Maxime R.]

Hi, ubiquity no more hang when installing ubuntu on a WD10EARS drive but the partitions aren't correctly aligned.
Could someone check this bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/583790 ?

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/530071

Title:
  Lucid Default live-cd install fails with 4K sector / Advanced Format
  drives

Status in “e2fsprogs” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “partman-base” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “partman-ext3” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “util-linux” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “e2fsprogs” source package in Lucid:
  Fix Released
Status in “partman-base” source package in Lucid:
  Fix Released
Status in “partman-ext3” source package in Lucid:
  Fix Released
Status in “ubiquity” source package in Lucid:
  Invalid
Status in “util-linux” source package in Lucid:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: ubiquity

  Use default partition layout for Lucid Allpha 3 on new hard disk fails to account for 4K sector / Advanced Format drives. For example WD10-EARS which reports sector alignment in Identify Drive as 4KB internal sectors, 512 external.
  Ubiquity hangs during "Partition Formatting" at 5% with "Creating ext4 file system for / in partition #1 of SCSI1 (0,0,0) (sda)...".

  Open terminal and fdisk -l shows partitions are created correctly but don't "start on optimal I/O boundary". Shut down ubiquity and attempt a manual mkfs.ext4 and I get a warning:
   /dev/sda1 alignment is offset by 512 bytes.
   This may result in very poor performance, (re)-partitioning suggested.
   Proceed anyway? (y,n)

  So the tools here (fdisk, mkfs) are correctly picking up that the
  drive has a prefered alignment but Ubiquity installation does not. I
  presume that the warning question from mkfs.ext4 asking for y/n
  confirmation is not catered for in the installation scripts which
  presumably expect a completion on mkfs.ext4.

  If a manual partition set is created based on correct alignment and
  mkfs.ext4 run, the ubiquity installation can complete correctly if
  manual use of existing partitions is selected. Fdisk can be used here
  as long as care is taken with the boundaries. The --align options
  under parted 2.1 would make this simpler to configure but I think
  there is already a plan to include parted 2.1 in Lucid if possible.

  The best solution would entail the installation tools aligning
  partitons to the optimum alignment for the drive which would make sure
  the best performance is obtained in the OS. Failing this, at least the
  installation needs to allow for the mkfs changes (warning message) or
  the default installation can not be used on the new drives.

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