[Bug 1012629] [NEW] grub-installer ignores "bootdev" setting in preseed file

[Riccardo Murri]

Public bug reported:

I am installing an Ubuntu system with two disks attached; I want the
OS to be installed on the second disk /dev/sdb; the first disk
/dev/sda is currently completely empty (not even partitioned).  The
install process works fine, but then GRUB ignores the line:

        d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sdb

and complains that it cannot write to /dev/sda (because it does not
even have a partition table).

Same happens if I use GRUB's own notation "(hd1)" instead of /dev/sdb
in the preseed file.

If I omit the "grub-installer/bootdev" line in the preseed, then D-I
stops to ask me if I want to install GRUB on sda or sdb.

The issue can be replicated with virtual machines: add two disks (one
of the empty / zeroed out), and instruct the preseed to install on the
second one.

I think this is the same as Debian bug #666974, but I'm filing it
separately as I'm not sure what/how much is changed in Ubuntu's
version of D-I. See: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=666974


Preseed options used for partitioning / target selection:

    ### Partitioning
    d-i partman-auto/method string lvm
    d-i partman-auto/choose_recipe select atomic

    # do not ask for confirmation, ever
    d-i partman-basicfilesystem/no_swap               boolean  false
    d-i partman-lvm/confirm                           boolean  true
    d-i partman-lvm/confirm_nooverwrite               boolean  true
    d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm                 boolean  true
    d-i partman-md/confirm                            boolean  true
    d-i partman-md/device_remove_md                   boolean  true
    d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label  boolean  true
    d-i partman/choose_partition                      select   finish
    d-i partman/confirm                               boolean  true
    d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite                   boolean  true
    d-i partman/exception_handler                     select   Retry


GRUB-related preseed options:

    ### Boot loader installation
    d-i grub-installer/only_debian boolean true
    d-i grub-installer/with_other_os boolean true
    d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sdb

** Affects: debian-installer (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1012629

Title:
  grub-installer ignores "bootdev" setting in preseed file

Status in “debian-installer” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I am installing an Ubuntu system with two disks attached; I want the
  OS to be installed on the second disk /dev/sdb; the first disk
  /dev/sda is currently completely empty (not even partitioned).  The
  install process works fine, but then GRUB ignores the line:

          d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sdb

  and complains that it cannot write to /dev/sda (because it does not
  even have a partition table).

  Same happens if I use GRUB's own notation "(hd1)" instead of /dev/sdb
  in the preseed file.

  If I omit the "grub-installer/bootdev" line in the preseed, then D-I
  stops to ask me if I want to install GRUB on sda or sdb.

  The issue can be replicated with virtual machines: add two disks (one
  of the empty / zeroed out), and instruct the preseed to install on the
  second one.

  I think this is the same as Debian bug #666974, but I'm filing it
  separately as I'm not sure what/how much is changed in Ubuntu's
  version of D-I. See: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=666974

  
  Preseed options used for partitioning / target selection:

      ### Partitioning
      d-i partman-auto/method string lvm
      d-i partman-auto/choose_recipe select atomic

      # do not ask for confirmation, ever
      d-i partman-basicfilesystem/no_swap               boolean  false
      d-i partman-lvm/confirm                           boolean  true
      d-i partman-lvm/confirm_nooverwrite               boolean  true
      d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm                 boolean  true
      d-i partman-md/confirm                            boolean  true
      d-i partman-md/device_remove_md                   boolean  true
      d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label  boolean  true
      d-i partman/choose_partition                      select   finish
      d-i partman/confirm                               boolean  true
      d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite                   boolean  true
      d-i partman/exception_handler                     select   Retry

  
  GRUB-related preseed options:

      ### Boot loader installation
      d-i grub-installer/only_debian boolean true
      d-i grub-installer/with_other_os boolean true
      d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sdb

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