[Bug 1072880] [NEW] grub fails to install on dmraid during upgrade to 12.10

[Paul Boven]

Public bug reported:

During the upgrade from 12.04LTS to 12.10, grub reported the following
errors:

run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.2.0-30-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-30-generic
generating grub.cfg
/usr/sbin/grub-probe: error: cannot find a GRUB driv for /dev/mapper/isw_cbfbcabehj_Volume0p1. Check your device.map.
(repeated 34 more times).

And a big popup:
"GRUB failed to install to the following devices:
/dev/dm-0
Do you want to continue anyway? If you do your computer may not start up properly.
Writing GRUB to boot device failed - continue? "
(I decided to continue, as the system already had a working grub, and there seemed no way out of the situation anyway)

After reboot, the system is stuck in "grub rescue" and is currently
unbootable.

When booting from a rescue-USB, I can activate the fakeraid (Intel Matrix raid) with 'dmraid -ay' and can mount the root
partition, but I am unable to put grub on it:
grub-installer fails (cannot find device for /, /boot - grub installer clobbers much of its own output)
/mnt/usr/sbin/grub-install fails (Cannot open /usr/share/grub/grub-mkconfig_lib)
chroot /mnt grub-install fails (Path /boot/grub is not readable by GRUB on boot. Installation is impossible. Aborting)

The system was originally installed, brand new, with 12.04 LTS (no other
OS on it). DMraid was configured through the regular installer, I don't
recall any grub issues back then.

I'm happy to provide any additional information that's needed, but this
might be difficult due to the system not being bootable.

While running a chroot on /mnt (the dmraid-device with my original root
filesystem) I get:

lsb_release -rd: Description: Ubuntu 12.10, Release: 12.10

apt-cache policy grub2-common:
Installed: 2.00-7ubuntu11, Candidate: 2.00-7ubuntu11

Recovery CD has kernel 3.2.0-32, target system has 3.5.0-32 on it but
does not boot into that.

Expected: a clean upgrade to 12.10 and being able to use the system
again.

What happened instead: system is currently unbootable, hangs in "grub
rescue", though no dataloss seems to have happened. I cannot even boot
into an older kernel.

** Affects: grub2 (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1072880

Title:
  grub fails to install on dmraid during upgrade to 12.10

Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  During the upgrade from 12.04LTS to 12.10, grub reported the following
  errors:

  run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.2.0-30-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-30-generic
  generating grub.cfg
  /usr/sbin/grub-probe: error: cannot find a GRUB driv for /dev/mapper/isw_cbfbcabehj_Volume0p1. Check your device.map.
  (repeated 34 more times).

  And a big popup:
  "GRUB failed to install to the following devices:
  /dev/dm-0
  Do you want to continue anyway? If you do your computer may not start up properly.
  Writing GRUB to boot device failed - continue? "
  (I decided to continue, as the system already had a working grub, and there seemed no way out of the situation anyway)

  After reboot, the system is stuck in "grub rescue" and is currently
  unbootable.

  When booting from a rescue-USB, I can activate the fakeraid (Intel Matrix raid) with 'dmraid -ay' and can mount the root
  partition, but I am unable to put grub on it:
  grub-installer fails (cannot find device for /, /boot - grub installer clobbers much of its own output)
  /mnt/usr/sbin/grub-install fails (Cannot open /usr/share/grub/grub-mkconfig_lib)
  chroot /mnt grub-install fails (Path /boot/grub is not readable by GRUB on boot. Installation is impossible. Aborting)

  The system was originally installed, brand new, with 12.04 LTS (no
  other OS on it). DMraid was configured through the regular installer,
  I don't recall any grub issues back then.

  I'm happy to provide any additional information that's needed, but
  this might be difficult due to the system not being bootable.

  While running a chroot on /mnt (the dmraid-device with my original
  root filesystem) I get:

  lsb_release -rd: Description: Ubuntu 12.10, Release: 12.10

  apt-cache policy grub2-common:
  Installed: 2.00-7ubuntu11, Candidate: 2.00-7ubuntu11

  Recovery CD has kernel 3.2.0-32, target system has 3.5.0-32 on it but
  does not boot into that.

  Expected: a clean upgrade to 12.10 and being able to use the system
  again.

  What happened instead: system is currently unbootable, hangs in "grub
  rescue", though no dataloss seems to have happened. I cannot even boot
  into an older kernel.

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