[Bug 1237519] Re: Grub2 fails to install to non-standard device path

[Kent Baxley]

It is possible to boot from the Fusion io device by doing the following:

1) Install on the Fusionio card and verify that it won't boot up using the steps above.
2) Re-install the OS, this time on a local SATA disk in the same machine as the FusionIO card. 
3) Boot from the SATA disk.  The grub menu should have two entries...one for the SATA drive and another for the fusion IO card device.   The Fusion IO entry is typically listed second. 
4) Select the Fusion IO entry.  Initially you will get an error message complaining about  "no such device xxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx", however, if you select the 'press any key to continue' option, the OS will boot up from the FusionIO device. 

Attaching a grub.cfg from this type of installation.   The relevant
Fusionio entries begin in the /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober section of the
file.


** Attachment added: "grub.cfg"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/1237519/+attachment/3889003/+files/grub.cfg

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to grub2 in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1237519

Title:
  Grub2 fails to install to non-standard device path

Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  Incomplete

Bug description:
  Running the Ubuntu Server installer in UEFI mode fails to install the
  Grub bootloader.  Attached is the syslog output that shows grub-
  installer failed with error code 1.  I have seen this on Ubuntu 12.04,
  12.10, and 13.04.  I believe the problem is that Grub is looking for
  device paths that match something like '/dev/sdX' or '/dev/hdX' but
  the device I am installing to does not follow that convention.

  The reason I believe it is looking for specific devices paths is if,
  during installation after my device has been partitioned, I escape
  into the shell (using alt+f2) and create a hard link from my device
  name and its partitions, to a device name that matches 'sdX', then
  Grub begins to install.  For example, if my device name is /dev/fioa
  and has partitions /dev/fioa1, /dev/fioa2, and /dev/fioa3, I map those
  partitions to something like /dev/sdc, /dev/sdc1, /dev/sdc2, and
  /dev/sdc3 and continue with the installation onto /dev/sdc.  By doing
  this, Grub will begin to install on the device.

  Possibly useful background information:

  - The operating system and all files install just fine without
  problem, it is the last step of installing the bootloader that fails.

  - In order to have the device recognized during installation, I either
  need to run 'insmod' from a terminal or we have to manually modify
  initrd to include our .ko file because it is not a standard disk
  driver.  Using either method does not affect the outcome of Grub2
  failing to install.

  - Even though grub begins to install after creating the hard links
  mentioned above, it does not finish successfully due to the linked
  paths (e.g. /dev/sdc) not being in the device map.  That is a separate
  issue, but may be expected behavior and would likely need a separate
  ticket if it needed to be reported at all.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/1237519/+subscriptions