[Bug 1284196] [NEW] Install to 3TB disk fails with "attempt to read or write outside of disk" error on reboot

[Roderick Smith]

Public bug reported:

I performed a test installation of Trusty server to a VirtualBox
installation with a 3TiB virtual disk. I chose default options for the
most part, although I opted for a non-LVM partition layout. Ubiquity
seemed to successfully install Ubuntu, but on reboot, I got the
following GRUB error:

Error: attempt to read or write outside of disk `hd0'.
Entering rescue mode...
grub rescue>

It appears that Ubiquity set up a single giant root (/) partition; as
shown by gdisk:

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
Disk /dev/sda: 6442450944 sectors, 3.0 TiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): 042174C8-0513-49FC-A04B-579D7A01D723
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 6442450910
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 4029 sectors (2.0 MiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1            2048            4095   1024.0 KiB  EF02  
   2            4096      6440355839   3.0 TiB     8300  
   3      6440355840      6442448895   1022.0 MiB  8200 

My suspicion is that the kernel ended up above the 2TiB mark and so
became unloadable to GRUB, either because of a limitation of GRUB or of
the BIOS used by VirtualBox. Re-running the installation with manual
partitioning and a separate /boot partition at the start of the disk
resulted in a working installation.

This issue could result in failures of automated installations and
certification testing, should the target system have an over-2TiB disk.
My recommendation is that ubiquity default to creating a separate /boot
partition at the start of the disk when doing a BIOS-mode installation
on an over-2TiB disk.

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

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1284196

Title:
  Install to 3TB disk fails with "attempt to read or write outside of
  disk" error on reboot

Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I performed a test installation of Trusty server to a VirtualBox
  installation with a 3TiB virtual disk. I chose default options for the
  most part, although I opted for a non-LVM partition layout. Ubiquity
  seemed to successfully install Ubuntu, but on reboot, I got the
  following GRUB error:

  Error: attempt to read or write outside of disk `hd0'.
  Entering rescue mode...
  grub rescue>

  It appears that Ubiquity set up a single giant root (/) partition; as
  shown by gdisk:

  Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.
  Disk /dev/sda: 6442450944 sectors, 3.0 TiB
  Logical sector size: 512 bytes
  Disk identifier (GUID): 042174C8-0513-49FC-A04B-579D7A01D723
  Partition table holds up to 128 entries
  First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 6442450910
  Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
  Total free space is 4029 sectors (2.0 MiB)

  Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
     1            2048            4095   1024.0 KiB  EF02  
     2            4096      6440355839   3.0 TiB     8300  
     3      6440355840      6442448895   1022.0 MiB  8200 

  My suspicion is that the kernel ended up above the 2TiB mark and so
  became unloadable to GRUB, either because of a limitation of GRUB or
  of the BIOS used by VirtualBox. Re-running the installation with
  manual partitioning and a separate /boot partition at the start of the
  disk resulted in a working installation.

  This issue could result in failures of automated installations and
  certification testing, should the target system have an over-2TiB
  disk. My recommendation is that ubiquity default to creating a
  separate /boot partition at the start of the disk when doing a BIOS-
  mode installation on an over-2TiB disk.

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