[Bug 1296071] Re: install over existing does not delete old - result in corrupt install

[codeslinger]

well, it was an uncontroled situation...  I did an install, installed a
bunch of upgrades, made some other changes, and decided I needed to
start over.  so then I reinstalled from the iso, and decided to take the
quick way out and not reformat or erase the existing, but just to
install over the top of it.   I watched the install status and was
puzzeled when it looked to me as if it was making an inventory of the
existing files...  and then selectivly copying files, but I thought naw,
that couldn't be, I must be misinterpeting what I am seeing.

But once the installer was finished, I had an unbootable os.  so yeah, I
guess it was doing a selective copy instead of an erase everything.
Could it be the the Resume Install sequence is getting triggered instead
of an erase sequence?

I then started over and manually erased everything in the partition and
did the install again and it worked.

I am working on doing a repro of this using a controled environment in
vbox.   But it is a lenghty process and am also juggling other
obligations at the same time, so it is taking me a little while to get
this done, sorry.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1296071

Title:
  install over existing does not delete old - result in corrupt install

Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu:
  Incomplete

Bug description:
  when you do a manual install and choose a partition which already has an os on it.
  then you get warned that the os will be erased...  good that is what I want...
  but then it does not actually erase the old os instead it adds files to it and the result is unbootable.

  steps to reproduce:
  1) on an empty partition install an os such as 14.04
  2) do all the ususal stuff... such as installing updates, fini

  now decide to start over with a clean version of the os
  3) manually install a new os, select the partition that was used before
  4) see the nice warning about how the old files will be erased.... ok
  5) watch as it ~appears~ to make an inventory of all the files already present on the partition huh?
  6) watch as it ~appears~ to selectivly add files and or overwrite existing files
  7) fini, attempt to boot the newly installed os

  result: fails to boot, os is corrupt

  expected: it should have erased the relevant directories, basically
  everything except home...  before adding new files.

  now, confirm problem by manually erasing everything from the partition
  and reinstalling and then everything works.

  Note: your actualy milage will vary depending on what os you are
  installing on top of what os.  for instance if you instal the same
  bits on top of the same bits, then your os will work and you won't
  notice the problem.  you have to have oses that are similar but not
  quite compatibile in order for this failure to become apparent.

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