[Bug 1908776] [NEW] Ubiquity crashes if target /var mounted on distinct file system

[JPB]

Public bug reported:

First, I must apologize for my poor english: french is my mother's language...
Trying install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS from a live USB.
At least, 3 problems encountered. Only the second one concerns ubiquity.
1) error message while booting from  Ubuntu live USB.
2) installation procedure crashed.
3) I tried different workarounds but with subsequent troubles (which i identified from app-armor).

Ubuntu release: 20.04 LTS from Ubuntu Live USB key

My computer: AlienWare 51M with 1 SSD and 1 HDD. My aim was to locate frequently used and stable files on the SDD, while variable and less frequently used ones could be stored on the HDD.
The computer was also booting from Windows, so i used the possibility of choosing by myself, the partitioning of the disks and the usage of each partition. ("Autre Chose" in the french installation form)

1. Preliminary problem: When booting, my Ubuntu live USB complains about uncompressing the kernel : (warning message in tiny characters and quite unreadable).
I created by myself that bootable USB, after a downloaded ISO. The MD5 checksum was verified fine.
I read somewhere that this warning was a minor one. Si I ignored it! 

2.  When installing the system on my 2 computer disks (SSD and HDD), ubiquity enters an endless loop. I could retrieve  *and save!* a crash file (but i don't know the procedure to join the crash file to this bug report)
I did several tries. Some of them where OK!. Others crashed. I am convinced that the crash occurs only when I specify that /var should be mounted on a different file system than / (I the real life, / on the SSD and /var on a dedicated partition of the HDD)

3. The workaround was to start without associating /var with a distinct partition and install the whole system on / (except swap and /home). Luckily, the SSD was large enough to allow that.
After successful installation, I tried to move /var at an other place (by a symbolic link).
 And then many Linux utilities failed to work.
I struggled by myself to understand the problem and I should deactivate app-armor, which appears unable to follow symlinks when it checked access granted to each file or directory.
Linux documentation about app-armor or symlinks (man ls for example) should be improved on that point.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: ubiquity (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-58.64-generic 5.4.73
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-58-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.12
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sat Dec 19 09:24:21 2020
InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed quiet splash nomodeset ---
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-12-13 (5 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: ubiquity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug focal ubiquity-20.04.15.2

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1908776

Title:
  Ubiquity crashes if target /var mounted on distinct file system

Status in ubiquity package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  First, I must apologize for my poor english: french is my mother's language...
  Trying install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS from a live USB.
  At least, 3 problems encountered. Only the second one concerns ubiquity.
  1) error message while booting from  Ubuntu live USB.
  2) installation procedure crashed.
  3) I tried different workarounds but with subsequent troubles (which i identified from app-armor).

  Ubuntu release: 20.04 LTS from Ubuntu Live USB key

  My computer: AlienWare 51M with 1 SSD and 1 HDD. My aim was to locate frequently used and stable files on the SDD, while variable and less frequently used ones could be stored on the HDD.
  The computer was also booting from Windows, so i used the possibility of choosing by myself, the partitioning of the disks and the usage of each partition. ("Autre Chose" in the french installation form)

  1. Preliminary problem: When booting, my Ubuntu live USB complains about uncompressing the kernel : (warning message in tiny characters and quite unreadable).
  I created by myself that bootable USB, after a downloaded ISO. The MD5 checksum was verified fine.
  I read somewhere that this warning was a minor one. Si I ignored it! 

  2.  When installing the system on my 2 computer disks (SSD and HDD), ubiquity enters an endless loop. I could retrieve  *and save!* a crash file (but i don't know the procedure to join the crash file to this bug report)
  I did several tries. Some of them where OK!. Others crashed. I am convinced that the crash occurs only when I specify that /var should be mounted on a different file system than / (I the real life, / on the SSD and /var on a dedicated partition of the HDD)

  3. The workaround was to start without associating /var with a distinct partition and install the whole system on / (except swap and /home). Luckily, the SSD was large enough to allow that.
  After successful installation, I tried to move /var at an other place (by a symbolic link).
   And then many Linux utilities failed to work.
  I struggled by myself to understand the problem and I should deactivate app-armor, which appears unable to follow symlinks when it checked access granted to each file or directory.
  Linux documentation about app-armor or symlinks (man ls for example) should be improved on that point.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
  Package: ubiquity (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-58.64-generic 5.4.73
  Uname: Linux 5.4.0-58-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.12
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
  CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
  Date: Sat Dec 19 09:24:21 2020
  InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed quiet splash nomodeset ---
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-12-13 (5 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
  ProcEnviron:
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
   LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: ubiquity
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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