[Bug 1858131] [NEW] Ubiquity installer doesn't work inside Virtualbox VM

Thu Jan 2 20:11:31 UTC 2020

Public bug reported:

NOTE: I am reporting an issue with attempting to install Ubuntu 19.10
inside a Virtualbox VM. I ran ubuntu-bug to report this bug on the
_host_, but the issue is inside the VM, where I obviously can't run
ubuntu-bug because I can't get the installer to run. The information
automatically attached to this bug is therefore about the _host_, not
about the VM.

I attempted to install Ubuntu 19.10 from the desktop ISO inside a
Virtualbox VM as follows:

1. Click "New" in Virtualbox.
2. Specify "Ubuntu 19.10 install test" as the VM name. The Type automatically changes to Linux and the Version automatically changes to "Ubuntu (64-bit).
3. Click Next.
4. Set RAM to 2048 MB and click Next.
5. Create new virtual hard disk with all the default settings.
6. Click Settings to open VM settings.
7. Attach the ISO to the CD drive in the settings.
8. Change the number of CPUs to 2 in the settings.
9. Save the settings.
10. Start the VM.

Inside the VM:

1. Click "Install Ubuntu".
2. Click "Continue" with the default (English/English) keyboard layout.
3. Select "Minimal installation", uncheck "Download updates", and check "Install third-party"...

NO, WAIT, STEP 3 DIDN"T HAPPEN because while I was in the middle of
doing it my screen went blank and all I could see happening was a bunch
of reading of the virtual ISO judging from the constant little green
light overlaying the DVD icon at the bottom of the VirtualBox window.

This transition to a blank screen with a lot of reading from the ISO
going on happens at a different time in the process depending on how
fast I manage to work my way through the process, but I've never been
able to get the install to succeed, despite many attempts.

Sometimes if I wait long enough the blank screen will be replaced by the
live CD desktop.

But why is it launching the live CD desktop when I told it I wanted to
install, not try, Ubuntu?

N.B. I repeated all of the steps above but with the 18.04.3 ISO instead
of the 19.10 ISO, and the install works just fine in 18.04.3.

In terms of what version of the ISO I have, all I can tell you is that I
downloaded it from the web site earlier today, the file name is
ubuntu-19.10-desktop-amd64.iso, and I've confirmed that it matches the
MD5 sum in the file on the mirror (ea82...90fd).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
Package: ubiquity (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-24.26-generic 5.3.10
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Thu Jan  2 14:57:55 2020
InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash ---
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-01-02 (365 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.10 "Cosmic Cuttlefish" - Release amd64 (20181017.3)
SourcePackage: ubiquity
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to eoan on 2019-10-22 (71 days ago)
modified.conffile..etc.apport.crashdb.conf: [modified]
mtime.conffile..etc.apport.crashdb.conf: 2019-04-12T15:17:59.097705

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

** Tags: amd64 apport-bug eoan ubiquity-18.10.12

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to ubiquity in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1858131

Title:
  Ubiquity installer doesn't work inside Virtualbox VM

Status in ubiquity package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  NOTE: I am reporting an issue with attempting to install Ubuntu 19.10
  inside a Virtualbox VM. I ran ubuntu-bug to report this bug on the
  _host_, but the issue is inside the VM, where I obviously can't run
  ubuntu-bug because I can't get the installer to run. The information
  automatically attached to this bug is therefore about the _host_, not
  about the VM.

  I attempted to install Ubuntu 19.10 from the desktop ISO inside a
  Virtualbox VM as follows:

  1. Click "New" in Virtualbox.
  2. Specify "Ubuntu 19.10 install test" as the VM name. The Type automatically changes to Linux and the Version automatically changes to "Ubuntu (64-bit).
  3. Click Next.
  4. Set RAM to 2048 MB and click Next.
  5. Create new virtual hard disk with all the default settings.
  6. Click Settings to open VM settings.
  7. Attach the ISO to the CD drive in the settings.
  8. Change the number of CPUs to 2 in the settings.
  9. Save the settings.
  10. Start the VM.

  Inside the VM:

  1. Click "Install Ubuntu".
  2. Click "Continue" with the default (English/English) keyboard layout.
  3. Select "Minimal installation", uncheck "Download updates", and check "Install third-party"...

  NO, WAIT, STEP 3 DIDN"T HAPPEN because while I was in the middle of
  doing it my screen went blank and all I could see happening was a
  bunch of reading of the virtual ISO judging from the constant little
  green light overlaying the DVD icon at the bottom of the VirtualBox
  window.

  This transition to a blank screen with a lot of reading from the ISO
  going on happens at a different time in the process depending on how
  fast I manage to work my way through the process, but I've never been
  able to get the install to succeed, despite many attempts.

  Sometimes if I wait long enough the blank screen will be replaced by
  the live CD desktop.

  But why is it launching the live CD desktop when I told it I wanted to
  install, not try, Ubuntu?

  N.B. I repeated all of the steps above but with the 18.04.3 ISO
  instead of the 19.10 ISO, and the install works just fine in 18.04.3.

  In terms of what version of the ISO I have, all I can tell you is that
  I downloaded it from the web site earlier today, the file name is
  ubuntu-19.10-desktop-amd64.iso, and I've confirmed that it matches the
  MD5 sum in the file on the mirror (ea82...90fd).

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
  Package: ubiquity (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-24.26-generic 5.3.10
  Uname: Linux 5.3.0-24-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.2
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
  Date: Thu Jan  2 14:57:55 2020
  InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash ---
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-01-02 (365 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.10 "Cosmic Cuttlefish" - Release amd64 (20181017.3)
  SourcePackage: ubiquity
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to eoan on 2019-10-22 (71 days ago)
  modified.conffile..etc.apport.crashdb.conf: [modified]
  mtime.conffile..etc.apport.crashdb.conf: 2019-04-12T15:17:59.097705

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1858131/+subscriptions