[Bug 1860411] [NEW] The Startup Disk Creator is glitchy when I try to use non-Ubuntu iso files

sudodus 1860411 at bugs.launchpad.net
Tue Jan 21 08:11:06 UTC 2020 

Public bug reported:

The current version of the Ubuntu Startup Disk Creator (in Ubuntu 16.04
LTS and newer versions of Ubuntu) is easy to use. And it is a cloning
tool, which makes it reliable.

It seems dedicated to creating USB boot drives for Ubuntu and Ubuntu
family flavours (Kubuntu, Lubuntu ... Xubuntu).

I have tested with various iso files outside the Ubuntu family:

- Respins based on Ubuntu are usually accepted as input

- A few respins based on Debian are also accepted as input

- Debian 10 live iso files are not accepted (they do not appear in the
box for input files after selecting them).

- Other main linux distros for example Fedora and OpenSUSE are not
accepted.

This is rather confusing and I concluded, that there is some filter,
that decides which iso files to accept. So I checked in the Python code.

In the file /usr/lib/python3/dist-
packages/usbcreator/backends/udisks/backend.py there is

def _is_casper_cd(self, filename):
    for search in ['/.disk/info', '/.disk/mini-info']:
        cmd = ['isoinfo', '-J', '-i', filename, '-x', search]
        try:
            output = misc.popen(cmd, stderr=None)
            if output:
                return output
        except misc.USBCreatorProcessException:
            # TODO evand 2009-07-26: Error dialog.
            logging.error('Could not extract .disk/info.')
    return None

which indicates that the Startup Disk Creator is checking for the
content of the files /.disk/info and /.disk/mini-info.

These are present in Ubuntu, Debian and many but not all respins. The
funny thing is that the difference between Debian 10.2 and Kali is a
trailing line feed. I checked with Debian 8.8. It contains a newline and
is accepted by the Startup Disk Creator.

sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ sudo mount -o loop debian-live-8.8.0-amd64-standard.iso /mnt/lp1
mount: /mnt/lp1: VARNING: enhet skrivskyddad, monterad som endast läsbar.
sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ cat /mnt/lp1/.disk/info
Debian GNU/Linux 8 "Jessie" - Official Snapshot amd64 LIVE/INSTALL Binary 20170506-14:26
sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ sudo mount -o loop debian-live-10.2.0-amd64-standard.iso /mnt/lp2
mount: /mnt/lp2: VARNING: enhet skrivskyddad, monterad som endast läsbar.
sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ cat /mnt/lp2/.disk/info
Official Debian GNU/Linux Live 10.2.0 standard 2019-11-16T10:15sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ 

So it seems that I have found a bug. The Startup Disk Creator does not
accept an iso file unless there is a trailing newline character in the
file /.disk/info or /.disk/mini-info.

-o-

I suggest

1. Bug-fix

Modify the code so that it will also accept an iso file with a file
'/.disk/info' or '/.disk/mini-info' even if there is no newline
character.

This would make the Startup Disk Creator more useful for all the people
who use Ubuntu or an Ubuntu community flavour as their main operationg
system, but want to try Debian 10 live (and maybe also future Debian
versions).

2. Improvement

Make the Startup Disk Creator accept all iso files as input, but pup up
a message with a disclaimer when the iso file is not identified as an
Ubuntu family iso file (the string 'buntu' is not found in one of
'/.disk/info' or '/.disk/mini-info', or none of the files is found at
all). The file name should be enough to identify the input file.

This would make the Startup Disk Creator useful also for people who want
to try other (non-Ubuntu and non-Debian) Linux operating systems that
provide hybrid iso files.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: usb-creator-gtk 0.3.5ubuntu18.04.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-74.84-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-74-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.9
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: LXDE
Date: Tue Jan 21 08:40:28 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-05-15 (615 days ago)
InstallationMedia:
 
SourcePackage: usb-creator
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: usb-creator (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug bionic

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1860411

Title:
  The Startup Disk Creator is glitchy when I try to use non-Ubuntu iso
  files

Status in usb-creator package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  The current version of the Ubuntu Startup Disk Creator (in Ubuntu
  16.04 LTS and newer versions of Ubuntu) is easy to use. And it is a
  cloning tool, which makes it reliable.

  It seems dedicated to creating USB boot drives for Ubuntu and Ubuntu
  family flavours (Kubuntu, Lubuntu ... Xubuntu).

  I have tested with various iso files outside the Ubuntu family:

  - Respins based on Ubuntu are usually accepted as input

  - A few respins based on Debian are also accepted as input

  - Debian 10 live iso files are not accepted (they do not appear in the
  box for input files after selecting them).

  - Other main linux distros for example Fedora and OpenSUSE are not
  accepted.

  This is rather confusing and I concluded, that there is some filter,
  that decides which iso files to accept. So I checked in the Python
  code.

  In the file /usr/lib/python3/dist-
  packages/usbcreator/backends/udisks/backend.py there is

  def _is_casper_cd(self, filename):
      for search in ['/.disk/info', '/.disk/mini-info']:
          cmd = ['isoinfo', '-J', '-i', filename, '-x', search]
          try:
              output = misc.popen(cmd, stderr=None)
              if output:
                  return output
          except misc.USBCreatorProcessException:
              # TODO evand 2009-07-26: Error dialog.
              logging.error('Could not extract .disk/info.')
      return None

  which indicates that the Startup Disk Creator is checking for the
  content of the files /.disk/info and /.disk/mini-info.

  These are present in Ubuntu, Debian and many but not all respins. The
  funny thing is that the difference between Debian 10.2 and Kali is a
  trailing line feed. I checked with Debian 8.8. It contains a newline
  and is accepted by the Startup Disk Creator.

  sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ sudo mount -o loop debian-live-8.8.0-amd64-standard.iso /mnt/lp1
  mount: /mnt/lp1: VARNING: enhet skrivskyddad, monterad som endast läsbar.
  sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ cat /mnt/lp1/.disk/info
  Debian GNU/Linux 8 "Jessie" - Official Snapshot amd64 LIVE/INSTALL Binary 20170506-14:26
  sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ sudo mount -o loop debian-live-10.2.0-amd64-standard.iso /mnt/lp2
  mount: /mnt/lp2: VARNING: enhet skrivskyddad, monterad som endast läsbar.
  sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ cat /mnt/lp2/.disk/info
  Official Debian GNU/Linux Live 10.2.0 standard 2019-11-16T10:15sudodus at bionic64 /media/multimed-2/CD/debian $ 

  So it seems that I have found a bug. The Startup Disk Creator does not
  accept an iso file unless there is a trailing newline character in the
  file /.disk/info or /.disk/mini-info.

  -o-

  I suggest

  1. Bug-fix

  Modify the code so that it will also accept an iso file with a file
  '/.disk/info' or '/.disk/mini-info' even if there is no newline
  character.

  This would make the Startup Disk Creator more useful for all the
  people who use Ubuntu or an Ubuntu community flavour as their main
  operationg system, but want to try Debian 10 live (and maybe also
  future Debian versions).

  2. Improvement

  Make the Startup Disk Creator accept all iso files as input, but pup
  up a message with a disclaimer when the iso file is not identified as
  an Ubuntu family iso file (the string 'buntu' is not found in one of
  '/.disk/info' or '/.disk/mini-info', or none of the files is found at
  all). The file name should be enough to identify the input file.

  This would make the Startup Disk Creator useful also for people who
  want to try other (non-Ubuntu and non-Debian) Linux operating systems
  that provide hybrid iso files.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
  Package: usb-creator-gtk 0.3.5ubuntu18.04.2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-74.84-generic 4.15.18
  Uname: Linux 4.15.0-74-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.9
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: LXDE
  Date: Tue Jan 21 08:40:28 2020
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-05-15 (615 days ago)
  InstallationMedia:
   
  SourcePackage: usb-creator
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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