[Bug 1886580] [NEW] Grub fails to install in a VirtualBox installation of Ubuntu MATE Groovy 20.10 July 06, 2020

[Jags Desai]

Public bug reported:

Grub fails to install in VirtualBox installation of Ubuntu MATE Groovy
20.10 July 06, 2020 64-bit.

Though I'm trying to install Ubuntu MATE Groovy in a VirtualBox
installation, I just like to make it clear that, this is a desktop PC
with old-style BIOS (No UEFI at all).

VirtualBox version is: VirtualBox-6.1.97-138534-Linux_amd64, and it runs
Ubuntu MATE 20.04 Focal just fine (even with Kernel 5.7.7).

Issue: When I first tried to install it with just two partitions (like I
always have up until now), (1) First EXT4 partition of 23GB, and (2)
Second SWAP partition of 2GB; installer displays,

Error-1:
No EFI System Partition was found. This system will likely not be able to boot successfully, and the installation process may fail. Please go back and add an EFI System Partition, or continue at your own risk.

and upon clicking continue displays,

Error-2:
The partition table format in use on your disks normally requires you to create a separate partition for boot loader code. This partition should be marked as a "Reserved BIOS boot area" and should be at leat 1 MB in size. Note that thi is not the same as a partition mounted on /boot.

If you do not go back to the partitioning menu and correct this error,
boot loader installation may fail later, although it may still be
possible to install the boot loader to a partition.

So I went back and created:
(1) EFI partition 1GB
(2) Reserved BIOS boot area partition 1GB
(3) /boot EXT4 partition 1GB
(4) / EXT4 partition 22GB

Note: I did not create SWAP partition as I could not find a way to
create "Extended Partition" using Ubuntu MATE 20.10 installer.

So even with "EFI", "biosgrub", and "/boot" partitions, grub fails to
install on either SDA/SDA1/SDA2/SDA3/SDA4 with a message,

Bootloader install failed: Sorry, an error occurred and it was not
possible to install the bootloader at the specified location.

Attaching:

(1) var/log/syslog

(2) Imgur album with screenshots (as I could not attach 16 files in
here):

https://imgur.com/a/xKf8nNM

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
Package: ubiquity 20.10.7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-26.30-generic 5.4.30
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-26-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu42
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckMismatches: ./pool/restricted/n/nvidia-graphics-drivers-435/libnvidia-gl-435_435.21-0ubuntu7_i386.deb
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CasperVersion: 1.452
Date: Mon Jul  6 13:35:55 2020
InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-mate.seed maybe-ubiquity quiet splash ---
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu-MATE 20.10 "Groovy Gorilla" - Alpha amd64 (20200706)
SourcePackage: grub-installer
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: grub-installer (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug groovy ubiquity ubiquity-20.10.7 ubuntu-mate

** Attachment added: "var_log_syslog"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1886580/+attachment/5390297/+files/syslog.txt

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1886580

Title:
  Grub fails to install in a VirtualBox installation of Ubuntu MATE
  Groovy 20.10 July 06, 2020

Status in grub-installer package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Grub fails to install in VirtualBox installation of Ubuntu MATE Groovy
  20.10 July 06, 2020 64-bit.

  Though I'm trying to install Ubuntu MATE Groovy in a VirtualBox
  installation, I just like to make it clear that, this is a desktop PC
  with old-style BIOS (No UEFI at all).

  VirtualBox version is: VirtualBox-6.1.97-138534-Linux_amd64, and it
  runs Ubuntu MATE 20.04 Focal just fine (even with Kernel 5.7.7).

  Issue: When I first tried to install it with just two partitions (like
  I always have up until now), (1) First EXT4 partition of 23GB, and (2)
  Second SWAP partition of 2GB; installer displays,

  Error-1:
  No EFI System Partition was found. This system will likely not be able to boot successfully, and the installation process may fail. Please go back and add an EFI System Partition, or continue at your own risk.

  and upon clicking continue displays,

  Error-2:
  The partition table format in use on your disks normally requires you to create a separate partition for boot loader code. This partition should be marked as a "Reserved BIOS boot area" and should be at leat 1 MB in size. Note that thi is not the same as a partition mounted on /boot.

  If you do not go back to the partitioning menu and correct this error,
  boot loader installation may fail later, although it may still be
  possible to install the boot loader to a partition.

  So I went back and created:
  (1) EFI partition 1GB
  (2) Reserved BIOS boot area partition 1GB
  (3) /boot EXT4 partition 1GB
  (4) / EXT4 partition 22GB

  Note: I did not create SWAP partition as I could not find a way to
  create "Extended Partition" using Ubuntu MATE 20.10 installer.

  So even with "EFI", "biosgrub", and "/boot" partitions, grub fails to
  install on either SDA/SDA1/SDA2/SDA3/SDA4 with a message,

  Bootloader install failed: Sorry, an error occurred and it was not
  possible to install the bootloader at the specified location.

  Attaching:

  (1) var/log/syslog

  (2) Imgur album with screenshots (as I could not attach 16 files in
  here):

  https://imgur.com/a/xKf8nNM

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
  Package: ubiquity 20.10.7
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-26.30-generic 5.4.30
  Uname: Linux 5.4.0-26-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu42
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckMismatches: ./pool/restricted/n/nvidia-graphics-drivers-435/libnvidia-gl-435_435.21-0ubuntu7_i386.deb
  CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
  CasperVersion: 1.452
  Date: Mon Jul  6 13:35:55 2020
  InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-mate.seed maybe-ubiquity quiet splash ---
  LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu-MATE 20.10 "Groovy Gorilla" - Alpha amd64 (20200706)
  SourcePackage: grub-installer
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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