[Bug 1900773] Re: Timeout downloading initrd

[dann frazier]

** Summary changed:

- ARM servers timeout downloading initrd
+ Timeout downloading initrd

** Description changed:

- groovy-live-server-arm64.iso 20201020.1
+ [Impact]
+ GRUB times out when downloading downloading large files w/ tftp. This notably breaks subiquity based PXE installations on several arm64 platforms (but presumably not limited to arm64).
  
- When attempting to netboot subiquity on a Cavium ThunderX CRB2S, the
- system always times out downloading the initrd - see below. It seems the
- initrd, which is LZ4 compressed to 87M, is just too large. If I
- recompress the initrd using lzma - shrinking it to 44M, I am able to
- boot it. While that successfully works around the issue, I wouldn't
- expect the average user to know to do it.
  
-                          GNU GRUB  version 2.04
+ [Test Case]
+ This can be reproduced on a Cavium ThunderX CRB system using subiquity from the groovy arm64 ISO. Failure looks like:
  
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-  �*Ubuntu Server                                                              � 
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-  ������������������������������������������������������������������������������
+                          GNU GRUB  version 2.04
  
-       Use the  and  keys to select which entry is highlighted.          
-       Press enter to boot the selected OS, `e' to edit the commands       
-       before booting or `c' for a command-line.                           
+  ����������������������������������������������������������������������������Ŀ
+  �*Ubuntu Server                                                              �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  �                                                                            �
+  ������������������������������������������������������������������������������
+ 
+       Use the  and  keys to select which entry is highlighted.
+       Press enter to boot the selected OS, `e' to edit the commands
+       before booting or `c' for a command-line.
  
  error: timeout reading `initrd'.
  
  Press any key to continue...
+ 
+ [Fix]
+ https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/grub.git/commit/?id=a6838bbc6726ad624bd2b94991f690b8e9d23c69
+ 
+ [Where problems could occur]
+ The fix is to the tftp command, so problems would like appear in the tftp stack, possibly due to inconsistencies between tftp server implementations.

** Changed in: grub2 (Ubuntu Hirsute)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => dann frazier (dannf)

** Changed in: grub2 (Ubuntu Hirsute)
       Status: Confirmed => In Progress

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1900773

Title:
  Timeout downloading initrd

Status in Release Notes for Ubuntu:
  New
Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in livecd-rootfs package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in grub2 source package in Focal:
  Confirmed
Status in livecd-rootfs source package in Focal:
  Invalid
Status in grub2 source package in Groovy:
  Confirmed
Status in livecd-rootfs source package in Groovy:
  Invalid
Status in grub2 source package in Hirsute:
  In Progress
Status in livecd-rootfs source package in Hirsute:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  [Impact]
  GRUB times out when downloading downloading large files w/ tftp. This notably breaks subiquity based PXE installations on several arm64 platforms (but presumably not limited to arm64).

  
  [Test Case]
  This can be reproduced on a Cavium ThunderX CRB system using subiquity from the groovy arm64 ISO. Failure looks like:

                           GNU GRUB  version 2.04

   ����������������������������������������������������������������������������Ŀ
   �*Ubuntu Server                                                              �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   �                                                                            �
   ������������������������������������������������������������������������������

        Use the  and  keys to select which entry is highlighted.
        Press enter to boot the selected OS, `e' to edit the commands
        before booting or `c' for a command-line.

  error: timeout reading `initrd'.

  Press any key to continue...

  [Fix]
  https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/grub.git/commit/?id=a6838bbc6726ad624bd2b94991f690b8e9d23c69

  [Where problems could occur]
  The fix is to the tftp command, so problems would like appear in the tftp stack, possibly due to inconsistencies between tftp server implementations.

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