[Bug 1899308] Re: failure to boot groovy daily (again)

[Thomas Schmitt]

Hi,

so the world might begin to split into incompatible camps.
New Lenovos versus old HPs.
Debian still has the "mac" amd64 ISOs which simply have no EFI equipment
in order to please some old Apple machines:
  https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/iso-cd/

But this GPT allergy would have to be verified by repacking a GPT Ubuntu
ISO to a MBR Ubuntu ISO which the Lenovos seem to hate.
Continuing the repack endeavors of
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-cdimage/+bug/1886148/comments/174
one may do

  original=groovy-desktop-amd64_20201010_gpt.iso

  test -f test_mbr.iso && rm test_mbr.iso

  xorriso \
    -indev "$original" \
    -outdev test_mbr.iso \
    -boot_image any replay \
    -boot_image any appended_part_as=mbr

Partition editors should report MBR/DOS partition table and boot flag

  $ /sbin/fdisk -l test_mbr.iso
  ...
  Disklabel type: dos
  ...
  Device        Boot   Start     End Sectors  Size Id Type
  test_mbr.iso1 *         64 5724655 5724592  2.7G 83 Linux
  test_mbr.iso2      5724656 5734607    9952  4.9M ef EFI (FAT-12/16/32)

If this does not boot then it is not about MBR or boot flag, but about
something else.

If it boots, it's maybe only the addiction to MBR boot flags, for which
there is a barely legal solution:
One may create a pseudo partition with boot flag which is on the other
side invisible enough not to disturb GPT recognition.

  test -r test_gpt_bootflag.iso && rm test_gpt_bootflag.iso

  xorriso \
    -indev "$original" \
    -outdev test_gpt_bootflag.iso \
    -boot_image any replay \
    -boot_image any appended_part_as=gpt \
    -boot_image any mbr_force_bootable=on

(If partition editors complain about some Protective MBR mismatch in
 test_gpt_bootflag.iso: I am investigating this. It happens only with
 replay runs. Let's hope it does not influence the outcome ot the test.)

Have a nice day :)

Thomas

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to cd-boot-images-amd64 in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1899308

Title:
  failure to boot groovy daily  (again)

Status in Ubuntu CD Images:
  New
Status in cd-boot-images-amd64 package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  This is either a duplicate or return of
  - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-cdimage/+bug/1883040
  - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-cdimage/+bug/1886148

  Most probably "groovy daily won't boot anymore on some older BIOS
  boxes" or the 1883040 bug, as it's impacting only my older slow boxes
  (but it's also different).

  thumb-drive has been successfully used in QA live & install tests,
  however it won't boot on

  hp dc7700 (c2d-e6320, 5gb, nvidia quadro nvs 290)
  hp dc7900 (c2d-e8400, 4gb, intel 4 series integrated i915)

  The last timing issue also impacted d755-5 (older dell optiplex 755)
  when dc7700 was impacted, but that booted successfully this ISO.

  I see thumb-drive flash as it tries to boot, eventually it stops
  flashing, but no boot. At least 6 attempts made to boot, thumb-drive
  being tested on another 2x d755 boxes..

  ** Expected result

  It boots & is usable

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