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

[Thomas Schmitt]

Hi,

i confirm that

  groovy-desktop-amd64.iso1          1 5740827 5740827  2.8G ee GPT
  groovy-desktop-amd64.iso2 *        0       0       1  512B  0 Empty

is the indication that the  --mbr-force-bootable hack is applied.
A nearly non-existend MBR partition not overlapping the partition of
type EE and carrying the boot flag. It is not really compliant to the
idea of a Protective MBR in UEFI specs about GPT. But the same specs say
(quoted from UEFI 2.8):
  "A Partition Record that contains an OSType value of zero or
   a SizeInLBA value of zero may be ignored."

As for more tweaks: Since i began to participate in bug 1886148 we tried
everything that makes sense with GRUB for PC-BIOS.
We began with a lame mock-up of the old barely legal layout that was used
with ISOLINUX isohybrid. Then we moved to a neat MBR partition table only
to learn that the Lenovos don't like it. Then we moved to GPT and learned
that several old HPs don't like it. Then we used the hack that was invented
five years ago for https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?46716 . This helped with
about half of the HPs ... sometimes.

Now we are out of alternatives, unless we revive ISOLINUX for BIOS and
the multi-hack layout of the released Ubuntu ISOs.

Have a nice day :)

Thomas


** Bug watch added: GNU Savannah Bug Tracker #46716
   http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?46716

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1899308

Title:
  failure to boot groovy daily  (again)

Status in Ubuntu CD Images:
  Fix Released
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..

  (ISO written by mkusb/dus & gnome-disks [#11] is identical)

  ** Expected result

  It boots & is usable

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