[Bug 1928040] Re: GCE instances drop to a grub prompt when GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=Debian is set

Tue May 11 05:54:24 UTC 2021

** Description changed:

  [Impact]

  GCE cloud instances started with images released prior to 2020-11-11
  will fail to reboot when the newest grub2 2.02~beta2-36ubuntu3.32
  packages are installed from -updates.

  Upon reboot, the instance drops down to a grub prompt, and ceases to
  boot any further.

  The output displayed is:

  BdsDxe: loading Boot0003 "debian" from HD(15,GPT,<UUID>,0x2800,0x35000)/\EFI\debian\shimx64.efi
  BdsDxe: starting Boot0003 "debian" from HD(15,GPT,<UUID>,0x2800,0x35000)/\EFI\debian\shimx64.efi

  UEFI: Attempting to start image.
  Description: debian
  FilePath: HD(15,GPT,36903981-58D9-4718-A4EC-3D3E6CF6AF42,0x2800,0x35000)/\EFI\debian\shimx64.efi
  OptionNumber: 3.

  GNU GRUB version 2.04
  grub>

  Now, on GCE cloud images prior to 2020-11-11, /etc/default/grub.d/50
  -cloudimg-settings.cfg contained this line:

  GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=Debian

  In images after 2020-11-11, this line was REMOVED from
  /etc/default/grub.d/50-cloudimg-settings.cfg and instead, images fell
  back to the below line in /etc/default/grub

  GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`

  The above line always returns "Ubuntu".

  The new grub2 version 2.02~beta2-36ubuntu3.32 now places the EFI
  executables in the /EFI/Ubuntu directory, while the grub config points
  to /EFI/Debian, and the grub config cannot be found, and hence we drop
  to a grub shell.

  [Testcase]

  You can start an instance up on Google Cloud with an affected image with
  the below command:

  gcloud compute instances create test-xenial-1
  --image=ubuntu-1604-xenial-v20200429 --image-project=ubuntu-os-cloud

  From there:

  $ sudo apt update
  $ sudo apt install grub-common grub-efi-amd64 grub-efi-amd64-bin grub-efi-amd64-signed grub-pc-bin grub2-common
  $ sudo reboot

  The instance will not come back up, and you will see a grub shell in the
  logs on GCP.

  You can also reproduce in KVM. Simply add:

  GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=Debian

  to a file in /etc/default/grub.d/50-cloudimg-settings.cfg then:

  $ sudo update-grub
  $ sudo reboot

+ Test packages are available in the following ppa:
+ 
+ https://launchpad.net/~mruffell/+archive/ubuntu/lp1928040-test
+ 
+ If you install these test packages, you should be able to upgrade grub
+ and reboot without issue.
+ 
  [Where problems could occur]

  We will be changing the grub configuration for every Google cloud
  instance started with an image produced before 2020-11-11, and there is
  risk that we could make a change which prevents instances from booting.
  We should proceed with caution and make sure to test older and newer
  images.

  The fix will be targeted to the /etc/default/grub.d/50-cloudimg-
  settings.cfg file only, so only cloud instances would get the change,
  and only if the grub versions match particular versions.

  [Other info]

  A workaround is to remove the below line from /etc/default/grub.d/50
  -cloudimg-settings.cfg before installing the new grub packages.

  GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=Debian

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1928040

Title:
  GCE instances drop to a grub prompt when GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=Debian is
  set

Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in grub2 source package in Xenial:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  [Impact]