[Bug 1012629] Re: grub-installer ignores "bootdev" setting in preseed file

David Partain david.partain at ericsson.com
Thu Apr 3 16:03:11 UTC 2014 

Hi,

This is still not working for me.

I downloaded the latest trusty mini.iso (from 3 April) and have tried to
install on a laptop using a USB stick.  It ends with:

Running 'grub-install  --force "/dev/sda"' failed.

So, I verified that I'm grabbing what I should...

Apr  3 15:13:02 anna[6110]: 2014-04-03 15:13:02
URL:http://mymirror/ubuntu/pool/main/g/grub-installer/grub-
installer_1.78ubuntu19_amd64.udeb [198620/198620] -> "/var/cache/anna
/grub-installer_1.78ubuntu19_amd64.udeb" [1]

which is the latest.  I verified that I'm preseeding correctly:

Apr  3 15:12:47 debconf: --> GET partman/early_command
Apr  3 15:12:47 debconf: <-- 0 USBDEV=$(list-devices usb-partition | sed "s/\(.*\)./\1/"); BOOTDEV=$(list-devices disk | grep -v $USBDEV | head -1); debconf-set partman-auto/disk $BOOTDEV; debconf-set grub-installer/bootdev $BOOTDEV;
Apr  3 15:12:47 preseed: running preseed command partman/early_command: USBDEV=$(list-devices usb-partition | sed "s/\(.*\)./\1/"); BOOTDEV=$(list-devices disk | grep -v $USBDEV | head -1); debconf-set partman-auto/disk $BOOTDEV; debconf-set grub-installer/bootdev $BOOTDEV;
Apr  3 15:12:48 debconf: --> SET partman-auto/disk /dev/sdb
Apr  3 15:12:48 debconf: <-- 0 value set
Apr  3 15:12:48 debconf: --> SET grub-installer/bootdev /dev/sdb
Apr  3 15:12:48 debconf: <-- 0 value set

and here's what actually happens when it gets to the grub bit...

Apr  3 15:26:20 debconf: --> SETTITLE debian-installer/grub-installer/title
Apr  3 15:26:20 debconf: <-- 0 OK
Apr  3 15:26:20 debconf: --> GET grub-installer/bootdev
Apr  3 15:26:20 debconf: <-- 0 /dev/sdb
Apr  3 15:26:20 debconf: --> GET cdrom-detect/hybrid
Apr  3 15:26:20 debconf: <-- 10 cdrom-detect/hybrid doesn't exist
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: --> PROGRESS STEP 1
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: <-- 0 OK
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: --> PROGRESS INFO grub-installer/progress/step_bootdev
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: <-- 0 OK
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: --> FGET grub-installer/bootdev seen
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: <-- 0 false

That "false" worries me.  Is that right?

Then it continues and blows up.

Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: --> INPUT high grub-installer/only_debian
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: <-- 30 question skipped
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: --> GO
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: <-- 0 ok
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: --> GET grub-installer/only_debian
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: <-- 0 true
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: --> PROGRESS STEP 1
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: <-- 0 OK
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: --> SUBST grub-installer/progress/step_install_loader BOOTDEV /dev/sda
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: Adding [BOOTDEV] -> [/dev/sda]
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: <-- 0
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: --> PROGRESS INFO grub-installer/progress/step_install_loader
Apr  3 15:26:21 debconf: <-- 0 OK
Apr  3 15:26:21 grub-installer: info: Installing grub on '/dev/sda'
Apr  3 15:26:21 grub-installer: info: grub-install does not support --no-floppy
Apr  3 15:26:21 grub-installer: info: Running chroot /target grub-install  --force "/dev/sda"
Apr  3 15:26:21 grub-installer: Installing for i386-pc platform.
Apr  3 15:26:22 grub-installer: grub-install: warning: your embedding area is unusually small.  core.img won't fit in it..
Apr  3 15:26:22 grub-installer: grub-install: error: embedding is not possible, but this is required for cross-disk install.
Apr  3 15:26:22 grub-installer: error: Running 'grub-install  --force "/dev/sda"' failed.
Apr  3 15:26:22 debconf: --> SUBST grub-installer/grub-install-failed BOOTDEV /dev/sda
Apr  3 15:26:22 debconf: Adding [BOOTDEV] -> [/dev/sda]
Apr  3 15:26:22 debconf: <-- 0
Apr  3 15:26:22 debconf: --> INPUT critical grub-installer/grub-install-failed

Either this issue still exists or I am doing something wrong, which is
very possible :)

Thanks.

David

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1012629

Title:
  grub-installer ignores "bootdev" setting in preseed file

Status in “grub-installer” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “grub-installer” source package in Precise:
  Confirmed
Status in “grub-installer” source package in Trusty:
  Fix Released
Status in “grub-installer” package in Debian:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  I am installing an Ubuntu system with two disks attached; I want the
  OS to be installed on the second disk /dev/sdb; the first disk
  /dev/sda is currently completely empty (not even partitioned).  The
  install process works fine, but then GRUB ignores the line:

          d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sdb

  and complains that it cannot write to /dev/sda (because it does not
  even have a partition table).

  Same happens if I use GRUB's own notation "(hd1)" instead of /dev/sdb
  in the preseed file.

  If I omit the "grub-installer/bootdev" line in the preseed, then D-I
  stops to ask me if I want to install GRUB on sda or sdb.

  The issue can be replicated with virtual machines: add two disks (one
  of the empty / zeroed out), and instruct the preseed to install on the
  second one.

  I think this is the same as Debian bug #666974, but I'm filing it
  separately as I'm not sure what/how much is changed in Ubuntu's
  version of D-I. See: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=666974

  
  Preseed options used for partitioning / target selection:

      ### Partitioning
      d-i partman-auto/method string lvm
      d-i partman-auto/choose_recipe select atomic

      # do not ask for confirmation, ever
      d-i partman-basicfilesystem/no_swap               boolean  false
      d-i partman-lvm/confirm                           boolean  true
      d-i partman-lvm/confirm_nooverwrite               boolean  true
      d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm                 boolean  true
      d-i partman-md/confirm                            boolean  true
      d-i partman-md/device_remove_md                   boolean  true
      d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label  boolean  true
      d-i partman/choose_partition                      select   finish
      d-i partman/confirm                               boolean  true
      d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite                   boolean  true
      d-i partman/exception_handler                     select   Retry

  
  GRUB-related preseed options:

      ### Boot loader installation
      d-i grub-installer/only_debian boolean true
      d-i grub-installer/with_other_os boolean true
      d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sdb

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