Bug#599200: base-installer: Install amd64 kernel on i686 kvm guest - and fail to boot
Package: base-installer
Version: 1.110
Severity: grave
User: debian-edu@lists.debian.org
UserTags: debian-edu
I discovered this using the Debian Edu DVD and installing on a i686
kvm guest on a i686 Lenny host. The problem is that installation now
is successfull, but the installed machine fail to boot. The grub menu
show up but the boot do not succeed. After selecting the grub menu
item, the machine reboot right away. This used to work before the
apt-setup problems #595903 and #598457 made it impossible to test the
DVD. Now these problems are fixed but the installation is broken in a
new way. :)
I debugged this slightly, and the problem seem to be that d-i
installed a amd64 kernel on the 32-bit guest, and kvm is failing to
boot the kernel. Booting in rescue mode and installing the 486 kernel
get the system running.
The Debian Edu DVD only include two kernels, 486 and amd64, to make
room for user applications on the DVD.
I looked at the installation log, and base-installer is looking for
the 686, 686-bitmem, amd64 and 486 kernels in that order, and end up
installing the wrong kernel for this machine. I spoke with Ben
Hutchings on IRC, and he said the amd64 kernel is listed as an option
because the kvm CPU incorrectly list 'lm' as a CPU flag. I looked in
/proc/cpuinfo and the lm flag is listed there.
This worked a few weeks ago, and I would really want it to work to
install Squeeze also on "broken" kvm hosts.
Setting severity to grave, as this leads to unbootable systems, and is
a regression from Lenny and earlier versions of Squeeze.
Happy hacking,
--
Petter Reinholdtsen
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