Package: installation-reports
Boot method: network, PXE image
Image version: daily installer 20100204-22:53 (see below)
Date: 2010-02-09
% cat /var/log/installer/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Debian
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Debian GNU/Linux installer"
DISTRIB_RELEASE="6.0 (squeeze) - installer build 20100204-22:53"
X_INSTALLATION_MEDIUM=netboot
Machine: Dell PE 2950, 2 disks, no h/w raid.
Partitions:
There are two disks, partitioned identically.
There are three partitions.
All the partitions are type 0xFD, ie 'linux raid autodetect'
They are sized and used as:
/dev/md0 1 Gb for / (ext3)
/dev/md1 4 Gb (swap)
/dev/md2 the rest (LVM container).
/boot is contained within the / partition.
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Initial boot: [o]
Detect network card: [o]
Configure network: [o]
Detect CD: [o]
Load installer modules: [o]
Detect hard drives: [o]
Partition hard drives: [o]
Install base system: [o]
Clock/timezone setup: [o]
User/password setup: [o]
Install tasks: [o]
Install boot loader: [E]
Overall install: [E]
Comments/Problems:
I am doing a preseeded install of Lenny, using the Squeeze installer.
I am using this version of the installer so I can preseed s/w raid + LVM.
This used to work, at least it was working in Nov/Dec 2009.
Everything works (great!) up to the point where grub-installer is run.
This fails because the call 'chroot /target /usr/sbin/grub-install' fails.
Tracing the execution there reveals
- a bug in grub-install, which has already been fixed (#568835)
- a complaint from grub-probe:
grub-probe: error: no mapping exists for `md0'
- a final error message:
The file /boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly.
The final error seems to be coming from a failure in 'grub --batch'.
I hacked grub-install to show the logfile; it generates output like:
+ /usr/sbin/grub --batch --device-map=/boot/grub/device.map
+ cat /tmp/grubDyCCBC
GNU GRUB version 0.97 (640K lower / 3072K upper memory)
[ Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For
the first word, TAB lists possible command
completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible
completions of a device/filename. ]
grub> dump (hd0,0)/boot/grub/stage1 /tmp/grubWkT2MC
Error 2: Bad file or directory type
grub> quit
See also the output log in the attachments.
It appears grub is partially installed.
If I "continue the install without a bootloader",
everything else in the install sequence seems to work.
But when the system tries to boot I get:
GRUB loading stage 1.5
GRUB loading, please wait...
Error 2
And nothing further.
When I booted GRML and checked the filesystems, /boot/grub
had everything expected in it, except for the menu.lst file.
I tried to fix the system by using grub-install and the grub shell,
in a variety of ways, e.g.
- preseeding grub-installer/bootdev as (hd0)
- installer# chroot /target /usr/sbin/grub-install --no-floppy --recheck /dev/sda [1]
- installer# chroot /target
target# grub
and so forth. I also tried to use the lenny installer in rescue mode.
None of these attempts worked, for reasons which are obscure to me.
I always get errors like 'Bad file or directory type' or
'Cannot mount selected partition' or 'Cannot find file'.
I now have a system that is installed, but unbootable.
I have not resorted to LILO but I may get that desperate yet.
I have not attempted to use grub2 because AIUI grub2 doesn't support
software raid.
Any advice on how get a bootable system would be welcome.
In attachments.tar.bz2:
hardware-summary
syslog.0
(up to the point where grub-installer initially fails)
partman.0
(partman log, up to the same point)
test.1
(output from running [1] above)
preseed.log
(preseeding file, copied from /var/lib/preseed/log)
fdisk.sda, fdisk.sdb
(fdisk output)
--
Kind regards,
VinceAttachment:
attachments.tar.bz2
Description: Binary data