[Bug 820723] [NEW] Installer creates no BIOS boot partition on UEFI system, system becomes unbootable after automatic update

[Lev Makhlis]

Public bug reported:

A clean install of Natty on a UEFI (ASUS P8P67) system gives me this
layout:

$ sudo parted /dev/sda print
Model: ATA Corsair CSSD-F12 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 120GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
 1 17.4kB 20.0MB 20.0MB fat16 boot
 2 20.0MB 111GB 111GB ext4
 3 111GB 120GB 8569MB linux-swap(v1)

The installation is successful and the system boots fine. But
subsequently, the automatic update replaces grub-efi with grub-pc and
the system becomes unbootable (grub-install complains: "This GPT
partition label has no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding won't be
possible!")

I tried reinstalling the system from scratch and got exactly the same
problem again. I also tried "upgrading" the broken system from LiveUSB
instead of reinstalling it from scratch, but that didn't help.
Eventually I fixed the problem by manually reinstalling grub-efi instead
of grub-pc. In Question #166162, I was advised that the installer should
have created a bios_grub partition, hence this bug.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: ubiquity (not installed)
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-0300-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Aug  3 22:20:40 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: ubiquity
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to natty on 2011-07-14 (21 days ago)

** Affects: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug natty

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to ubiquity in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/820723

Title:
  Installer creates no BIOS boot partition on UEFI system, system
  becomes unbootable after automatic update

Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  A clean install of Natty on a UEFI (ASUS P8P67) system gives me this
  layout:

  $ sudo parted /dev/sda print
  Model: ATA Corsair CSSD-F12 (scsi)
  Disk /dev/sda: 120GB
  Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
  Partition Table: gpt

  Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
   1 17.4kB 20.0MB 20.0MB fat16 boot
   2 20.0MB 111GB 111GB ext4
   3 111GB 120GB 8569MB linux-swap(v1)

  The installation is successful and the system boots fine. But
  subsequently, the automatic update replaces grub-efi with grub-pc and
  the system becomes unbootable (grub-install complains: "This GPT
  partition label has no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding won't be
  possible!")

  I tried reinstalling the system from scratch and got exactly the same
  problem again. I also tried "upgrading" the broken system from LiveUSB
  instead of reinstalling it from scratch, but that didn't help.
  Eventually I fixed the problem by manually reinstalling grub-efi
  instead of grub-pc. In Question #166162, I was advised that the
  installer should have created a bios_grub partition, hence this bug.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
  Package: ubiquity (not installed)
  Uname: Linux 3.0.0-0300-generic x86_64
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Wed Aug  3 22:20:40 2011
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
  ProcEnviron:
   LANGUAGE=en_US:en
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: ubiquity
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to natty on 2011-07-14 (21 days ago)

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/820723/+subscriptions