[Bug 889647] [NEW] ubiquity 'rm -rf's all directories in filesystems mounted during install!

[Gabriel Devenyi]

Public bug reported:

I was reinstalling my mythbuntu system from scratch, I have an lvm
parition storing all of my media which I wished to remain intact during
the reinstall, so I moved all the storage directories into a single
directory on the lvm volume, /backup2

I then proceeded to install, selecting this lvm parition to be mounted
at /var/lib/mythtv, as it had been previously, and selecting that it
*not* be formatted. I was warned after moving on to the next step that
any "system directories i.e. /etc /var and so on would be deleted" I
assumed (naively) that this would mean my /backup2 directory would be
left untouched. I started the install and went through the next few
configuration steps.

While waiting, I noticed that the install had not progressed very far
and that the disk was grinding away. I ran a ps to find that it was
grinding away at a "rm -rf backup2"!!!!! The installer had managed to
blow away 600gigs of my data with no warning. I am now left fighting
with ext4undelete to save whatever I can.

This is a serious critical data-loss bug. I wanted to not format that
partition for a reason and the installer went off and attempted to
delete everything there anyways!

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


** Tags: critical data loss

-- 
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/889647

Title:
  ubiquity 'rm -rf's all directories in filesystems mounted during
  install!

Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I was reinstalling my mythbuntu system from scratch, I have an lvm
  parition storing all of my media which I wished to remain intact
  during the reinstall, so I moved all the storage directories into a
  single directory on the lvm volume, /backup2

  I then proceeded to install, selecting this lvm parition to be mounted
  at /var/lib/mythtv, as it had been previously, and selecting that it
  *not* be formatted. I was warned after moving on to the next step that
  any "system directories i.e. /etc /var and so on would be deleted" I
  assumed (naively) that this would mean my /backup2 directory would be
  left untouched. I started the install and went through the next few
  configuration steps.

  While waiting, I noticed that the install had not progressed very far
  and that the disk was grinding away. I ran a ps to find that it was
  grinding away at a "rm -rf backup2"!!!!! The installer had managed to
  blow away 600gigs of my data with no warning. I am now left fighting
  with ext4undelete to save whatever I can.

  This is a serious critical data-loss bug. I wanted to not format that
  partition for a reason and the installer went off and attempted to
  delete everything there anyways!

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/889647/+subscriptions