[Bug 993194] Re: !! ??? ??? Worst Error Message Ever in Partitioning stage of Text Based Installer

[Colin Watson]

This basically means the backend crashed.  To diagnose further, we'd
need to see /var/log/partman (and preferably also /var/log/syslog) from
the running installer after this dialog.  To extract these log files,
you can use "go back" all the way to the main menu and use "Save debug
logs", or press Alt-F2, run 'anna-install openssh-client-udeb', and scp
them to another network-connected machine.

** Package changed: debian-installer (Ubuntu) => partman-base (Ubuntu)

** Changed in: partman-base (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Incomplete

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/993194

Title:
  !! ??? ??? Worst Error Message Ever in Partitioning stage of Text
  Based Installer

Status in “partman-base” package in Ubuntu:
  Incomplete

Bug description:
  I'm installing Precise using the Alternative installer, (text mode),
  which proceeds through keyboard and language/region selection,
  username, password and disk encryption choices fine. However when it's
  moving into the partitioning phase, the installer stops, and displays
  the message as below (between the -----lines) including all the junk
  exclamation points and question marks. The phrase Partition Disks
  seems like the title of the installation phase, and the content of the
  box seems to just be six question marks, as if there's some kind of
  error.

  --------------

  [!!] Partition disks

  ??? ???

  <Go Back> <Continue>

  --------------

  I don't think I've every seen a less helpful message in my life.
  Proceeding with Continue causes the installer to pause on a blank
  screen for a long time (possibly forever, but I didn't wait to find
  out).

  This is a very old machine, 233 MHz, 96Meg, wign Windows 98 currently
  installed. I was just going to proceed through the ubuntu minimal
  install and then add ldxe-core to see if it could run at all.

  Any suggestions what this message might mean? Is it just asking to
  proceed with partitioning and (hence) must be failing silently
  afterwards. Suggestions for workarounds?

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