[Bug 1082418] Re: Ubuntu UEFI install locks out UEFI firmware (~bios) access

[viking777]

morlock, thank you very much for this work.

I have tried all three of your nvram dumps on my machine and none of
them make any difference to its behaviour. In other words f2 settings
menu and f12 boot choices continue to be available at all times even
when in running your 'nvram_fucked_up' state. So I guess nvram settings
are not transferable between machines??

If I manage to break my machine again (which I am sure will happen next
time I install/reinstall a distro) I will try my own nvram_backup to
repair it before anything else it is certainly easier than shorting
motherboards and flashing bioses.

The question that  immediately springs to mind is how would you get an
nvram_backup on a brand new machine without any linux version installed.
Can it be run from a live CD/DVD, if so how, and would it give the same
results? This would be an essential part of your 'improved' workround
for this problem, but of course users would have to be aware of both the
problem and solution before hand, which is not very likely.

The other question that bugs me is, supposing I had chosen to install
'alongside' windows instead of completely replacing it would I have had
the same bother?

Sadly I am not prepared to reinstall Windows just to find out.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1082418

Title:
  Ubuntu UEFI install locks out UEFI firmware (~bios) access

Status in Ubiquity:
  New
Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu 12.10
  Release:	12.10

  apt-cache policy grub-efi-amd64
  grub-efi-amd64:
    Installed: 2.00-7ubuntu11
    Candidate: 2.00-7ubuntu11

  
  Pheonix Secure Core Tiano bios version 1.09

  New laptop Fujitsu Lifebook AH532. Windows 7 preinstalled. All
  functions worked normally when running Win7. Ubuntu 12.10 installed
  using whole disk. Installation successful Ubuntu boots and runs
  normally, however all access to the bios has now been lost. Pressing
  the default key (f2) during boot up is acknowledged by bios beep, but
  ignored and Ubuntu continues booting. In addition the 'boot choices'
  menu (f12) contains nothing but Ubuntu making it impossible to boot
  from USB or CD/DVD.

  The latter (f12) problem was overcome by opening up the machine,
  removing the ram and shorting the cl1/cl2 posts with a screwdriver.
  This restores the ability to boot from USB/CD by pressing f12 but does
  not restore bios access.

  The following recovery actions have been tried.
  1) Install Boot-Repair, run repair, no change occurred. Boot repair report here:
  http://paste.ubuntu.com/1375041/

  2) Restore Windows from Clonezilla disk image (factory settings) -
  result - bios access is no longer possible from windows either, f2 now
  launches the Windows boot menu.

  3) Update all drivers using Fujitsu driver update tool from within
  windows (which included a bios update). Result - no change, no bios.

  4) Restored Ubuntu from Clonezilla disk image - no change.

  5) Added second distro to disk. Installed successfully (uefi mode as
  that is all I have) no change to bios access.

  So overall result I have lost all bios access even from a reinstalled
  Windows. I repeat that bios access was perfectly normal before
  installing Ubuntu.

  I strongly suggest you read the contents of this thread in addition to
  the information here:

  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2086602

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
  Package: grub-efi 2.00-7ubuntu11
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-18.29-generic 3.5.7
  Uname: Linux 3.5.0-18-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu6
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Fri Nov 23 15:50:07 2012
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-11-22 (1 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
  MarkForUpload: True
  SourcePackage: grub2
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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