[Bug 1012629] Re: grub-installer ignores "bootdev" setting in preseed file

[Elias Abacioglu]

It says fix released for trusty.. I'm installing trusty and experiencing same problem.
Getting a dialog that wants me to confirm the disk I've selected. Attaching a screenshot.
So apparently it's not fixed for trusty. 

Here is my preseed partitioning snippet:

d-i debconf/priority string critical
# install on smallest disk.
d-i partman/early_command string \
  DISK=$(parted_devices | sort -k2n | head -1 | cut -f1);\
  debconf-set partman-auto/disk "$DISK";\
  debconf-set grub-installer/bootdev "$DISK";

#d-i partman-auto/disk string "$(parted_devices | sort -k2n |awk NR==1'{print $1}')"
d-i partman-auto/method string regular
d-i partman-auto/purge_lvm_from_device  boolean true
d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm boolean true
d-i partman-md/device_remove_md boolean true
d-i partman-lvm/confirm boolean true
d-i partman-lvm/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true

d-i partman-basicfilesystems/choose_label string gpt
d-i partman-basicfilesystems/default_label string gpt
d-i partman-partitioning/choose_label string gpt
d-i partman-partitioning/default_label string gpt
d-i partman/choose_label string gpt
d-i partman/default_label string gpt


d-i partman-auto/expert_recipe string \
  boot-root :: \
    1 1 1 free $gptonly{ } $primary{ } \
      $bios_boot{ } method{ biosgrub } . \
    4048 1000 4048 linux-swap \
      method{ swap } format{ } \
    . \
    30000 500 -1 ext4 \
      $gptonly{ } $primary{ } \
      method{ format } format{ } \
      use_filesystem{ } filesystem{ ext4 } \
      mountpoint{ / } \
    .

partman-basicfilesystems partman-basicfilesystems/no_mount_point boolean false
d-i partman/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
d-i partman/choose_partition select finish
d-i partman/confirm boolean true
d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true

** Attachment added: "dialog screenshot"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub-installer/+bug/1012629/+attachment/4602260/+files/Screen%20Shot%202016-03-17%20at%2015.40.55.png

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1012629

Title:
  grub-installer ignores "bootdev" setting in preseed file

Status in grub-installer package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in grub-installer source package in Precise:
  Confirmed
Status in grub-installer source package in Trusty:
  Fix Released
Status in grub-installer package in Debian:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  I am installing an Ubuntu system with two disks attached; I want the
  OS to be installed on the second disk /dev/sdb; the first disk
  /dev/sda is currently completely empty (not even partitioned).  The
  install process works fine, but then GRUB ignores the line:

          d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sdb

  and complains that it cannot write to /dev/sda (because it does not
  even have a partition table).

  Same happens if I use GRUB's own notation "(hd1)" instead of /dev/sdb
  in the preseed file.

  If I omit the "grub-installer/bootdev" line in the preseed, then D-I
  stops to ask me if I want to install GRUB on sda or sdb.

  The issue can be replicated with virtual machines: add two disks (one
  of the empty / zeroed out), and instruct the preseed to install on the
  second one.

  I think this is the same as Debian bug #666974, but I'm filing it
  separately as I'm not sure what/how much is changed in Ubuntu's
  version of D-I. See: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=666974

  
  Preseed options used for partitioning / target selection:

      ### Partitioning
      d-i partman-auto/method string lvm
      d-i partman-auto/choose_recipe select atomic

      # do not ask for confirmation, ever
      d-i partman-basicfilesystem/no_swap               boolean  false
      d-i partman-lvm/confirm                           boolean  true
      d-i partman-lvm/confirm_nooverwrite               boolean  true
      d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm                 boolean  true
      d-i partman-md/confirm                            boolean  true
      d-i partman-md/device_remove_md                   boolean  true
      d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label  boolean  true
      d-i partman/choose_partition                      select   finish
      d-i partman/confirm                               boolean  true
      d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite                   boolean  true
      d-i partman/exception_handler                     select   Retry

  
  GRUB-related preseed options:

      ### Boot loader installation
      d-i grub-installer/only_debian boolean true
      d-i grub-installer/with_other_os boolean true
      d-i grub-installer/bootdev string /dev/sdb

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