[Bug 1676141] [NEW] Installer “Caught in a Loop” at "Removing conflicting operating system files..."

Sun Mar 26 09:55:02 UTC 2017

Public bug reported:

Bug 946663 in the “partman-target” package is back in big time! If fixed
in 12.04 it is definitely come UN-fixed in present distros.

It Originally was reported in and marked “Fix Released”

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/partman-target/+bug/946663

The exact same symptoms have returned, amazingly, in Lbuntu 16.10,
16.04.2 and Ubuntu 16.10. on my wife's HP110-220z 1.8 Ghz twin processor
16 GiB of Ram computer yet under powered for the pre-installed Win8,
which I have now removed all but for the hidden MBT section which should
not have been used with Win8 to begin with.

I say "amazingly" advisedly, as this bug has been around since at least
Ubuntu 12.04 in 2012/04/11.

A guess is the “fix” that was released was never fully implemented, or
has been deleted from the code accidentally. Since the problem seems
restricted  Windows while upgrading Debian installations where the
desire is to retain the /home partition from a previous installation
usually complicated by boot problems. I can see someone thinking it is
extra code that is just getting in the way of other efforts.

Others identified the /home partition as the primary culprit, especially
if doing an install where you want to keep the data in it for what ever
reasons. My experience using the work around below confirms it in my
mind.

The details pane only shows about six lines of messages at a time and I
was unable to copy and paste it to a file during the "Looping" install.
I have 54 photographs of selected parts of the data scrolling through
the details pane for an Ubuntu 16.10 install and an Lubuntu 16.04.2
install. I can e-mail cropped copies or attempt to OCR them and provide
an rtf file to the assigned programmer.

There is a workaround in two posts, which worked for me.

http://askubuntu.com/questions/613660/stuck-on-removing-conflicting-
operating-system-files-while-upgrading-from-14-0

and

http://alexsleat.co.uk/2012/04/11/ubuntu-12-04-removing-conflicting-
operating-system-files/comment-page-1/

both referred to this "common bug"

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/partman-target/+bug/946663

By setting /home to "Do not use this partition" in the installer version
of Gparted my Lubuntu 16.04.2 install finished.

I now have to revise /etc/fstab/ to mount /home automatically.

There have been some flaky moments since the install, but I am not sure
they are installation related.

I hope the person who put out the "Fix" last time left some notes. Yeh,
I know, we all swear we will document what we've done just as soon as we
get these next three barn burners out the door.

The details pane showed mostly the MTP probe probing every usb device.
Then not finding a MTP usb device, cycling through all 100 plus drivers
again and again and again. [There are only 10 total physical internal
and external usb ports in this HP 110-220z]

Now its time for me to solve the "HP BIOS specific" Grub2 boot problem

** Affects: partman-target (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Attachment added: "MTP-Probe-Err-DSCF1300.png"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1676141/+attachment/4846043/+files/MTP-Probe-Err-DSCF1300.png

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1676141

Title:
  Installer “Caught in a Loop” at "Removing conflicting operating system
  files..."

Status in partman-target package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Bug 946663 in the “partman-target” package is back in big time! If
  fixed in 12.04 it is definitely come UN-fixed in present distros.

  It Originally was reported in and marked “Fix Released”

  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/partman-target/+bug/946663

  The exact same symptoms have returned, amazingly, in Lbuntu 16.10,
  16.04.2 and Ubuntu 16.10. on my wife's HP110-220z 1.8 Ghz twin
  processor 16 GiB of Ram computer yet under powered for the pre-
  installed Win8, which I have now removed all but for the hidden MBT
  section which should not have been used with Win8 to begin with.

  I say "amazingly" advisedly, as this bug has been around since at
  least Ubuntu 12.04 in 2012/04/11.

  A guess is the “fix” that was released was never fully implemented, or
  has been deleted from the code accidentally. Since the problem seems
  restricted  Windows while upgrading Debian installations where the
  desire is to retain the /home partition from a previous installation
  usually complicated by boot problems. I can see someone thinking it is
  extra code that is just getting in the way of other efforts.

  Others identified the /home partition as the primary culprit,
  especially if doing an install where you want to keep the data in it
  for what ever reasons. My experience using the work around below
  confirms it in my mind.

  The details pane only shows about six lines of messages at a time and
  I was unable to copy and paste it to a file during the "Looping"
  install. I have 54 photographs of selected parts of the data scrolling
  through the details pane for an Ubuntu 16.10 install and an Lubuntu
  16.04.2 install. I can e-mail cropped copies or attempt to OCR them
  and provide an rtf file to the assigned programmer.

  There is a workaround in two posts, which worked for me.

  http://askubuntu.com/questions/613660/stuck-on-removing-conflicting-
  operating-system-files-while-upgrading-from-14-0

  and

  http://alexsleat.co.uk/2012/04/11/ubuntu-12-04-removing-conflicting-
  operating-system-files/comment-page-1/

  both referred to this "common bug"

  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/partman-target/+bug/946663

  By setting /home to "Do not use this partition" in the installer
  version of Gparted my Lubuntu 16.04.2 install finished.

  I now have to revise /etc/fstab/ to mount /home automatically.

  There have been some flaky moments since the install, but I am not
  sure they are installation related.

  I hope the person who put out the "Fix" last time left some notes.
  Yeh, I know, we all swear we will document what we've done just as
  soon as we get these next three barn burners out the door.

  The details pane showed mostly the MTP probe probing every usb device.
  Then not finding a MTP usb device, cycling through all 100 plus
  drivers again and again and again. [There are only 10 total physical
  internal and external usb ports in this HP 110-220z]

  Now its time for me to solve the "HP BIOS specific" Grub2 boot problem

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