[Bug 1855874] [NEW] UEFI and dual boot: second Ubuntu installation overwrites /EFI/ubuntu (on ESP) from first Ubuntu installation

[GizmoChicken]

Public bug reported:

I want to dual boot between two Ubuntu installations (home vs work,
etc). Unfortunately, when using the "something else" installation mode
(which I must use for various reasons), the second Ubuntu installation
overwrites the /EFI/ubuntu (on ESP) from the first Ubuntu installation,
preventing me from booting into the first Ubuntu installation without
workarounds.

WORKAROUNDS:

One workaround (which isn't ideal) is to force the /EFI/ubuntu for the
second Ubuntu to be installed on a second ESP partition, so as to avoid
overwriting /EFI/ubuntu for the first Ubuntu installation.  (This can be
done by resetting the flags for the original ESP from "esp" to
"msftdata" using gparted, installing the second Ubuntu installation, and
then changing the resetting the flags for the original ESP back to "esp"
from "msftdata" using gparted.  Other workarounds are also possible.
But near as I can tell, pretty much all the workarounds are far from
user friendly.

SUGGESTIONS:

1) At the very least, the Ubuntu installer should scan for previous
instances of /EFI/ubuntu on the ESP, and if a previous instance of
/EFI/ubuntu is found, ask whether to (1) overwrite the original, or (2)
install to a new auto-generated location (such as /EFI/ubuntu2 or
similar).

2) A better option would, after the scan, in addition to providing an
option to install to an auto-generated location, also provide a means to
specify where second set of EFI files are installed.

3) And the BEST option would be to add an option to specify the location
during the "something else" install mode.  For example, using such an
option in the “something else” installation mode, some may want one
installation to /EFI/ubuntu-work and another installation to /EFI
/ubuntu-home, or similar.  And ideally, such an option would even allow
selecting to which ESP (if two disks having ESPs are present) the EFI
files should be installed.

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

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1855874

Title:
  UEFI and dual boot: second Ubuntu installation overwrites /EFI/ubuntu
  (on ESP) from first Ubuntu installation

Status in ubiquity package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I want to dual boot between two Ubuntu installations (home vs work,
  etc). Unfortunately, when using the "something else" installation mode
  (which I must use for various reasons), the second Ubuntu installation
  overwrites the /EFI/ubuntu (on ESP) from the first Ubuntu
  installation, preventing me from booting into the first Ubuntu
  installation without workarounds.

  WORKAROUNDS:

  One workaround (which isn't ideal) is to force the /EFI/ubuntu for the
  second Ubuntu to be installed on a second ESP partition, so as to
  avoid overwriting /EFI/ubuntu for the first Ubuntu installation.
  (This can be done by resetting the flags for the original ESP from
  "esp" to "msftdata" using gparted, installing the second Ubuntu
  installation, and then changing the resetting the flags for the
  original ESP back to "esp" from "msftdata" using gparted.  Other
  workarounds are also possible.  But near as I can tell, pretty much
  all the workarounds are far from user friendly.

  SUGGESTIONS:

  1) At the very least, the Ubuntu installer should scan for previous
  instances of /EFI/ubuntu on the ESP, and if a previous instance of
  /EFI/ubuntu is found, ask whether to (1) overwrite the original, or
  (2) install to a new auto-generated location (such as /EFI/ubuntu2 or
  similar).

  2) A better option would, after the scan, in addition to providing an
  option to install to an auto-generated location, also provide a means
  to specify where second set of EFI files are installed.

  3) And the BEST option would be to add an option to specify the
  location during the "something else" install mode.  For example, using
  such an option in the “something else” installation mode, some may
  want one installation to /EFI/ubuntu-work and another installation to
  /EFI/ubuntu-home, or similar.  And ideally, such an option would even
  allow selecting to which ESP (if two disks having ESPs are present)
  the EFI files should be installed.

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