[Bug 1915078] Re: e4defrag failures should be fatal

[dann frazier]

** Changed in: flash-kernel (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => In Progress

** Changed in: flash-kernel (Ubuntu)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => dann frazier (dannf)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1915078

Title:
  e4defrag failures should be fatal

Status in flash-kernel package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  [Impact]
  We added a workaround for the buggy u-boot implementation on HP m400 systems in bug 1900796, which tries to defrag files in /boot to ensure the firmware can read them. However, if e4defrag fails (most likely because the disk is near full), we only print a warning. If a user fails to notice or react to this warning, their system may become unbootable.

  [Test Case]
  With a near full /boot, install a new kernel package. If you hit this issue, flash-kernel should emit:

  WARNING: e4defrag of file /boot/uImage failed.
  WARNING: Try freeing up disk space in /boot and retrying flash-kernel. 

  But the install will proceed. A reboot will then fail with:

  ## Executing script at 4004000000
  11349894 bytes read in 312 ms (34.7 MiB/s)
  invalid extent block
  ## Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 4002000000 ...
     Image Name: kernel 5.8.0-25-generic
     Created: 2020-10-21 5:26:34 UTC
     Image Type: ARM Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
     Data Size: 11349830 Bytes = 10.8 MiB
     Load Address: 00080000
     Entry Point: 00080000
     Verifying Checksum ... OK
  Wrong Ramdisk Image Format
  Ramdisk image is corrupt or invalid

  [Where Problems Could Occur]
  It's possible there are scenarios where e4defrag will fail but the system would remain bootable. Enforcing this workaround would therefore cause a new kernel install to fail unnecessarily.

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