[Bug 1912276] [NEW] Ubuntu Server 20.04 installation to drive with BIOS set to legacy mode results in non-booting drive

[Michael Lueck]

Public bug reported:

I opened a forum ticket about this observation here:

"Unable to boot from HDD 20.04 installed with BIOS in Legacy mode"
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2455005&p=14015093

I suspect there might be a defect in Ubuntu Server 20.04 ISO. I was
loading it onto a ThinkPad to test out the new Ubuntu Server LTS
release. I had the ThinkPad BIOS set to boot from legacy mode disks, all
UEFI disabled.

The partitions Ubuntu Server 20.04 created for me were as follows:

Disklabel Type: gpt
sda1 BIOS Boot
sda2 Linux filesystem (which I selected xfs)

The system failed to boot from the HDD. When trying to boot from the
system's HDD, I only am able to get the ThinkPad "Boot Menu /
Application Menu" screen to come up. Selecting ATA HDD0 loops back
around to the same menu.

It was suggested that Ubuntu 20.04 really prefers to boot from drives in
UEFI mode. I changes the BIOS settings, wiped the disk during another
test installation. This time the partitions the installer created were
as follows:

Disklabel Type: gpt
sda1 EFI System
sda2 Linux filesystem (which I selected xfs)

And the system does boot from the HDD now.

So is this a defect in the installer for Ubuntu Server 20.04 that it
does not produce a bootable drive when the computer BIOS is set to
legacy boot mode?

I was expecting to see the legacy boot partition table type not be a gpt
partition table. Might that have something to do with the failure to
boot?

I think the fact that for the legacy boot installation, Ubuntu Server
did at least create a first partition of type "BIOS boot".

<><><><>

I tried the same installation on the same ThinkPad from the
ubuntu-20.04.1-live-server-amd64.iso disk. Same results as before.

Looks like Ubuntu Server has a defect booting from disks where the BIOS
is set to legacy mode.

This is not broken in Xubuntu 20.04 installation.

Logging an Ubuntu Server installer defect.

<><><><>

Xubuntu 20.04 does NOT have this same defect. Xubuntu 20.04 boots
properly when installed to systems with the BIOS set to legacy mode for
the hard drive access setting.

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

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1912276

Title:
  Ubuntu Server 20.04 installation to drive with BIOS set to legacy mode
  results in non-booting drive

Status in ubiquity package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I opened a forum ticket about this observation here:

  "Unable to boot from HDD 20.04 installed with BIOS in Legacy mode"
  https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2455005&p=14015093

  I suspect there might be a defect in Ubuntu Server 20.04 ISO. I was
  loading it onto a ThinkPad to test out the new Ubuntu Server LTS
  release. I had the ThinkPad BIOS set to boot from legacy mode disks,
  all UEFI disabled.

  The partitions Ubuntu Server 20.04 created for me were as follows:

  Disklabel Type: gpt
  sda1 BIOS Boot
  sda2 Linux filesystem (which I selected xfs)

  The system failed to boot from the HDD. When trying to boot from the
  system's HDD, I only am able to get the ThinkPad "Boot Menu /
  Application Menu" screen to come up. Selecting ATA HDD0 loops back
  around to the same menu.

  It was suggested that Ubuntu 20.04 really prefers to boot from drives
  in UEFI mode. I changes the BIOS settings, wiped the disk during
  another test installation. This time the partitions the installer
  created were as follows:

  Disklabel Type: gpt
  sda1 EFI System
  sda2 Linux filesystem (which I selected xfs)

  And the system does boot from the HDD now.

  So is this a defect in the installer for Ubuntu Server 20.04 that it
  does not produce a bootable drive when the computer BIOS is set to
  legacy boot mode?

  I was expecting to see the legacy boot partition table type not be a
  gpt partition table. Might that have something to do with the failure
  to boot?

  I think the fact that for the legacy boot installation, Ubuntu Server
  did at least create a first partition of type "BIOS boot".

  <><><><>

  I tried the same installation on the same ThinkPad from the
  ubuntu-20.04.1-live-server-amd64.iso disk. Same results as before.

  Looks like Ubuntu Server has a defect booting from disks where the
  BIOS is set to legacy mode.

  This is not broken in Xubuntu 20.04 installation.

  Logging an Ubuntu Server installer defect.

  <><><><>

  Xubuntu 20.04 does NOT have this same defect. Xubuntu 20.04 boots
  properly when installed to systems with the BIOS set to legacy mode
  for the hard drive access setting.

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