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

[Paul White]

** Package changed: ubiquity (Ubuntu) => subiquity (Ubuntu)

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

Status in subiquity 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.
  --- 
  ProblemType: Bug
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
  InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.4.0-26-generic root=UUID=468b6f29-36bc-4b5f-b089-3f3ad0f91cf4 ro
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-01-18 (0 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
  Package: ubiquity (not installed)
  ProcEnviron:
   TERM=linux
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-26.30-generic 5.4.30
  SourcePackage: ubiquity
  Tags:  focal uec-images
  Uname: Linux 5.4.0-26-generic x86_64
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
  UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lxd plugdev sudo
  _MarkForUpload: True

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