[Bug 1396379] Re: installer uses first EFI system partition found even when directed otherwise

[Andrew Bauer]

This appears to be the problem I ran into with Ubuntu Desktop 20.10 as reported here:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1321431/ubuntu-desktop-20-10-on-usb-flash-drive-boots-only-on-original-computer 

If it is the same problem (and not a limitation with the latest [but
old] ASUS N551VW BIOS) then please escalate this ABOVE CRITICAL.

I'm sure a lot more Windows 10 users would delight to have a bootable
Ubuntu system on a USB Flash Drive (or an externally USB-connected SSD,
e.g. in an ICY BOX) if the "Device for boot loader installation" set to
/dev/sdb would really write something there. I also noticed a couple of
error messages during booting - one was only a few seconds on the screen
so I was not able to capture it. I will post what I have (in AskUbuntu)
if it is of any assistance to you. My laptop works perfectly (error-
free) with Windows 10.

Apparently the workaround is to remove Disk 0 (Windows 10 drive) from
the laptop. I will give this a try though I doubt that the casual user
would go so far as to unscrew the back cover of their laptop to remove
their HD/SSD.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1396379

Title:
  installer uses first EFI system partition found even when directed
  otherwise

Status in ubiquity package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  (k)ubuntu 14.04.1
  package version: 2.02~beta2-9ubuntu1

  i installed ubuntu on my external hard disk, where i also have a previously installed fedora system. i also have a windows
  (efi-booted) system in the internal hard disk.

  at install time via ubiquity i get all grub configuration files in the first EFI-labelled partition (i.e. /dev/sda2 in my case) instead of the one i selected (/dev/sdb1).
  later i changed my fstab mounting /boot/efi on /dev/sdb1 and tried to reinstall grub package (apt-get install --reinstall grub-efi-amd64); now all grub configuration files are in the rigt place, but booting from the external hard disk still shows the fedora grub installation, while selectin the internal hard disk from the bios menu shows a submenu listing ubuntu and windows.
  explicitly installing grub in the correct disk (grub-install /dev/sdb; grub-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu/grub.cfg) has no effect, nor it has running efibootmgr (efibootmgr -c --disk /dev/sdb --part 1).

  expected results: grub shoud have been installed in the disk/partition i chose;
  actual results: ubuntu always chooses the first disk to install grub on.

  Note that this is not just about the dummy grub install location
  selector that is not used in EFI mode, but configuring one partition
  as do not use, and the other as ESP in the manual partitioning screen.

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