[Bug 581652] New: installer should never unset boot flags on otherwise untouched primary partitions
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c0 Summary: installer should never unset boot flags on otherwise untouched primary partitions Classification: openSUSE Product: openSUSE 11.3 Version: Factory Platform: PC OS/Version: Other Status: NEW Severity: Normal Priority: P5 - None Component: Installation AssignedTo: bnc-team-screening@forge.provo.novell.com ReportedBy: mrmazda@earthlink.net QAContact: jsrain@novell.com Found By: --- Blocker: --- y2_logs: https://bugzilla.novell.com/attachment.cgi?id=262841 I deselected everything in install bootloader because there was no way to select to install to the only place I wanted the installer to touch, / on /dev/md3 (sda10 & sdb10). I didn't want anything already working to be disturbed by a new additional installation. Those deselects included "set active flag". The result was "no operating system found" on first real reboot. Unchecking the active flag box should never mean removing all flags from all primary partitions if Grub or Lilo are not installed on the MBR in place of generic MBR code. In this case, the only touching of any primary partitions was supposed to be simply to mount them. The / target was a logical. Therefore, the installer should not have touched any part of the MBR on any disk. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c1 --- Comment #1 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-02-22 17:27:19 UTC --- I just did another M2 install on a different machine with PATA and without RAID. I did not uncheck the boot flag box, but it unset the boot flag anyway, again rendering the machine unbootable from the HD just like in comment 0. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c2 --- Comment #2 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-02-22 17:57:35 UTC --- Created an attachment (id=343850) --> (http://bugzilla.novell.com/attachment.cgi?id=343850) y2logs.tgz from M2 non-RAID installation -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c yang xiaoyu <xyyang@novell.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CC| |xyyang@novell.com AssignedTo|bnc-team-screening@forge.pr |locilka@novell.com |ovo.novell.com | -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c yang xiaoyu <xyyang@novell.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- AssignedTo|xyyang@novell.com |juhliarik@novell.com -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c4 Jozef Uhliarik <juhliarik@novell.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status|NEW |CLOSED Resolution| |INVALID --- Comment #4 from Jozef Uhliarik <juhliarik@novell.com> 2010-02-25 16:52:47 UTC --- I try to explain it. "Set active Flag in Partition Table for Boot Partition" means set boot flag. It is the fact that it is not important if you write GRUB to MBR but there exist BIOS-es that doesn't support boot from device if there missing boot flag. It is reason why activating devices is set to true by default. You can uncheck checkbox and boot flag for device is not set (skip activating). Your problem is not (un)checked checkbox "Set active Flag in Partition Table for Boot Partition" but wrong configuration of GRUB settings. You are using MD RAID and it is software raid. In this case GRUB doesn't know to boot directly from MD RAID devices and configuration is written to real devices /dev/sda and /dev/sdb. yast2-bootloader propose correct configuration and it is to write GRUB to MBR. Your changes "Boot from Root Partition broken booting. Boot from MBR means write GRUB to MBR but Boot from Root Partition means write GRUB to "/" partition. If you deselect "Boot from MBR" your MBR is not updated and it can include random data or previous boot code which can point to other device. Finally it means your machine tried to boot but your MBR is not updated and it leads to known result. I am sorry but you haven't a lot of options for configuration of GRUB if your boot or "/" partition is on MD RAID. There could be also combination write generic boot code to MBR and set boot flag but ... it is really complicated settings if your boot or "/" partition is logical partition and it doesn't work if there is used MD RAID. I am sorry the problem is broken GRUB configuration by user. Configuration is valid but it is not bootable ;-) BTW your root is on /dev/md2 (/dev/sdb9 & /dev/sda9) and finally GRUB was written to your "/" partition setup --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 --force-lba (hd0,8) (hd0,8) as I wrote before it is written to real devices because GRUB doesn't know to boot from software MD RAID. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c5 Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status|CLOSED |REOPENED Resolution|INVALID | --- Comment #5 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-02-25 19:10:50 UTC --- I installed to sda10/sdb10/md3 immediately prior to opening this bug. I expect installer to accept in such a case (software RAID on only logical partitions, and no RAID devices on primary partitions) that I want no touching of any primary partitions, and no touching of MBR, because that is already taken care of by me 100% prior to installation. Therefore for such a case, touching of boot flags should never happen. If the installer needs more checkboxes in order for it to understand it must not mess with what it has no business messing with, then please provide them, and not break what is not broken. If the installer is incapable of writing Grub to its / target because / is on logicals combined as software RAID, then it should simply make a statement to that effect, and not break what was not broken. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c6 --- Comment #6 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-02-25 19:15:18 UTC --- (In reply to comment #4)
You can uncheck checkbox and boot flag for device is not set (skip activating).
What happened was correct boot flag was set prior to starting installation. Then installation proceeded to remove the boot flag in conjunction with instruction given it to not touch MBR, which resulted in unbootable system, until I booted emergency mode to reset the flag that the installation process removed. There is no excuse for such an event to happen when the installer was told to do nothing at all involving MBR. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c7 --- Comment #7 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-02-25 19:22:32 UTC --- (In reply to comment #4)
Your problem is not (un)checked checkbox "Set active Flag in Partition Table for Boot Partition" but wrong configuration of GRUB settings.
Grub worked perfectly prior to beginning installation, so there was no reason to change it.
You are using MD RAID and it is software raid. In this case GRUB doesn't know to boot directly from MD RAID devices and configuration is written to real devices /dev/sda and /dev/sdb.
I disallowed writing to MBR, as writing to MBR was and is not necessary.
yast2-bootloader propose correct configuration and it is to write GRUB to MBR. Your changes "Boot from Root Partition broken booting.
If yast2-bootloader cannot Grub to /dev/mdx, then it can proceed to tell me so. That is no excuse to disrupt what already works.
Boot from MBR means write GRUB to MBR but Boot from Root Partition means write GRUB to "/" partition. If you deselect "Boot from MBR" your MBR is not updated and it can include random data or previous boot code which can point to other device.
My Grub was installed by me on /dev/sda1 precisely so it and I would control boot as managed by me and only me for multiple distro installations. I do not mount /dev/sda1 on /boot precisely so that no installation program will disrupt it. Yet, the openSUSE installer did precisely that, by removing its boot flag, and preventing the system from booting from the installed and working generic MBR code. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c8 Jozef Uhliarik <juhliarik@novell.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status|REOPENED |CLOSED Resolution| |INVALID --- Comment #8 from Jozef Uhliarik <juhliarik@novell.com> 2010-02-26 14:47:56 UTC --- (In reply to comment #5)
I installed to sda10/sdb10/md3 immediately prior to opening this bug.
Your logs from Description says that your "/" partition is /dev/md2 (sda9 and sdb9) If it is not right you attached wrong logs to bug. yast2-bootloader tries always propose bootable configuration of GRUB. It is necessary because installation has 2 steps separated by reboot. If you want to configure own settings of installation GRUB you can change it but it deosn't mean that your changes are correct and your system will be bootable. Next reason is that yast2-bootloader also check your other installed systems and add them to actual new installation. Yes of course it doesn't work on 100% because not all systems and type of devices are supported. If you are not satisfied with options of yast2-bootloader you can add your ideas for increasing usability or adding new featrures here: https://features.opensuse.org/ Handling MD RAID in yast2-bootloader is supported BUT real configuration is not saved to /dev/md* but to real devices /dev/sda* and /dev/sdb* also other important information is that supported is only RAID1. I am sorry but from logs in Description is clear that the original configuration of GRUB proposed by yast2-bootloader is correct and bootable. Your changes leads to unbootable system. I am not responsible for your changes. It is not my fault but your choice. yast2-bootloader is only small part of YaST and it is software. It doesn't support all options of GRUB and using MD RAID also decrease the number of your options how to configure bootloader. If you want to configure GRUB yourself without YaST assistance you can open yast2-bootloader -> Boot Loader Installation -> Boot Loader: "Do not Install Any Boot Loader". -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c9 --- Comment #9 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-02-27 07:24:21 UTC --- Created an attachment (id=345439) --> (http://bugzilla.novell.com/attachment.cgi?id=345439) y2logs from new M2 install to /dev/md3 (In reply to comment #8)
If you want to configure GRUB yourself without YaST assistance you can open yast2-bootloader -> Boot Loader Installation -> Boot Loader: "Do not Install Any Boot Loader".
I just tried to install again. Apparently I cannot select to install no bootloader, because if I try to it then refuses to create a menu.lst that the actual previously installed bootloader needs to find and use for its configfile stanza for booting M2. I could make my own M2 menu.lst, or an M2 emulation stanza complete with kernel and initrd lines, but either would have to be without the benefit of knowing what cmdline options M2 would like used. So, instead of installing no bootloader, I proceeded by selecting to install bootloader to custom location, without specifying anything in the typing box below the custom location checkbox. That succeeded in leaving the boot flag on the primary partition undisturbed, and left a usable menu.lst in /dev/md3's /boot/grub/ for use by the actual installed bootloader's configfile stanza pointing to M2. Note that if the previous or these y2logs claim installation to /dev/md2, then there's some other bug with the logging process, as both this and previous M2 installs went to /dev/md3. oS 11.0 lives on /dev/md1, and oS 11.1 lives on /dev/md2. This may or may not be related, but installation this time failed to create any initrd. I kept a copy of the initrd from the previous M2 install, restored it by booting 11.1, and thus was able to boot the fresh M2 install. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c10 --- Comment #10 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-07-01 08:08:34 UTC --- (In reply to comment #8)
(In reply to comment #5)
I installed to sda10/sdb10/md3 immediately prior to opening this bug.
Your logs from Description says that your "/" partition is /dev/md2 (sda9 and sdb9) If it is not right you attached wrong logs to bug.
Correct. I mistakenly attached logs from 11.1 which then and currently lives on md2/sda9/sdb9. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c11 Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status|CLOSED |REOPENED Resolution|INVALID | --- Comment #11 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-07-01 08:13:21 UTC --- As long as an x86 PC HD is not GPT partitioned, in which case primary/logical nomenclature is inapplicable, every partition defined in the end of its very first sector is a primary partition. Thus an extended partition entry in this location is a primary partition entry. With standard MBR code, boot flag must be set on one such partition, and normally only one such partition, in disk sector 1 partition table, regardless whether any primary partition carries or can carry any filesystem. Absent boot flag set on one partition in sector one, the disk cannot be booted from standard MBR code. YaST should not be allowed to leave a disk found and left with standard MBR code, and found with a required boot flag set, to exit without any required boot flag set. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c12 Jozef Uhliarik <juhliarik@novell.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status|REOPENED |NEEDINFO InfoProvider| |mrmazda@earthlink.net --- Comment #12 from Jozef Uhliarik <juhliarik@novell.com> 2010-07-01 08:36:51 UTC --- Please attach y2logs.If you're in doubt follow:http://en.opensuse.org/Bugs/YaST Thanks. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c13 Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status|NEEDINFO |REOPENED InfoProvider|mrmazda@earthlink.net | --- Comment #13 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-07-01 09:39:59 UTC --- Created an attachment (id=373157) --> (http://bugzilla.novell.com/attachment.cgi?id=373157) y2logs from comment 0 installation https://bugzilla.novell.com/attachment.cgi?id=372494 is y2logs from recent RC1 install on comment 0 system to same md3 /. -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c14 --- Comment #14 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2010-08-13 19:08:19 UTC --- Created an attachment (id=382967) --> (http://bugzilla.novell.com/attachment.cgi?id=382967) y2logs from fresh 11.3 installation Unless I'm misremembering (different machine from previous comments; installation target: sda7; no separate /boot): 1-I clicked disable boot from MBR 2-I clicked enable boot from / 3-I deselected boot from extended partition and boot from MBR 4-I selected boot from / partition 5-I left selected set active flag ... (due to bug 618286, while logical action would have been to deselect it, since the correct location already had the flag) 6-I deselected write generic MBR code (because that is what was already there, which I wanted 100% untouched by installation, and also due to bug 618286) Luckily, I was able to notice in time when the too short countdown to reboot timer engaged, clicked no, switched to tty, did fdisk -l, and discovered the active flag had been moved from where I put it (first primary) to the extended partition (not acceptable). -- Configure bugmail: http://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c Jozef Uhliarik <juhliarik@novell.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- AssignedTo|juhliarik@novell.com |jreidinger@novell.com -- Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c15 Josef Reidinger <jreidinger@novell.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Priority|P5 - None |P3 - Medium Status|REOPENED |ASSIGNED --- Comment #15 from Josef Reidinger <jreidinger@novell.com> 2010-10-01 11:33:06 UTC --- OK, I check code what it do. I think that handling active flag is not enough covered in yast-bootloader -- Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c17 Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status|ASSIGNED |NEEDINFO InfoProvider| |snwint@suse.com --- Comment #17 from Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> 2012-03-27 14:40:01 UTC --- I've not encountered this problem in 12.1 or 12.2. Worksforme/fixed? -- Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c Ihno Krumreich <ihno@suse.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- OS/Version|Other |openSUSE 11.3 -- Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652 https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=581652#c18 Steffen Winterfeldt <snwint@suse.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status|NEEDINFO |RESOLVED InfoProvider|snwint@suse.com | Resolution| |FIXED --- Comment #18 from Steffen Winterfeldt <snwint@suse.com> 2014-03-18 09:21:22 CET --- lets hope :-) -- Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.novell.com/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are on the CC list for the bug.
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