Ubuntu

Alternative Install CD (gutsy beta, gutsy rc) Installer fails with "Debootstrap warning" Warning: Failure to run: charoot /target dpkg ...

Asked by Philip Goodfellow

I have also filed this as an installer bug here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/debian-installer/+bug/152229

Has anyone seen this installer problem and got a workaround?

Binary package hint: debian-installer

Outline:
Initial install of gutsy beta to raid 1 array worked with no problems.

Attempt to install gutsy rc to same machine (overwriting on same partitions, reformat / and /boot ) fails with:
Debootstrap warning. Warning: Failure trying to run: chroot /target dpkg --force-depends -- install var/cache/apt/archives/base-files_4.0.0ubuntu5_i386.deb var/cache/apt/archives/base-passwd_3.5.11build1_386.deb

Atempt to re-install gutsy beta from same previously working media now fails with similar error as above.

Details - from gutsy rc failure:
main menu[3545]: INFO Menu item 'base-installer' selected
apt-install: chroot: cannot execute apt-get
apt-install: : No such file or directory
debootstrap: dpkg: syntax error: unknown user 'hplip' in statoverride file

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Revision history for this message
Philip Goodfellow (mail-philipgoodfellow) said : 		#1

I am thinking that this problem is due to grub incorrectly guessing the device mapping.

My RAID device numbers seem to be different to those given by the first install.

I am now booted from the live CD and can see:
ubuntu@ubuntu:/dev$ sudo cat /proc/mdstat
Personalities : [raid1]
md2 : active raid1 sda6[0] sdb6[1]
      184578688 blocks [2/2] [UU]

md1 : active raid1 sda5[0] sdb5[1]
      184578688 blocks [2/2] [UU]

md4 : active raid1 sda2[0] sdb2[1]
      19551040 blocks [2/2] [UU]

md5 : active raid1 sda1[0] sdb1[1]
      96256 blocks [2/2] [UU]

md5 should be the /boot partition on sda1 and sdb1 which are the first partitions on 2 identical SATA drives
(I'm sure it used to be md1)

md4 is the / (root) partition

the /boot partition is currently empty (I have temporarily mounted it at /mnt/boot to check.)

Any help getting this back to a working system gratefully received.

Revision history for this message
Philip Goodfellow (mail-philipgoodfellow) said : 		#2

While in future I would like to feel assured I can upgrade without loosing my /home and /var partitions for now it would be enough to know how to get back to square one and install as if to totally new hard drives. The first install of the gutsy final beta proceeded with no problems to new hard drives - how do I revert the drives (I am assuming it is something to do with the MBR) to this state and start again?

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Philip Goodfellow (mail-philipgoodfellow) said : 		#3

I have wiped the MBR:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=512 count=1

(the sda is because I have SATA drives, I assume it would be hda if ide drives)

The install has now proceeded without an error. I have installed to the first SATA drive only - i.e without RAID.

I assume my second SATA drive, the remains of the RAID 1 array, still has my original system intact and will now try to recover the /home and /var partitions.

I hope this story helps someone. If anyone can confirm how I can re-establish the raid in such a way that I can re-install in future without having to wipe the MBR from one of the drives I would be very grateful.

Revision history for this message
Michael Lustfield (michaellustfield) said : 		#4

If you reported a bug then things should go there.

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask Philip Goodfellow for more information if necessary.

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