Debian bookworm fails to install

[Hans]

Hi folks,

I am running into an issue, I can not explain.

Let me please shortly describe:

For my own purposes I am building a live-debian ISO with installer. As I am
finetuning some things (not related to the system itself), I am building
several ISOs a day.

The live-build is set to bookworm (not bullseye, as lb config does).

However, everything is going fine., the live-system is booting well.

But: When I want to install it, the installer always breaks, when it wants to
install grub. (grub-installer fails).

As I am doing always a fresh install with completely formatting the harddrive,
it can not be explained, why this happens.

And more strange: When I build one version, it is working well. Changing
nothing, and building again, suddenly the installer crashes at grub
installation and then it will never work again.

To declare: I can build several times, and every installation is working well,
and suddenly without any reason, it breakes. Doing then using one version
before (the last one, which worked well), it is still working, but the next
build is crashing.

Ok, I think you understood, what I meant. Well, one reason I could imagine,
that the debian mirror, I add during installation process is changing. I am
using "deb.debian.org", but when using another mirror in my near, I am running
into the same issue.

I also tried to install grub manually in the console during installation
process, using "grub-installer /target", but this did neither work nor show
much usefull information.

Any idea, why this is happening? I saw similar messages in some forums, but
they are all related to Debian 10, which is rather old (and I suppose, these
bugs are fixed).

Thanks for any hints and help!

Best regards

Hans

[Michael Kjörling]

Post by Hans
For my own purposes I am building a live-debian ISO with installer.

How are you doing this?

Can you post a script (or something similar) which reliably
demonstrates the issue when executed within a fresh Debian system?

Post by Hans
I also tried to install grub manually in the console during installation
process, using "grub-installer /target", but this did neither work nor show
much usefull information.

Should we take this to mean that it did show _some_ "useful
information"? If so, what _did_ it show?

It appears that you are trying something; having some issue; see
symptoms; draw conclusions; and then tell us about your conclusions
and ask for a solution to your issue so as to be able to continue with
what you're trying to do. But without us being able to see what you
are doing and what happens when you do, _in full_, it's nearly
impossible to guess from your conclusions what might cause the issue
you're having in the first place.

Show us _exactly_ what's happening, as far as you are able. At a
minimum, make it easy for others to recreate a situation in which you
see the specific problem.

In other words, a minimal (non)working example.

[Hans]

Am Freitag, 7. Juni 2024, 18:24:11 CEST schrieb Michael Kjörling:
Hi Michael,

Post by Michael Kjörling

Post by Hans
For my own purposes I am building a live-debian ISO with installer.

How are you doing this?

I am starting with lb config (to get a straight live-build environment).

After this I am edititing all entries in ~/config/bootstrap | binary | common from "bullseye" to
"bookworm".

At last I am editing the entry for the name of the image from "live-image" to "RustDesk-live-
image" (I want it so be named).

Then lb config --purge.

After this, I am starting with my own shell script, which contents this line:

--------------------

...

lb config --purge

lb config --debian-installer live --bootappend-live "boot=live username=myname
hostname=my_hostname..............." (keyboard definitions and so on)

lb build

--------------------

This worked, but from one day to another no more, and this is strange!
I also did a fresh live-build-environment installation, then it worked 3 or 4 times, and then it
broke again.

Post by Michael Kjörling
Can you post a script (or something similar) which reliably
demonstrates the issue when executed within a fresh Debian system?

The issue is not in the Debian itself, but it happens, when I want to install it. It happens as well
on a native system as in Virtualbox itself.

Maybe I could upload the ISO somewhere, it can be used in Virtualbox and shows the crash
there, too. However, the ISO is 700MB and you need 8GB harddrive in Virtualbox. Think, not a
goo idea.

Post by Michael Kjörling

Post by Hans
I also tried to install grub manually in the console during installation
process, using "grub-installer /target", but this did neither work nor show
much usefull information.

Should we take this to mean that it did show _some_ "useful
information"? If so, what _did_ it show?

No, it did not show any usefull information. Messages like "grub-installer failed" is no usefull
information! No reason why...

Post by Michael Kjörling
It appears that you are trying something; having some issue; see
symptoms; draw conclusions; and then tell us about your conclusions
and ask for a solution to your issue so as to be able to continue with
what you're trying to do. But without us being able to see what you
are doing and what happens when you do, _in full_, it's nearly
impossible to guess from your conclusions what might cause the issue
you're having in the first place.

Yeah, I know. If I got more information for myself, maybe I could find the reason for myself,
too. But the installer does not show

Post by Michael Kjörling
Show us _exactly_ what's happening, as far as you are able. At a
minimum, make it easy for others to recreate a situation in which you
see the specific problem.
In other words, a minimal (non)working example.

At the moment, I try to use the installer from bullsyeye and the system of bookworm. It can be
set in the live-build configurations.

Maybe it is a problem with the debian-bookworm repo (mirroring in process, whatever) and
tomorrow it will magiacally work again.

So, I suppose, we should wait. I will try some things here and maybe I can fix it though.

Thanks for help anyway.

Best regards


Hans

[Hans]

Got it! Found the reason and a fix for it.
Just not easy to find. It is an dependency-problem!

What happened?

Well, in ~config/mylist.list.chroot I added the package "bootcd", which shoul exist in my live-
system. During build this made no problems and all dependencies are ok. But - during install it
appears, that there is a dependency conflict with the installer as bootcd needs grub-efi-amd64-
bin.

However, when bootcd wants to install, this package will be installed, too as it is dependent. So
far, so well.
BUT - grub-efi-amd64-bin conflicts with grub-efi-amd64-bin-signed
and forces it to deinstall,
which, you guess it, the debian-installer needs.

And so the grub-installer crashes!

Now the question, who should be asked for help? Maintainers of bootcd? Maintainers of debian-
installer? Or Maintainers of packages?

I do not know, and as long as I do not know, I can not file a bugreport as none of them (and
this is fully correct and understandable) is responsible from his sight on.

However, the problem can easily be reproduced.

Thanks for reading this, hope it helps. For me, this issue can be closed.

Best regards

Hans

[David Wright]

Post by Hans
Got it! Found the reason and a fix for it.
Just not easy to find. It is an dependency-problem!
What happened?
Well, in ~config/mylist.list.chroot I added the package "bootcd", which shoul exist in my live-
system. During build this made no problems and all dependencies are ok. But - during install it
appears, that there is a dependency conflict with the installer as bootcd needs grub-efi-amd64-
bin.
However, when bootcd wants to install, this package will be installed, too as it is dependent. So
far, so well.
BUT - grub-efi-amd64-bin conflicts with grub-efi-amd64-bin-signed
and forces it to deinstall,
which, you guess it, the debian-installer needs.
And so the grub-installer crashes!

I can't find the package grub-efi-amd64-bin-signed.
Where should I look?

Cheers,
David.

[Hans]

Looks like a typo from me.

apt-cache search grub-efi-amd | grep signed
grub-efi-amd64-signed - GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (amd64 UEFI signed by Debian)
grub-efi-amd64-signed-template - GRand Unified Bootloader, Version 2 (Signaturvorlage fÃŒr
EFI-AMD64)

It is grub-efi-amd64-signed.

Sorry for that.

I checked after install: If I want to install package bootcd after installation, no packages will be
deinstalled, just several added.

Not sure, what is the difference, between the installation process and the finished installation.

Best

Hans
--------------------

Post by David Wright
I can't find the package grub-efi-amd64-bin-signed.
Where should I look?
Cheers,
David.

[Jeffrey Walton]

Post by Hans
Got it! Found the reason and a fix for it.
Just not easy to find. It is an dependency-problem!
What happened?
Well, in ~config/mylist.list.chroot I added the package "bootcd", which shoul exist in my live-system. During build this made no problems and all dependencies are ok. But - during install it appears, that there is a dependency conflict with the installer as bootcd needs grub-efi-amd64-bin.
However, when bootcd wants to install, this package will be installed, too as it is dependent. So far, so well.
BUT - grub-efi-amd64-bin conflicts with grub-efi-amd64-bin-signed
and forces it to deinstall,
which, you guess it, the debian-installer needs.
And so the grub-installer crashes!
Now the question, who should be asked for help? Maintainers of bootcd? Maintainers of debian-installer? Or Maintainers of packages?
I do not know, and as long as I do not know, I can not file a bugreport as none of them (and this is fully correct and understandable) is responsible from his sight on.
However, the problem can easily be reproduced.

Forgive my ignorance... How does this translate into an intermittent
problem? It seems like you would never encounter it, or always
encounter it. What makes the problem come and go?

Jeff

[Max Nikulin]

Post by Hans
BUT - grub-efi-amd64-bin conflicts with grub-efi-amd64-bin-signed

No it does not. I have both installed. I think, the latter needs .mod
files provided by the former.

[Andrew M.A. Cater]

Hi Hans!

Hello!
For those, who are interested in my discovering with bootcd, I attached a screenshot of the
message, the installer told and why grub can not be installed. It might explain more.

You might want to try OFTC IRC channel #debian-live or the debian-live
or debian-boot mailing lists?

All the very best, as ever,

Andy
(***@debian.org)

[Jeffrey Walton]

Post by Hans
Hi folks,
I am running into an issue, I can not explain.
For my own purposes I am building a live-debian ISO with installer. As I am
finetuning some things (not related to the system itself), I am building
several ISOs a day.
The live-build is set to bookworm (not bullseye, as lb config does).
However, everything is going fine., the live-system is booting well.
But: When I want to install it, the installer always breaks, when it wants to
install grub. (grub-installer fails).
As I am doing always a fresh install with completely formatting the harddrive,
it can not be explained, why this happens.
And more strange: When I build one version, it is working well. Changing
nothing, and building again, suddenly the installer crashes at grub
installation and then it will never work again.
To declare: I can build several times, and every installation is working well,
and suddenly without any reason, it breakes. Doing then using one version
before (the last one, which worked well), it is still working, but the next
build is crashing.
Ok, I think you understood, what I meant. Well, one reason I could imagine,
that the debian mirror, I add during installation process is changing. I am
using "deb.debian.org", but when using another mirror in my near, I am running
into the same issue.
I also tried to install grub manually in the console during installation
process, using "grub-installer /target", but this did neither work nor show
much usefull information.
Any idea, why this is happening? I saw similar messages in some forums, but
they are all related to Debian 10, which is rather old (and I suppose, these
bugs are fixed).

You might have a look at grub2 bugs in Bookworm, and see if any look
like they apply to you:
<https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?pkg=grub2;dist=stable>.

Jeff