no way to create logical volume within lvm

Bug #923552 reported by Martin Pool
14
This bug affects 2 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
debian-installer (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
High
Unassigned

Bug Description

I've just reinstalled my laptop using the precise alternative amd64 snapshot from 2012-01-27. I wanted to repartition the disk, and then have an lv on a vg on lusk within a partition.

I chose "guided install with encrypted lvm", and I got a luks partition with lvm inside it, but it didn't have any logical volumes. (So, the install could not proceed since there was no root partition.)

I tried again in manual mode and hit the same problem: after the vg was created, I could see it in the partitioner menu, but I couldn't see any way to create an lv within it. When I pressed enter on the pv, or anything connected to it, I was just told "this is in use by $device_name and cannot be edited". (I forget the exact name, it was something like 'crypt_sda5'.)

Changed in debian-installer (Ubuntu):
assignee: nobody → Ubuntu Foundations Team (ubuntu-foundations-team)
Revision history for this message
Colin Watson (cjwatson) wrote :

Please attach /var/log/syslog and /var/log/partman from an installation attempt. You can extract them using "Save debug logs" from the installer main menu, or by running 'anna-install openssh-client-udeb' from a shell and then using scp.

Changed in debian-installer (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Colin Watson (cjwatson) wrote :

Oh, or they're in /var/log/installer/ if you managed to complete the installation somehow.

Steve Langasek (vorlon)
Changed in debian-installer (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → High
Revision history for this message
Martin Pool (mbp) wrote :

here's the installer syslog

I'm not sure it will have the info you need though, because the bug leaves the install unable to complete.

It seems like the kind of thing that ought to be reproducible in a vm.

Revision history for this message
Martin Pool (mbp) wrote :
Changed in debian-installer (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → New
Colin Watson (cjwatson)
Changed in debian-installer (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Martin Pool (mbp) wrote :

Reproducing this in a qemu vm:

 * boot from a recent precise alternative amd64 iso
 * choose locale, username, etc
 * 'encrypt home directory' -> no
 * 'partitioning method' -> 'guided - use entire disk and set up encrypted lvm'
 * 'choose disk' -> choose virtual disk 1
 * 'write changes to disk' (to create a /boot partition?) -> ok
 * enter a passphrase -> whatever
 * 'amount of volume group to use for guided partitioning' -> accept the default, ie 100%

then I get an error at this point, on a scary red background:

'''!! Partition disks
No root file system
No root file system is defined.

Please correct this from the partitioning menu.
'''

In a sense this is ok and accurate, because I indeed have not created an lv for the root filesystem yet. However it's a bit bad this is shown after accepting all the defaults for one of the major installer paths (encrypted lvm).

 * continue
 * get a 'partition disks' window, showing a /boot, a crypto partition, and then also

encrypted volume (vda5_crypt)
#1 8.3 GB K lvm

 * choose 'configure the logical volume manager'
 * 'display configuration details' shows that it does have a root and swap lv, but trying to continue gives an error

Revision history for this message
Martin Pool (mbp) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Martin Pool (mbp) wrote :

here are the syslog and partman files from an in-progress (stuck) install within a vm. they probably have more interesting info than those i previously attached.

Colin Watson (cjwatson)
Changed in debian-installer (Ubuntu):
assignee: Ubuntu Foundations Team (ubuntu-foundations-team) → Colin Watson (cjwatson)
Revision history for this message
Colin Watson (cjwatson) wrote :

I don't seem to be able to reproduce this in a VM with a blank disk. But I notice from your most recent attachments that your disk wasn't blank to start with - so maybe that has something to do with it? I'll try again once this install has completed.

(Mind you, I'm using the i386 server image because I didn't expect that would make a difference. I might download and try the amd64 alternate image if all else fails.)

Revision history for this message
Martin Pool (mbp) wrote : Re:[Bug 923552] Re: no way to create logical volume within lvm

I reproduced this in a new VM, which would have had a blank disk.
On Mar 7, 2012 2:02 AM, "Colin Watson" <email address hidden> wrote:

> I don't seem to be able to reproduce this in a VM with a blank disk.
> But I notice from your most recent attachments that your disk wasn't
> blank to start with - so maybe that has something to do with it? I'll
> try again once this install has completed.
>
> (Mind you, I'm using the i386 server image because I didn't expect that
> would make a difference. I might download and try the amd64 alternate
> image if all else fails.)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/923552
>
> Title:
> no way to create logical volume within lvm
>
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>

Revision history for this message
Colin Watson (cjwatson) wrote :

Hm, that's not what your most recent partman log indicates. I couldn't reproduce this in an alternate amd64 installation with a blank disk.

Since you can reproduce this in a VM, though, it should be a matter of sufficiently exact instructions, so ... Could I have exact directions on how you're starting qemu, including the qemu-img command that creates the disk, and the full qemu command line?

Revision history for this message
Colin Watson (cjwatson) wrote :

(Preferably with a current daily build, too, just in case we fixed this and I forgot about it.)

Colin Watson (cjwatson)
Changed in debian-installer (Ubuntu):
assignee: Colin Watson (cjwatson) → nobody
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