Bug 931190

Summary:	Bootloader fails on btrfs
Product:	[openSUSE] openSUSE Distribution	Reporter:	Forgotten User oNarDcfmKV <forgotten_oNarDcfmKV>
Component:	Installation	Assignee:	E-mail List <yast2-maintainers>
Status:	RESOLVED WONTFIX	QA Contact:	Jiri Srain <jsrain>
Severity:	Critical
Priority:	P5 - None	CC:	forgotten_oNarDcfmKV, jreidinger
Version:	13.2
Target Milestone:	---
Hardware:	i586
OS:	openSUSE 13.2
Whiteboard:
Found By:	---	Services Priority:
Business Priority:		Blocker:	---
Marketing QA Status:	---	IT Deployment:	---

Description Forgotten User oNarDcfmKV 2015-05-18 06:50:44 UTC

Running a dual boot Win 7 and Osuse 11.2 with opensuse installed on extended partitions. 

Given the age of my current OS(11.2) I decided to install 13.2, to get updated software and access to the Tumbleweed repo.

I downloaded the iso, wrote it to a dvd and restarted my current dual boot laptop. I completed the fresh install in the same partitions used for 11.2, but the install had an issue at the end with loading Grub into the MBR. Despite retries or even ignoring the error, the laptop boots and I am left with a blank screen with the word GRUB on it.

I wait a few minutes for a menu but nothing. Enter does nothing.

I reinstall from the DVD, but now as an upgrade, run through the entire install process and still get stuck on writing the boot code.

I cannot even get to the Windows OS 

After viewing <https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/502455-Boot-fresh-installed-13-2-gt-Grub-won-t-load-Yast-bootloader-grub2-mkconfig-won-t-recognize> I realised te problem might be the btrfs.

I reinstalled as a fresh install into the Linux partitions but changed the file systems to be formatted from btrfs to ext4.

Install completed and I was presented with a boot menu which included an entry for Windows and another for opensuse. Selecting the opensuse option took me into the new OS. :))

Comment 1 Martin Vidner 2015-05-29 12:58:11 UTC

Thanks for the report, Hylton.

Pepa, can we say anything about the problem without the logs from the btrfs installation?
Hylton, do you have the logs from the unsuccessful installaiton? https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Report_a_YaST_bug

Comment 2 Josef Reidinger 2015-05-29 13:21:41 UTC

Yes, it is known problem, when trying to install grub2 MBR where is not enough space for stage1.5 which often happen with windows as OEM, that they do not keep enough space. In such situation grub2 try to use target partition to store it, but because btrfs have some features, exact location of file is not predefined as e.g. in ext fs, so it failed. It is known issue. Solution is to have non-btrfs separated /boot partition.

Comment 3 Forgotten User oNarDcfmKV 2015-05-31 09:14:39 UTC

Unfortunately the logs are not available, as I restarted the install using ext4. Might I suggest that they automatically get sent on an error condition.

Comment 4 Josef Reidinger 2015-06-04 11:35:43 UTC

(In reply to Hylton Conacher from comment #3)
> Unfortunately the logs are not available, as I restarted the install using
> ext4. Might I suggest that they automatically get sent on an error condition.

Well, many users will complain if we send it automatic, we also do not have infrastructure ready to proceed such amount of bug reports ( probably some automatic duplicate detection is needed ).

So lets close this bug, as it is known limitation of grub2