Bug 744209

Summary:	Cannot select the correct MBR for bootloader
Product:	[Fedora] Fedora	Reporter:	Stephen Gallagher <sgallagh>
Component:	anaconda	Assignee:	Anaconda Maintenance Team <anaconda-maint-list>
Status:	CLOSED DUPLICATE	QA Contact:	Fedora Extras Quality Assurance <extras-qa>
Severity:	high	Docs Contact:
Priority:	unspecified
Version:	16	CC:	anaconda-maint-list, awilliam, dinyar.rabady+spam, jhall, jonathan, mcjhn1, vanmeeuwen+fedora
Target Milestone:	---
Target Release:	---
Hardware:	x86_64
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version:		Doc Type:	Bug Fix
Doc Text:		Story Points:	---
Clone Of:		Environment:
Last Closed:	2011-10-19 19:31:40 UTC	Type:	---
Regression:	---	Mount Type:	---
Documentation:	---	CRM:
Verified Versions:		Category:	---
oVirt Team:	---	RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team:	---	Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:
Bug Depends On:
Bug Blocks:	713568

Description Stephen Gallagher 2011-10-07 13:37:51 UTC

Description of problem:
Anaconda on the Fedora 16 beta image allows only selecting /dev/sda as the MBR. However, on my system the MBR is on the drive detected as /dev/sdb. It should be possible to install the bootloader on the correct partition.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
Fedora 16 beta x86_64 install DVD

How reproducible:
Every time

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Install Fedora
2. Try to select a boot partition other than /dev/sda or /dev/sdb1
  
Actual results:
Impossible to select the correct drive for the bootloader


Expected results:
Should be possible to choose to install on the MBR of /dev/sdb


Additional info:
The reason behind this is that I have a laptop with an existing OS on the internal HD, and I want to install Fedora 16 on a drive connected via eSATA. I want the bootloader for Fedora 16 to be on the eSATA drive so that I can select it to boot first in the BIOS when the drive is connected and otherwise use the standard bootloader on the internal drive when it's not attached.

Comment 1 dinyar.rabady+spam 2011-10-12 09:46:41 UTC

I have the same problem. Upgrading my Fedora 15 system with the DVD image on an USB key the only MBR I can write the boot loader to is the one on /dev/sdb although this is the USB key.

Comment 2 dinyar.rabady+spam 2011-10-12 10:06:02 UTC

Additional info: The bahaviour I encountered closely matches the one described in https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=738964 which (judging from https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=738964#c83) hasn't been fixed.

My system is a Thinkpad X200s.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Comment 3 dinyar.rabady+spam 2011-10-12 13:34:10 UTC

Ok, so just FYI, I booted the system with the USB stick and could then install grub2 easily by executing grub2-install /dev/sda as root.

Comment 4 Jim Hall 2011-10-19 19:11:11 UTC

I have the same problem on a Dell Latitude E6410, and a Dell Latitude D620, so this is not just a problem on Thinkpad. I tried to install the beta to a USB flash drive, but was not able to select the USB flash drive to install the bootloader on the MBR.

I have been able to do this with previous Fedora releases, and has been the standard way I test out new Fedora beta releases.

Similarly, I also use this method to install a "rescue" Fedora system on a bootable USB flash drive.

Comment 5 Stephen Gallagher 2011-10-19 19:28:14 UTC

Proposing for blocker status under the criteria:
"The installer must be able to create and install to any workable partition layout using any file system offered in a default installer configuration, LVM, software, hardware or BIOS RAID, or combination of the above"

Comment 6 Adam Williamson 2011-10-19 19:31:40 UTC


*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 744088 ***