Description of problem: Custom partitioning using standard partitions for install of Fedora 26 Beta on a bare-metal BIOS system (no UEFI), including a request to install a new boot loader, forgets to require a BIOS Boot partition. Eventually the install fails with the message "boot loader install failed". Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): anaconda-26.21.9-1.fc26.x86_64 How reproducible: every time; 2 actual failures, with success on third attempt after creating a BIOS Boot partition Steps to Reproduce: 1. Boot Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-26_Beta-1.4.iso to desktop on a BIOS-only (no UEFI) bare metal machine with gpt drives. 2. Click on Install fedora icon 3. Custom (manual) partition using standard partitions: reformat an existing ext4 partition as / (root); reformat an existing FAT partition (on the same drive) as /boot/grub2; request that a boot loader be installed to that drive. Exit Custom partitioning with no BIOS Boot partition present. Actual results: Install gets nearly to the end ("Installing: 100%" and even farther) but fails with "boot loader install failed". That's the only message that is displayed. In fact the boot loader was never written to the MBR. Expected results: successful install, including boot loader Additional info: Succeeded on 3rd attempt after creating a 1MiB BIOS Boot partition. Will attach /var/log/anaconda/*.log soon.
Created attachment 1288937 [details] /var/log/anaconda/anaconda.log from installed system
Created attachment 1288938 [details] /var/log/anaconda/journal.log from installed system $ grep -n 'boot loader' journal.log 11302:Jun 18 03:04:57 f26p64b.local anaconda[3201]: Installing boot loader 11305:Jun 18 03:04:57 f26p64b.local anaconda[3201]: boot loader stage1 target device is sda 11306:Jun 18 03:04:57 f26p64b.local anaconda[3201]: boot loader stage2 target device is sda2 11623:Jun 18 03:05:25 f26p64b.local anaconda[3201]: bootloader.write failed: boot loader install failed 11634:Jun 18 03:05:32 f26p64b.local anaconda[3201]: Installing boot loader -- DONE
Created attachment 1288939 [details] /var/log/anaconda/program.log from installed system
Created attachment 1288940 [details] /var/log/anaconda/storage.log from installed system
I've just hit this problem with a custom-formatted drive and a Fedora 27 install. Anaconda should detect this, similarly as it detects when e.g. the root (/) partition is missing.
I am facing same issue with installation of Fedora 29 Beta on external 1 TB HDD connected through USB port on Lenovo T400 laptop. After creating BIOS boot partition the fresh installation worked.
This message is a reminder that Fedora 27 is nearing its end of life. On 2018-Nov-30 Fedora will stop maintaining and issuing updates for Fedora 27. It is Fedora's policy to close all bug reports from releases that are no longer maintained. At that time this bug will be closed as EOL if it remains open with a Fedora 'version' of '27'. Package Maintainer: If you wish for this bug to remain open because you plan to fix it in a currently maintained version, simply change the 'version' to a later Fedora version. Thank you for reporting this issue and we are sorry that we were not able to fix it before Fedora 27 is end of life. If you would still like to see this bug fixed and are able to reproduce it against a later version of Fedora, you are encouraged change the 'version' to a later Fedora version prior this bug is closed as described in the policy above. Although we aim to fix as many bugs as possible during every release's lifetime, sometimes those efforts are overtaken by events. Often a more recent Fedora release includes newer upstream software that fixes bugs or makes them obsolete.
Fedora 27 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2018-11-30. Fedora 27 is no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug. If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version. If you are unable to reopen this bug, please file a new report against the current release. If you experience problems, please add a comment to this bug. Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.