Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 1462564
boot loader install failed
Last modified: 2018-01-27 17:40:27 EST
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.