Bug 2530897 - F45 grub boot fails with "invalid magic number" when installed to FW RAID multiple times from GTK installer
Summary: F45 grub boot fails with "invalid magic number" when installed to FW RAID mul...
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED ERRATA
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: anaconda
Version: 45
Hardware: Unspecified
OS: Unspecified
unspecified
unspecified
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Martin Kolman
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL:
Whiteboard: https://discussion.fedoraproject.org...
Depends On:
Blocks: F45FinalFreezeException, FinalFreezeException
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2026-09-09 13:32 UTC by Kamil Páral (Red Hat)
Modified: 2026-09-26 00:16 UTC (History)
10 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2026-09-26 00:16:44 UTC
Type: Bug
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)
GRUB magic number error (197.09 KB, image/png)
2026-09-09 13:34 UTC, Kamil Páral (Red Hat)
no flags Details
Logs from first install (working OK) (866.10 KB, application/zip)
2026-09-09 13:34 UTC, Kamil Páral (Red Hat)
no flags Details
Logs from second install (fails to boot) (1.10 MB, application/zip)
2026-09-09 13:35 UTC, Kamil Páral (Red Hat)
no flags Details

Description Kamil Páral (Red Hat) 2026-09-09 13:32:48 UTC
Description of problem:
When I install Fedora 45 to a Firmware RAID-enabled system for the second (or any other later) time, it fails to boot from grub:

> Booting 'Fedora Linux (7.2.0-61.fc45.x86_64) 45 (Forty Five Prerelease)'
> error: ../../grub-core/loader/i386/pc/linux.c:grub_cmd_linux:170:invalid magic number.
> error: ../../grub-core/loader/i386/pc/linux.c:grub_cmd_initrd:422:you need to load the kernel first.
> Press any key to continue...

Key findings:
1. This is specific to FW RAID. Without it, there's no issue.
2. This is specific to the GTK installer (Server/Everything images). It doesn't happen with desktop images (Workstation, KDE) where anaconda webUI is used.
3. This is a regression in Fedora 45. With F44 images, everything works fine, even repeatedly.
4. This only affects subsequent installs. The first install to a freshly assembled FW RAID works fine.
5. In order to create a functional install after this has occurred, you need to delete the FW RAID array in BIOS and create it again.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
Fedora-Server-dvd-x86_64-45_Beta-1.3.iso
anaconda-45.22-1.fc45.x86_64.rpm
grub2-common-2.12-76.fc45.noarch.rpm 


How reproducible:
always


Steps to Reproduce:
1. Assemble FW RAID in BIOS. In my case it's RAID0, 2 disks.
2. Run the system in BIOS mode (I didn't test UEFI).
3. Boot the GTK installer (Server/Everything image). I use Server DVD, to always use the same set of packages, regardless of online mirror contents.
4. Install the system. In partitioning, just use the automatic mode (the raid disk is completely clean). When using Server DVD, you can use the Custom OS package set to speed up the install, it has no effect on the bug.
5. Boot the installed OS, to verify that grub boot works correctly.
6. Run the same installer again. In partitioning, again use the automatic mode. Because the disk is now full, reclaim the space by using Delete All button, and continue with the automatic layout.
7. Boot the installed OS and see the it can't boot from grub, "invalid magic number".
8. In order to reset the system to working state, you need to delete the FW RAID array and create it again. Then it works again, but again only once.

Comment 1 Kamil Páral (Red Hat) 2026-09-09 13:34:08 UTC
Created attachment 2157293 [details]
GRUB magic number error

Comment 2 Kamil Páral (Red Hat) 2026-09-09 13:34:51 UTC
Created attachment 2157294 [details]
Logs from first install (working OK)

Comment 3 Kamil Páral (Red Hat) 2026-09-09 13:35:06 UTC
Created attachment 2157295 [details]
Logs from second install (fails to boot)

Comment 4 Kamil Páral (Red Hat) 2026-09-09 13:36:04 UTC
Proposing as a blocker: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_45_Final_Release_Criteria#Firmware_RAID

Comment 5 Jeremy Linton 2026-09-14 16:44:19 UTC
The IMSM data appears to have been overwritten between the first boot array and the second boot.

Generation  = 1
Orig Family = aec803c7

Generation  = 3
Orig Family = 889f09a3

Suggesting that something updated the metadata about the array.

Comment 6 Lukas Ruzicka (Red Hat) 2026-09-14 17:31:12 UTC
AGREED AcceptedFinalBlocker

Discussed at the 2026-09-14 (blocker / freeze exception) review meeting:

This is accepted as a blocker as it appears to be a conditional violation of "The installer must be able to detect and install to firmware RAID storage devices" (it seems to fail if there has been a previous Fedora install to the same RAID set). However, we may revisit this decision if further testing indicates the problem does not affect a lot of systems, or the proposal to remove firmware RAID from the criteria is accepted.

https://meetbot-raw.fedoraproject.org//blocker-review_matrix_fedoraproject-org/2026-09-14/f45-blocker-review.2026-09-14-16.01.log.txt

Comment 7 Kamil Páral (Red Hat) 2026-09-17 08:54:30 UTC
Yesterday, the Firmware RAID release criterion was dropped. See https://forge.fedoraproject.org/quality/blocker-review/issues/2175 for more details.

Proposing as a freeze exception instead.

Comment 8 Lukáš Růžička (Fedora Quality) 2026-09-21 18:19:18 UTC
  AGREED AcceptedFinalFreezeException
  
  Discussed at the 2026-09-21 (blocker / freeze exception) review meeting:
  
  this is accepted as an installer bug with significant consequences for anyone who runs into it, which clearly can't be fixed with an update
  
  https://meetbot-raw.fedoraproject.org//blocker-review_matrix_fedoraproject-org/2026-09-21/f45-blocker-review.2026-09-21-16.01.log.txt

Comment 10 Kamil Paral (Fedora Quality) 2026-09-24 12:43:05 UTC
A common issue description was published here:
https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/common-issue/202294

Comment 11 Kamil Paral (Fedora Quality) 2026-09-24 13:17:54 UTC
(In reply to Vojtech Trefny from comment #9)
> updates image: https://vtrefny.fedorapeople.org/img/rhbz2530897.img

This fixes the problem, in my testing. Thanks!

Comment 12 Fedora Update System 2026-09-24 13:43:16 UTC
FEDORA-2026-13f7fd9140 (python-blivet-3.14.2-2.fc45) has been submitted as an update to Fedora 45.
https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2026-13f7fd9140

Comment 13 Kamil Paral (Fedora Quality) 2026-09-24 15:00:48 UTC
(In reply to Fedora Update System from comment #12)
> FEDORA-2026-13f7fd9140 (python-blivet-3.14.2-2.fc45) has been submitted as
> an update to Fedora 45.
> https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2026-13f7fd9140

Works fine, fixes the fwraid bug.

Comment 14 Fedora Update System 2026-09-25 02:15:56 UTC
FEDORA-2026-13f7fd9140 has been pushed to the Fedora 45 testing repository.
Soon you'll be able to install the update with the following command:
`sudo dnf upgrade --enablerepo=updates-testing --refresh --advisory=FEDORA-2026-13f7fd9140`
You can provide feedback for this update here: https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2026-13f7fd9140

See also https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/QA:Updates_Testing for more information on how to test updates.

Comment 15 Fedora Update System 2026-09-26 00:16:44 UTC
FEDORA-2026-13f7fd9140 (python-blivet-3.14.2-2.fc45) has been pushed to the Fedora 45 stable repository.
If problem still persists, please make note of it in this bug report.


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