On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 11:49:05AM +0200, Erwan Prioul wrote:
> Package: installation-reports
>
> Boot method: ISO image
> Image version:
> http://cdimage.debian.org/mirror/cdimage/daily-builds/daily/current/ppc64el/iso-cd/debian-testing-ppc64el-netinst.iso
> Date: Mon Oct 17 00:44:56 2016
>
> Machine: qemu VM / P8 baremetal / powerVM
> Processor: ppc64el
> Memory: 4Gb
> Partitions:
> /dev/sda1 JFS (more than 10Gb)
> /dev/sda3 swap
>
> Initial boot: [O]
> Detect network card:[O]
> Configure network: [O]
> Detect CD: [O]
> Load installer modules: [O]
> Detect hard drives: [O]
> Partition hard drives: [O]
> Install base system:[O]
> Clock/timezone setup: [O]
> User/password setup:[O]
> Install tasks: [O]
> Install boot loader:[E]
> Overall install:[E]
>
> Comments/Problems:
>
> When partitionning the disk, I chose the guided partitionning to use the
> entire disk and one partition, then I changed the file system of the main
> partition to JFS instead of ext4.
> Everything went right until the grub installation.
> It failed with:
>
> Install the GRUB boot loader on a hard disk
> ---
>
> !! ERROR: Unable to install GRUB in /dev/sda1
>
> Executing 'grub-install /dev/sda1' failed.
>
> This is a fatal error.
>
> from /var/log/syslog:
> Oct 17 00:51:19 grub-installer: info: Installing grub on '/dev/sda1'
> Oct 17 00:51:19 grub-installer: info: grub-install does not support
> --no-floppy
> Oct 17 00:51:19 grub-installer: info: Running chroot /target grub-install
> --force "/dev/sda1"
> Oct 17 00:51:19 grub-installer: Installing for powerpc-ieee1275 platform.
> Oct 17 00:51:20 grub-installer: grub-install: error:
> Oct 17 00:51:20 grub-installer: unknown filesystem.
> Oct 17 00:51:20 grub-installer: error: Running 'grub-install --force
> "/dev/sda1"' failed.
> Oct 17 01:09:20 main-menu[974]: (process:5214): File descriptor 3
> (pipe:[9531]) leaked on lvdisplay invocation. Parent PID 5736: /bin/sh
> Oct 17 01:09:20 main-menu[974]: (process:5214): File descriptor 4
> (/dev/pts/4) leaked on lvdisplay invocation. Parent PID 5736: /bin/sh
> Oct 17 01:09:20 main-menu[974]: (process:5214): File descriptor 5
> (/dev/pts/4) leaked on lvdisplay invocation. Parent PID 5736: /bin/sh
> Oct 17 01:09:20 main-menu[974]: (process:5214): File descriptor 6
> (/dev/pts/4) leaked on lvdisplay invocation. Parent PID 5736: /bin/sh
> Oct 17 01:09:20 main-menu[974]: (process:5214): Volume group "sda" not found
> Oct 17 01:09:20 main-menu[974]: (process:5214): Cannot process volume group
> sda
> Oct 17 01:09:20 main-menu[974]: WARNING **: Configuring 'grub-installer'
> failed with error code 1
> Oct 17 01:09:20 main-menu[974]: WARNING **: Menu item 'grub-installer' failed.
I just tried it and it worked fine.
I picked the default guided partitioning, then changed the root partition
(partition 2) from ext4 to JFS. I did NOT delete and create any
partitions from the default guided setup.
I think, based on your error, that you deleted partition 1 (8MB the PReP
boot partition) which is required for installing the boot loader in IBM
power systems. Or maybe you change the use type to JFS from PReP boot.
Partition 1 (PReP boot) does NOT contain a filesystem and is not mounted.
Grub is written to it raw and the firmware loads the contents of the
partition into ram and executes it raw.
--
Len Sorensen
