bug#34890: guix system: error: failed to install bootloader

bug#34890: guix system: error: failed to install bootloader

[Jack Hill]

Hi Guix,

Today after a guix pull to commit 
e3545ffcf95bffbbd967efd852715f4f0a9be290, guix system reconfigure fails to 
install grub (bios grub on x86_64) with

guix system: error: failed to install bootloader /gnu/store/45myfaqas69fnp3mfbqlsf9lafm30cl0-bootloader-installer

/gnu/store/45myfaqas69fnp3mfbqlsf9lafm30cl0-bootloader-installer is

(eval-when (expand load eval) (set! %load-path (cons 
"/gnu/store/wa7bn283y9pg2h5g75j1fmqbp1m5js7w-module-import" (append (map 
(lambda (extension) (string-append extension "/share/guile/site/" 
(effective-version))) (quote ())) %load-path))) (set! %load-compiled-path 
(cons "/gnu/store/w5a1xk656i0sw15mqj7bz8zp130c8m27-module-import-compiled" 
(append (map (lambda (extension) (string-append extension "/lib/guile/" 
(effective-version) "/site-ccache")) (quote ())) 
%load-compiled-path))))(begin (use-modules (gnu build bootloader) (guix 
build utils) (ice-9 binary-ports) (srfi srfi-34) (srfi srfi-35)) (guard (c 
((message-condition? c) (format (current-error-port) "error: ~a~%" 
(condition-message c)) (exit 1))) ((lambda (bootloader device mount-point) 
(let ((grub (string-append bootloader "/sbin/grub-install")) (install-dir 
(string-append mount-point "/boot"))) (setenv "GRUB_ENABLE_CRYPTODISK" 
"y") (invoke/quiet grub "--no-floppy" "--target=i386-pc" 
"--boot-directory" install-dir device))) 
"/gnu/store/shbswxl2g7n6fvi6gq45bvan4saygkv2-grub-2.02" "/dev/sda" "/") 
(format #t "bootloader successfully installed on '~a'~%" device)))

Unfortunately, I don't remember the last commit for which I successfully 
reconfigured and installed gurb. My operating system definition is below.

Best,
Jack

;; This is an operating system configuration template
;; for a "desktop" setup with GNOME and Xfce where the
;; root partition is encrypted with LUKS.

(use-modules (gnu) (gnu system nss) (gnu services xorg))
(use-service-modules desktop)
(use-package-modules certs gnome scanner)

(operating-system
   (host-name "alperton")
   (timezone "America/New_York")
   (locale "en_US.utf8")

   (bootloader (bootloader-configuration
                 (bootloader grub-bootloader)
                 (target "/dev/sda")))

   ;; Specify a mapped device for the encrypted root partition.
   ;; The UUID is that returned by 'cryptsetup luksUUID'.
   (mapped-devices
    (list (mapped-device
           (source (uuid "f7776767-70c9-44e3-9973-c1334d301348"))
           (target "alperton_root")
           (type luks-device-mapping))))

   (file-systems (cons*
 	               ;; (file-system
 	               ;;  (device (file-system-label "boot"))
 	               ;;  (mount-point "/boot")
 	               ;;  (type "ext4"))
 	               (file-system
                         (device (file-system-label "alperton_root"))
                         (mount-point "/")
                         (type "ext4")
                         (dependencies mapped-devices))
                       %base-file-systems))

   (users (cons (user-account
                 (name "jackhill")
                 (comment "Jack Hill")
                 (group "users")
                 (supplementary-groups '("wheel" "netdev"
                                         "audio" "video"))
                 (home-directory "/home/jackhill"))
                %base-user-accounts))

   ;; This is where we specify system-wide packages.
   (packages (cons* nss-certs         ;for HTTPS access
                    gvfs              ;for user mounts
 		   network-manager-openvpn
                    %base-packages))

   ;; Add GNOME and/or Xfce---we can choose at the log-in
   ;; screen with F1.  Use the "desktop" services, which
   ;; include the X11 log-in service, networking with
   ;; NetworkManager, and more.
   (services (cons* (gnome-desktop-service)
 		   (service gdm-service-type)
 		   (simple-service 'sane-udev-rules udev-service-type (list sane-backends))
 		   (filter (lambda (x)
 			     (not (eq? (service-kind x) slim-service-type))) %desktop-services)))

   ;; Allow resolution of '.local' host names with mDNS.
   (name-service-switch %mdns-host-lookup-nss))

bug#34890: guix system: error: failed to install bootloader

[Brett Gilio]

Jack Hill writes:

> Hi Guix,
>
> Today after a guix pull to commit
> e3545ffcf95bffbbd967efd852715f4f0a9be290, guix system reconfigure
> fails to install grub (bios grub on x86_64) with
>
> guix system: error: failed to install bootloader /gnu/store/45myfaqas69fnp3mfbqlsf9lafm30cl0-bootloader-installer
>
> /gnu/store/45myfaqas69fnp3mfbqlsf9lafm30cl0-bootloader-installer is
>
> (eval-when (expand load eval) (set! %load-path (cons
> "/gnu/store/wa7bn283y9pg2h5g75j1fmqbp1m5js7w-module-import" (append
> (map (lambda (extension) (string-append extension "/share/guile/site/"
> (effective-version))) (quote ())) %load-path))) (set!
> %load-compiled-path (cons
> "/gnu/store/w5a1xk656i0sw15mqj7bz8zp130c8m27-module-import-compiled"
> (append (map (lambda (extension) (string-append extension
> "/lib/guile/" (effective-version) "/site-ccache")) (quote ()))
> %load-compiled-path))))(begin (use-modules (gnu build bootloader)
> (guix build utils) (ice-9 binary-ports) (srfi srfi-34) (srfi srfi-35))
> (guard (c ((message-condition? c) (format (current-error-port) "error:
> ~a~%" (condition-message c)) (exit 1))) ((lambda (bootloader device
> mount-point) (let ((grub (string-append bootloader
> "/sbin/grub-install")) (install-dir (string-append mount-point
> "/boot"))) (setenv "GRUB_ENABLE_CRYPTODISK" "y") (invoke/quiet grub
> "--no-floppy" "--target=i386-pc" "--boot-directory" install-dir
> device))) "/gnu/store/shbswxl2g7n6fvi6gq45bvan4saygkv2-grub-2.02"
> "/dev/sda" "/") (format #t "bootloader successfully installed on
> '~a'~%" device)))
>

I can replicate this bug, however it is still successfully installing a
new system configuration. The error printout seems erroneous (pun
intended).

I am sure there is a regression somewhere, but it does not seem to
adversely effect the method in question.

bug#34890: guix system: error: failed to install bootloader

[Jack Hill]

On Sat, 16 Mar 2019, Brett Gilio wrote:

> I can replicate this bug, however it is still successfully installing a
> new system configuration. The error printout seems erroneous (pun
> intended).

Indeed, I also do get a new system configuration reflecting my changes. 
However, I'm not sure if the output is just erroneous of if grub is really 
failing to be installed. By that I mean that the grub-install call is 
failing, resulting in this output. Since grub has been previously 
installed to my disk, most of the time I don't need to install the 
bootloader binary again, so this failure doesn't cause problems.

> I am sure there is a regression somewhere, but it does not seem to
> adversely effect the method in question.

I wonder if Ludovic's recent work [0][1] on handeling the bootloader 
messages could be the cause.

[0] 22f95e028f038cee342f455dfc55bd32b804907c
[1] f0cc5e7e1e4c03af29c5d4855dc5962502c49147

bug#34890: guix system: error: failed to install bootloader

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hi,

Jack Hill <jackhill@jackhill.us> skribis:

> Today after a guix pull to commit
> e3545ffcf95bffbbd967efd852715f4f0a9be290, guix system reconfigure
> fails to install grub (bios grub on x86_64) with
>
> guix system: error: failed to install bootloader /gnu/store/45myfaqas69fnp3mfbqlsf9lafm30cl0-bootloader-installer

What was printed before that?  Any hints?

It could be related to the changes I recently made, indeed.

Thanks,
Ludo’.

bug#34890: guix system: error: failed to install bootloader

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hello,

Jack Hill <jackhill@jackhill.us> skribis:

> Today after a guix pull to commit
> e3545ffcf95bffbbd967efd852715f4f0a9be290, guix system reconfigure
> fails to install grub (bios grub on x86_64) with
>
> guix system: error: failed to install bootloader /gnu/store/45myfaqas69fnp3mfbqlsf9lafm30cl0-bootloader-installer

Fixed in 8ffab257ddb6c5df1ac43b9baeb5f0373bffb482.

As you found out, ‘grub-install’ was actually successful but there was
an unbound variable error while displaying the success message…

Thanks,
Ludo’.