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[Bug 1286388] Re: changes to the boot order made via efibootmgr are not sticking

 

I have recently had a similar problem with a fresh install of Ubuntu Server, versions 14.04.1, 14.04.3, and 15.04 on an HP Pavilion 15-f039wv laptop.  I have a factory pre-installed version of Windows 8.1 that should be dual booting under UEFI with Ubuntu Server from the same hard disk.  However once the install is complete, the machine only boots to Windows, unless I first intervene by pressing F9 to get an UEFI "Boot Option Menu" that offers three options of:
    OS boot Manager (UEFI)  - Windows Boot Manager (ST500LT012-1DG142)
    OS boot Manager (UEFI)  - ubuntu (ST500LT012-1DG142)
    Boot From EFI File

With the second option, I can boot to a Gnu Grub screen and then to
Ubuntu Server.

In Ubuntu server, I can use efibootmgr to display its firmware
parameters.  I can set a next boot number and have it take effect for
the next boot, but as expected, only for the next boot, and I can set
the timeout value and have it persist across multiple boots.  However
while I can change the BootOrder and display it with both efibootmgr and
in the /proc file system, the change to the BootOrder is reverted to the
original version (Windows Boot Manager first) if I reboot, even if I
reboot directly back to Ubuntu using the F9 intervention.

I have seen numerous postings in forums addressing this kind of problem
and which often that attribute the problem to aggressive, nonstandard
UEFI behavior from the system vendors (HP in my case).  At least one,
http://askubuntu.com/questions/221835/installing-ubuntu-on-a-pre-
installed-windows-with-uefi, has a popular answer that claims in a
recent edit that the problem is fixed in Ubuntu 15.04.  It is not fixed
in Ubuntu Server 15.04, at least not in my case.

This is particularly a problem in my case because the current behavior
requiring an F9 intervention to select a boot manager, prevents remote
or other unattended rebooting of the Ubuntu server, for example when
using SSH for maintenance.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1286388

Title:
  changes to the boot order made via efibootmgr are not sticking

Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  I installed Ubuntu 14.04 beta on my HP Elitebook Folio laptop. Fresh
  install, complete hard disk formatted. After successful installation I
  rebooted. The system tells me I am missing the OS. Then from BIOS menu
  F9 I could manually boot via EFI and got the system working. However I
  could not change bios settings such that the system would boot
  automatically via UEFI. After long trial and error with advice from
  several IRC colleagues I somehow managed to get the system boot via
  BIOS. But it seems that changes that are done to boot order, do not
  stay permanent.

  I was told that my  boot firmware "assumes that a drive without a "boot flag" on any of its primary partitions 
  in its msdos label cannot be booted via BIOS (again, only true with Windows).

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
  Package: grub-efi-amd64 (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-13.33-generic 3.13.5
  Uname: Linux 3.13.0-13-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.13.2-0ubuntu5
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Sat Mar  1 00:10:27 2014
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-02-28 (0 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Alpha amd64 (20140224)
  SourcePackage: grub2
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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