mactel-support team mailing list archive

[Ricky Campbell <cyberdork33@xxxxxxxxx>]

Public bug reported:

Binary package hint: ubiquity

Ubuntu 8.04 Final

Intel Macs have an EFI system and a GPT. The installer seems to handle
the GPT correctly (as it has in the past), but it has recently come up
that the installer is completely emptying the contents of the MBR
partition table which is still required to boot Windows and Ubuntu (GRUB
relies on the MBR partition table). The two tables are not synced
automatically.

When users install Hardy, they are suprised to find that the system is
unbootable (the EFI loader cannot "see" the partition as bootable). a
tool such as rEFIt or gptsync can copy the information in the GPT into
the MBR table thus fixing the issue (for most).

This is even more serious for users with other working OS installs in
addition to Ubuntu (such as other linux distros and Windows) since it
completely dumps the information needed to boot these installs as well.

The expected procedure (and how the previous Ubuntu install seems to
have handled it) is to 'update' both the GPT and the MBR table with
changes instead of completely losing the information stored there.

gparted / parted seemed to update both tables properly previously as
well.

I will be doing a full install on my iMac later and will be able to add
additional information.

** Affects: mactel-support
     Importance: High
         Status: Confirmed

** Affects: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

-- 
MBR Partition Table is cleared during install
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/222126
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Mactel
Support, which is the registrant for Mactel Support.

Status in Mactel Support: Confirmed
Status in Source Package "ubiquity" in Ubuntu: New

Bug description:
Binary package hint: ubiquity

Ubuntu 8.04 Final

Intel Macs have an EFI system and a GPT. The installer seems to handle the GPT correctly (as it has in the past), but it has recently come up that the installer is completely emptying the contents of the MBR partition table which is still required to boot Windows and Ubuntu (GRUB relies on the MBR partition table). The two tables are not synced automatically.

When users install Hardy, they are suprised to find that the system is unbootable (the EFI loader cannot "see" the partition as bootable). a tool such as rEFIt or gptsync can copy the information in the GPT into the MBR table thus fixing the issue (for most). 

This is even more serious for users with other working OS installs in addition to Ubuntu (such as other linux distros and Windows) since it completely dumps the information needed to boot these installs as well.

The expected procedure (and how the previous Ubuntu install seems to have handled it) is to 'update' both the GPT and the MBR table with changes instead of completely losing the information stored there.

gparted / parted seemed to update both tables properly previously as well.

I will be doing a full install on my iMac later and will be able to add additional information.