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
