Subject: Re: bug#40590:

From: Mathieu Othacehe <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2020 10:15:04 +0200

Hello,

> The first error comes when trying to partition the SSD via the graphical
> installer, choosing a guided installation. This will happen choosing with
> or without encryption, and with or without a separate /home partition.

Sorry for all the errors you encountered, but many thanks for the
feedback!  Let's try to see what went wrong.

Did you use 1.0.1 image or a more recent one?

>  619:8 2 (_ #(#(#<directory (guile-user) 1253140> null-pointer-error
> ("pointer->bytevector" "null pointer dereference" () ())) #<output:
> /tmp/last-installer-error 12>))
>  159:9 1 (_ #(#(#<directory (guile-user) 1253140> null-pointer-error
> ("pointer->bytevector" "null pointer dereference" () ())) #<output:
> /tmp/last-installer-error 12>))
> In unknown file:
>  0 (make-stack #t)
> ice-9/eval.scm:159:9: In procedure pointer->bytevector: null pointer
> dereference

Ok, so I suspect that this one is caused by the size of your hard
drive (2TiB). It's an unsolved issue[1] that fell into the cracks.

> error: '/gnu/store/[hash]-grub-efi-2.02/sbin/grub-install --boot-directory
> /mnt/boot --bootloader-id=Guix --efi-directory /mnt/boot/efi' exited with
> status 1; output follows:
>  Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
>  Could not prepare Boot variable: No such file or directory
>  /gnu/store/[hash]-grub-efi-2.02/sbin/grub-install: error: efibootmgr
> failed to register the boot entry: Input/output error.
> guix system: error: failed to install bootloader
> /gnu/store/[hash]-bootloader-installer

Did you mount your EFI partition to "/mnt/boot/efi" before starting the
install?

> If you head back to the graphical install after this, you'll be treated to
> another error when trying to pick your locale/keymap.

Well, the graphical installer does not support very well to be
restarted, especially in 1.0.1 release.

> - I've transcribed the above errors by hand, but since they seem to be
> exporting the output to /tmp, there's got to be a better way. Is it
> possible to email this list from inside the installation image?

That's heroic! If you have another machine around you may use SSH to get
the error file (located in /tmp/last-installer-error). Otherwise you can
take some pictures of your screen and send them as attachment.

Now, if you could try again with:

* The 1.1.0-rc2 release available here[2].

* This custom release[3]: 1.1.0-rc2 + the patch suggested by Danny for
partitions > 1TiB.

that would be really appreciated :)

Thanks,

Mathieu

[1]: https://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/36783
[2]: https://web.fdn.fr/~lcourtes/software/guix/1.1.0rc2/
[3]: Via ipfs: QmbbkQZc7fbsDrutNwVuvpFep3dBjZx6muni3WgXjRneq7