ubiquity crashed with InstallStepError in configure_ma() during fresh install (repeatable)

Binary package hint: ubiquity

(attempting) fresh install of Ubuntu 9.10, the installer crashes every time. Installation is approximately 80% finished when it crashes, I believe it is working on importing data from Windows. End result is inability to install Ubuntu, since the installer offers no option to opt out of importing user data :(

ProblemType: Crash
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Nov 14 20:22:07 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ExecutablePath: /usr/lib/ubiquity/bin/ubiquity
InterpreterPath: /usr/bin/python2.6
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
Package: ubiquity 2.0.8
ProcCmdline: /usr/bin/python /usr/lib/ubiquity/bin/ubiquity gtk_ui
ProcEnviron: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/proc/3403/environ'
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
PythonArgs: ['/usr/lib/ubiquity/bin/ubiquity', 'gtk_ui']
SourcePackage: ubiquity
Title: ubiquity crashed with InstallStepError in configure_ma()
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic i686
UserGroups:

XsessionErrors:
 (gnome-settings-daemon:3226): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (gnome-settings-daemon:3226): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (nautilus:3285): Eel-CRITICAL **: eel_preferences_get_boolean: assertion `preferences_is_initialized ()' failed
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:3321): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed