installer's boot-degraded debconf answer not written to installed disk

I did:
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure mdadm

Was asked to boot in degraded mode (the default was 'no'-- will need to verify if I answered yes on install. update-initramfs was run and I rebooted without vdb. It booted in degraded mode. I shutdown and removed vda and added vdb back and booted and was presented with the initramfs telling me the disk could not be found.

/var/log/installer/cdebconf/questions.dat has the following:
Name: mdadm/boot_degraded
Template: mdadm/boot_degraded
Value: true
Owners: mdadm-udeb

Here is a screenshot of the first boot (ie, before running dpkg-reconfigure mdadm) without vda.

Screenshot of the partition before selecting 'Finish'

Screenshot of boot degraded question in the installer.

I should mention that I use raw images and not qcow2.

Ok, I tried this a second time and it is totally reproducible. I will attach tarballs with screenshots clearly demonstrating the problem. Here was the order of operations:
1. install with raid1 (images 462258_[123]*)
2. grab the install logs, shutdown the VM without booting, copy disks to backup
3. remove vda (using 'virsh define 462258_no_vda.xml') and try to boot (image 462258_4*) -- FAIL
4. poweroff VM, remove vdb (using 'virsh define 462258_no_vdb.xml') and try to boot (image 462258_5*) -- works
5. restore disks from backups made in step 2, add both disks back to VM using 'virsh define 462258_both.xml'
6. boot with both disks, and run dpkg-reconfigure mdadm (images 462258_[67]*), then cleanly shutdown -- mdadm MAKEDEV failure
7. remove vda (using 'virsh define 462258_no_vda.xml') and try to boot (image 462258_8*) -- FAIL

I also included the libvirt xml files for the VMs.

Here are the install logs before I booted into the fresh installation.

I do not use preseeding.

I can confirm this as well. /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/mdadm does not match the debconf answer from install.

In libvirt/kvm when booting with only vdb defined, nothing shows up in /proc/partitions, so this seems like a kvm issue. Booting the second drive as vda (without the first drive), it behaves correctly (just like booting the first drive as vda with vdb).

I have reproduced the problem, and concur with Kees' analysis.

:-Dustin

Documented at <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KarmicKoala/ReleaseNotes#Automatic%20boot%20from%20a%20degraded%20RAID%20array%20not%20configured%20upon%20installation>:

The installer option to support "boot from a degraded array" does not properly configure the installed system. To correct this after installation, run {{{dpkg-reconfigure mdadm}}} after installation and select the option again. (Bug:462258)

Colin-

What do you think about publishing an mdadm package to karmic-updates that raises this question to debconf critical, such that an administrator has the opportunity (or, rather is forced?) to actually make this decision and ensure that it gets written to disk?

We could touch a flag to ensure that the question is only posed once.

I recognize this is pretty egregious. But it is a rather unfortunate regression, considering the work that went into this feature.

Hi guys I don't know if i have the same bug but I'm gutted I can't use my system.

Basically I had 9.04 working fine and when karmic was released I invested in a second hard drive thinking i could combine my current 1tb drive and my new 1tb into a raid and do clean install of the new release. i backed up to externals, fitted the new drive and tried the install.

The first time i got an error that the bootloader couldn't install to /target/. so i tried installing again from livecd but first did an aptitude upgrade, which seemed to install a new ubiquity and some other stuff. then i did the install again.

it seemed to work but on reboot i get stuck at initramfs - with an error saying the nvidia mapper path doesn't exist. i have tried several times reinstalling but i can't get past this.

and if it's the same bug i can't run the dpkg-reconfigure mdadm as suggested as this command is not recognised from initramfs... please help.

Please stop messing with the bug state.

what's this won't fix status, does that mean i'm screwed?

Jonah,

The problem you describe is unrelated to this bug report.

This bug was fixed in the package mdadm - 2.6.7.1-1ubuntu14

---------------
mdadm (2.6.7.1-1ubuntu14) lucid; urgency=low

  * Fix boot_degraded handling during installation (LP: #462258):
    - Source /lib/preseed/preseed.sh in check.d/root_on_raid.
    - Change mdadm/boot_degraded default in templates file to match the
      apparently-intended behaviour (i.e. false), and stop overriding
      debconf preseeding if BOOT_DEGRADED is not already set in the
      initramfs configuration file.
 -- Colin Watson <email address hidden> Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:53:53 -0600

well i get installed fine, then reboot and it gets stuck at initramfs and i have this error:

ALERT! /dev/mapper/nvidia_dcfadeef2 does not exist. Dropping to a shell!

is this a current bug or should i report this? please help. thanks

don't change bug status without explanation.