Grub problem forced re-install, resulting in crash (see http://paste.ubuntu.com/p/RjjrVvBwSs/)

In the reinstall, I selected 'manual' for disk setup, set /dev/sda7 to format as ext4 at /, then selected /dev/sda8 to be set as /home/ with ext4 type. After returning to the partition layout screen I decided I should wipe what is in the /home partition in case something there is causing the grub problem. At the point I clicked on the 'format' check box the system crashed and requested I file a bug report.

No syslog or partman files can be seen in /var/log/installer/

kubuntu@kubuntu:~$ ubuntu-bug ubiquity
kubuntu@kubuntu:~$ lsb_release-rd
lsb_release-rd: command not found
kubuntu@kubuntu:~$ apt-cache policy pkgname
N: Unable to locate package pkgname
kubuntu@kubuntu:~$

I booted from a USB stick written with with the kubuntu 18.4.2 LTS iso downloaded from https://kubuntu.org/getkubuntu and written to USB using ddrescue from the command line.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: ubiquity 18.04.14.12
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-15.16~18.04.1-generic 4.18.20
Uname: Linux 4.18.0-15-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.5
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.394
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Fri Apr 12 01:21:08 2019
InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper maybe-ubiquity quiet splash ---
LiveMediaBuild: Kubuntu 18.04.2 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20190210)
SourcePackage: ubiquity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)