Regression: usb-creator-gtk fails to set the boot flag on the partition and exits.

I´ve assigned this bug ti the usb-creator package.

Thank You for making Ubuntu better.

I can confirm this bug.
The exact error is "Failed to install the bootloader." (window title : "Installation failed"). It occurs about 2 seconds after the beginning of the process at 0%.

I also face this bug. In simple words usb-creator dont work.

When usb-creator runs it seems to mount the target partition right away.

When it tries to run /sbin/parted--that program appears to return a non-zero return code. It is attempting to set the boot flag for the target partition.

When I run /sbin/parted manually with the same parameters I seem to get an return code of 1 and I get the
following message:

WARNING: the kernel failed to re-read the partition table on /dev/sdb
(Device or resource busy). As a result, it may not reflect all of your changes
until after reboot.

(package parted file libparted/arch/linux.c)

Unmounting the target partition and running parted allows parted to run without the warning. This is from GNU parted 2.1.

I tried this on a karmic partition using parted 1.8.8.1.159-1e0e and, with the partition mounted, it doesn't produce this
message (or the problem when running usb-creator).

I suspect that this is what has changed. Perhaps unmounting the target partition for the length of the parted command would suffice.

Thanks John (#5) !! I installed parted from karmic and it works as a temporary workaround.

Cedric

My installed version is 0.2.17 and mine is still giving the "Failed to install the bootloader" error.
Ubuntu Lucid Lynx

I've uploaded a workaround for this as usb-creator-common 0.2.18. It should be hitting the archive shortly.

The change log suggests
"Provide a quick workaround for LP 529366 while a better fix is prepared. Ignore errors on setting the boot flag for the target partition." so marked fixed as it works for the user

Reopening. I'd like to fix this by unmounting all of the partitions before installing the bootloader.

Do note the original bug occurred as a result of parted 2.1 landing.

this is so easily fixed...

i hope it works properly in lucid

Same error here on Kubuntu Licud beta 2 with usb-creator-kde

here's the console output:

$ usb-creator-kde -i ~/Torrents/kubuntu-10.04-beta2-desktop-amd64.iso -n
QInotifyFileSystemWatcherEngine::addPaths: inotify_add_watch failed: No such file or directory
QFileSystemWatcher: failed to add paths: /home/lothar/.config/ibus/bus
Bus::open: Can not get ibus-daemon's address.
IBusInputContext::createInputContext: no connection to ibus-daemon

$ usb-creator-kde -v
Qt: 4.6.2
KDE Development Platform: 4.4.2 (KDE 4.4.2)
Startup Disk Creator: 0.2.21

Lothat, Can you attach ~/.usbcreator.log with the failed install of bootloader? (Hint: remove the old .usbcreator.log first then start the process and send attach the newly created file after it fails).

Of course I meant Lothar :)

In Lucid (all updated as of April 14) I was having the same "Cannot install bootloader" stuff (only in portuguese, but it meant the same).
Solution?
sudo apt-get install parted

Kind of dumb this dependency inconsistency, isn't it?

Here is the requested .usbcreator.log file.

This is no longer an issue given the BLKPG changes in parted 2.1. If you're getting an error in usb-creator, please file a new bug.

I've fixed the missing dependency raised in comment 16, although it may not really have been the cause of the original bug report.

I'm using 0.2.22 and I still get the "Failed to install bootloader" message.

usb-creator 2010-05-01 18:11:17,338 (DEBUG) install.py:72: install thread source: /tmp/tmpK3SafI
usb-creator 2010-05-01 18:11:17,338 (DEBUG) install.py:73: install thread target: /media/704F-FF0E
usb-creator 2010-05-01 18:11:17,338 (DEBUG) install.py:74: install thread persistence: 0
usb-creator 2010-05-01 18:11:17,342 (DEBUG) install.py:176: remove_extras
usb-creator 2010-05-01 18:11:17,343 (DEBUG) install.py:153: initialize_progress_thread
usb-creator 2010-05-01 18:11:17,346 (DEBUG) install.py:189: install_bootloader
usb-creator 2010-05-01 18:11:18,158 (CRITICAL) install.py:92: Failed to install the bootloader.
usb-creator 2010-05-01 18:11:18,183 (ERROR) frontend.py:669: Installation failed.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/usbcreator/install.py", line 212, in install_bootloader
    timeout=MAX_DBUS_TIMEOUT)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/dbus/proxies.py", line 68, in __call__
    return self._proxy_method(*args, **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/dbus/proxies.py", line 140, in __call__
    **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/dbus/connection.py", line 620, in call_blocking
    message, timeout)
DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownMethod: Method "Get" with signature "vs" on interface "org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties" doesn't exist

i've met the same problem with lucid, and it's solved after parted 2.2 installed.

i'm kinda a noob but parted 2.2 is installed on my 10.04 netbook edition and i still get the error using a 2GB stick with a fresh format and fresh iso directly from ubuntu. i don't think this bug is fixed.

got the same problem with my netbook,

usb-creator-gtk --version
0.2.22

parted --version
parted (GNU parted) 2.2

I have the same issue with usb-creator-gtk

usb-creator-gtk
0.2.22

parted --version
parted (GNU parted) 2.2

Thanks for taking a look ... I will admit it could be an RTFM issue, and I tried, just no joy.

Tried it again... And it worked.

Differences:
  Rather than working from a downloaded 10.04LTS image, I tried it from a CD as the source.
  Rather than starting usb-creator-gtk from the System menu, I started it from a command line window.
  Had some space committed to a 'file system' area, rather than letting the entire 4G USB key be the drive.
     (allocated 2G to data, remaining (about 2.3G) went to the install.

Yes, changing multiple things at once doesn't allow for much real analysis, but I thought I would report it.
  Still seems odd.

Thanks ...

I am trying to run usb-creator-gtk to create either a Maverick 32bit or Karmic 32bit LIVE CD on my USB Flash Drive or Hard Drive but when usb-creator-gtk FINISHES it says "Failed to install the bootloader". I find all the files placed on my USB but when I try to boot it says there is no bootloader found.

I have tried usb-creator-gtk with BOTH reserving extra space option and discarding extra space option
I have tried usb-creator-gtk -n & usb-creator-gtk -s
It is still not working.

Below is my info:

phillipguy@phillipguy-laptop:~$ uname --all
Linux phillipguy-laptop 2.6.35-22-generic #35-Ubuntu SMP Sat Oct 16 20:45:36 UTC 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux
phillipguy@phillipguy-laptop:~$ usb-creator-gtk --version
0.2.23
phillipguy@phillipguy-laptop:~$ parted --version
parted (GNU parted) 2.3
Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Written by <http://git.debian.org/?p=parted/parted.git;a=blob_plain;f=AUTHORS>.
phillipguy@phillipguy-laptop:~$

@Urock: Please open a new bug by running from terminal "ubuntu-bug usb-creator". Thanks in advance!

@papukaija: Okay I just did. Bug#722019

Same problem here under 10.04.3
Solved by creating a new fat32 partition using fdisk then running usb-creator-gtk through alt+f2.
After that, from usb-creator-gtk, erased the usb-stick which created a new partition on the stick and everything went okay from there.

Thanks, Thiago. That helped. Wrote a new partition table to the USB drive, created a FAT32 partition, used sudo usb-creator-gtk --iso=ubuntuxxx.iso, told it to erase drive, than it worked.
Can't believe usb-creator is still full of problems.
Using 11.10 64 bits here, fully updated.

As I wrote in bug #722019:

I had the problem and my workaround was to run usb-creator-gtk as a regular user (i.e.: not as root) and also by slowly take my time to enter my password when usb-creator-gtk is trying to install the bootloader.

My best guess as the why: I believe the partition table is set to be re-read just before installing the bootloader and since a USB device can sometimes take a while to disappear/reappear the application is just trying too fast to install the bootloader.

There could be something also with the FTL layer being busy as hell with the copying/unmount/sync that just happened. (FTL being an important component in the USB key's firmware)

Ubuntu 10.04 won't be getting this fix as it's desktop support already expired and the rest goes at the end of this month.