NetBSD Problem Report #58918

From www@netbsd.org  Wed Dec 18 16:43:22 2024
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Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:43:20 +0000 (UTC)
From: ps@softinengines.com
Reply-To: ps@softinengines.com
To: gnats-bugs@NetBSD.org
Subject: Installer disk partitioning problems 
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>Number:         58918
>Category:       install
>Synopsis:       Installer disk partitioning problems
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       medium
>Responsible:    install-manager
>State:          open
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Wed Dec 18 16:45:00 +0000 2024
>Last-Modified:  Wed Dec 18 16:55:01 +0000 2024
>Originator:     Beesdeckar
>Release:        10.0
>Organization:
Soft in Engines
>Environment:
NetBSD bsd.lan 10.0 NetBSD 10.0 (GENERIC) #0: Thu Mar 28 08:33:33 UTC 2024  mkrepro@mkrepro.NetBSD.org:/usr/src/sys/arch/amd64/compile/GENERIC amd64

gtp show output:
       start        size  index  contents
           0           1         PMBR
           1           1         Pri GPT header
           2          32         Pri GPT table
          34       32734      1  GPT part - Windows reserved
                                 Type: windows-reserved
                                 TypeID: e3c9e316-0b5c-4db8-817d-f92df00215ae
                                 GUID: 2a499229-e19c-4a70-a37a-2c642565e856
                                 Size: 16367 K
                                 Label: Microsoft reserved partition
                                 Attributes: None
       32768     1124352      2  GPT part - Windows basic data
                                 Type: windows
                                 TypeID: ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7
                                 GUID: aaf49989-5610-4999-8c3b-7d1b3269840c
                                 Size: 549 M
                                 Label: Basic data partition
                                 Attributes: 
     1157120        2048         Unused
     1159168   409600000      3  GPT part - Windows basic data
                                 Type: windows
                                 TypeID: ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7
                                 GUID: 1e9f7eb3-e46c-49fb-9799-69fd61eab95d
                                 Size: 195 G
                                 Label: 
                                 Attributes: None
   410759168     1679360      4  GPT part - Windows basic data
                                 Type: windows
                                 TypeID: ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7
                                 GUID: 65c0fa4f-0d75-4199-9a36-9578cacf4eb7
                                 Size: 820 M
                                 Label: Basic data partition
                                 Attributes: 
   412438528   819200000      5  GPT part - Windows basic data
                                 Type: windows
                                 TypeID: ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7
                                 GUID: 4d44ebe1-ad8a-4c1f-b499-13a753266c92
                                 Size: 391 G
                                 Label: 
                                 Attributes: None
  1231638528      204800      6  GPT part - EFI System
                                 Type: efi
                                 TypeID: c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b
                                 GUID: 15eb82cc-6249-4213-84a7-bfee09e28667
                                 Size: 100 M
                                 Label: EFI system partition
                                 Attributes: 
  1231843328        2048         Unused
  1231845376   307200000      7  GPT part - NetBSD FFSv1/FFSv2
                                 Type: ffs
                                 TypeID: 49f48d5a-b10e-11dc-b99b-0019d1879648
                                 GUID: 7faf0b4b-bd31-11ef-9bd3-806e6f6e6963
                                 Size: 146 G
                                 Label: 
                                 Attributes: biosboot, bootme
  1539045376        2048         Unused
  1539047424     4096000      8  GPT part - NetBSD swap
                                 Type: swap
                                 TypeID: 49f48d32-b10e-11dc-b99b-0019d1879648
                                 GUID: 7faf0b4c-bd31-11ef-9bd3-806e6f6e6963
                                 Size: 2000 M
                                 Label: 
                                 Attributes: None
  1543143424     6144000      9  GPT part - Windows basic data
                                 Type: windows
                                 TypeID: ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7
                                 GUID: 2257f292-7a8b-4f84-b924-7b58860968ab
                                 Size: 3000 M
                                 Label: Basic data partition
                                 Attributes: None
  1549287424   404237711         Unused
  1953525135          32         Sec GPT table
  1953525167           1         Sec GPT header

>Description:
It took one week to install NetBSD on my machine, fortunately in my free time (not full-time).

It is my developer's machine - ThinkPad T520. I have installed Win10 and Linux on this machine. Essential is only the first harddisk wd0 with Win10 ntfs partition plus another ntfs data partition, efi partition and other.
So maybe reported problems is only relating to UEFI + GPT disks which are partitioned originally by Win10, and after it is installed NetBSD, I am not sure.

NetBSD installer has several bugs relating to partitioning disk and other.
1.
The most serious in my case which was reason it takes maybe 10 unsuccessful attempts to install OS:
Installer sets EFI partition mount point to "NO NAME". It is not valid because of missing "/" on the beginning. Moreover space can make another problems so I suggest to rename it to /NO_NAME or something similar.
Even I setup field mount: No, it still tried to mount it. I had to delete "NO NAME" (with option "-") and after it installer did not mount it and installation really installed NetBSD without errors and it was able to boot. Without this change installation created on target FFSv2 partition only one empty directory named "NO" and once it created empty directory tree (without files, without netbsd kernel in root directory) - of course not able to boot.

2. 
Extended partitioning marked first existing partition on disk like FFSv2. Even I re-setup it like unknown or msdos. It is not true, because this partition is Microsoft MSR partition. Confusing, because when OS is not boot you have susspicion if it is/isn't problem...

3. 
Extended partitioning does not remember some fields. Concrete "newsfs" - I setup it, finish partitioning, answer yes to question about saving and when open again, it is still set to "No".

4.
Inside of extended partitioning Save command not functional, or maybe functional, but on every attempt when I use Save command after finishing partitioning installer put question if I want to save changes. (Yes/No options). So user is confused what is/isn't not functional...

5. 
Not finished or not understandable design - in some steps of installer. For example I did not understand  question: 
"On which disk do you want to configure a prior installation of NetBSD ?"
I don't understand why installer put this question even I don't understand what means if I select first option "current system" (after I installed OS to harddisk then installer put question if I want to configure OS on USB stick - used for installation ?) and fourth option "Preconfigured 'wedges' dk(4)" (menu contains "wd0", so why I need "preconfigured wedges" ? (also not understandable word "wedges", first time I read this word)  

6. 
other 



>How-To-Repeat:
I tried to ask for help in daemonforums.org and there is thread:
https://daemonforums.org/showthread.php?t=12698
with attached pictures.

Anyway I am repeating it - Maybe all these problems are relating to multiboot case - you have originally installed Win10, made some another partitions and install NetBSD on rest of disk.
Maybe none of above problems comes when you use entire disk for NetBSD.

If you want another info, write me please to: ps@softinengines.com
>Fix:
I was not able to install NetBSD without deleting mount point name for EFI partition. (Maybe wit can be mounted with correct mount point name, I did not tried it).

>Audit-Trail:
From: Martin Husemann <martin@duskware.de>
To: gnats-bugs@netbsd.org
Cc: 
Subject: Re: install/58918: Installer disk partitioning problems
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2024 17:53:50 +0100

 Yes, the installer (as-is) does not deal with setup of multiboot machines
 and it can not properly deal with existing EFI partitions unless you scratch
 all partitions and start over with an empty disk.

 This is planned as a future enhancement, but first we need to resolve
 the EFI variable setup which is currently not possible with in-tree
 tools.

 Martin

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