bug#55549: Parted 3.5 update breaks installer tests

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hi!

Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org> skribis:

> The ‘gui-installed-os’ broke:
>
>   
> https://ci.guix.gnu.org/search?query=gui-installed-os%20system:x86_64-linux&border-high-id=803430
>
> … between:
>
>   https://ci.guix.gnu.org/eval/304279 (commit 
> 1ebc27475cc310d6f9dd154b6b6893918f604c09)
>   and
>   https://ci.guix.gnu.org/eval/313358 (commit 
> a1cb645d83d085382eaf64f4c097642aa47c297a)
>
> The symptoms are:
>
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost installer[230]: guix system: error: 
> '/gnu/store/vcljh4z0zkwplsx3b131vzc894rb3vll-grub-2.06/sbin/grub-install 
> --no-floppy --target=i386-pc --boot-directory /mnt/boot /dev/vda' exited with 
> status 1; output follows:
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost installer[230]:  
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost installer[230]:   Installing for i386-pc platform. 
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost installer[230]:   
> /gnu/store/vcljh4z0zkwplsx3b131vzc894rb3vll-grub-2.06/sbin/grub-install: 
> warning: this GPT partition label contains no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding 
> won't be possible. 
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost installer[230]:   
> /gnu/store/vcljh4z0zkwplsx3b131vzc894rb3vll-grub-2.06/sbin/grub-install: 
> warning: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be installed in this setup 
> by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is 
> discouraged.. 
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost installer[230]:   
> /gnu/store/vcljh4z0zkwplsx3b131vzc894rb3vll-grub-2.06/sbin/grub-install: 
> error: will not proceed with blocklists. 
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost installer[230]:  
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost installer[230]: command ("guix" "system" "init" 
> "--fallback" "--no-grafts" "--no-substitutes" "/mnt/etc/config.scm" "/mnt") 
> exited with value 1 
> conversation expecting pattern ((quote installation-complete))
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost shepherd[1]: Service guix-daemon has been stopped. 
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost shepherd[1]: Service guix-daemon has been started. 
> May 12 16:57:17 localhost installer[196]: unmounting "/mnt/" 
> /gnu/store/vfizn85zmzfs4k8wd1mviwrhjqc5zmac-shepherd-marionette.scm:1:1718: 
> ERROR:
>   1. &pattern-not-matched:
>       pattern: ((quote installation-complete))
>       sexp: (installation-failure)

Commit 81f7bb1691dc9dc69fc6e584ad8c6e36e495c103 works around it
“locally”.  It’s good enough for now, but we should eventually address
the root cause.

Mathieu, I’m guessing the cause of the problem, when using Parted 4.5,
is that the installer partitions disks somewhat incorrectly, as reported
by ‘grub-install’.  I wonder if it might be due to an API or ABI change
that goes unnoticed in Guile-Parted because it uses the FFI.

Thoughts?

Ludo’.