Package: grub-pc
Version: 2.06-13+deb12u1 (I do not know if this is the exact version used in
the minimal install)
Operating System: Debian 12 (Bookworm)
Hardware: Dell PowerEdge 2950 with PERC 6/i RAID controller
RAID Configuration: RAID 5 with 6 x 2TB SAS drives
________________________________
Description of the Problem
I am encountering a consistent issue where GRUB fails to boot into Debian after
performing a minimal installation of Debian 12 on a Dell PowerEdge 2950 server
with a RAID 5 configuration. The same server and RAID setup worked without
issue on Debian 11, Debian 10, and CentOS, suggesting that this problem may be
tied to changes in GRUB or the minimal installation path in recent Debian
releases.
When performing a fresh minimal installation of Debian 12, the installation
completes successfully, but the server fails to boot after rebooting,
presenting the following error:
GRUB Loading.
Welcome to GRUB!
error: attempt to read or write outside of 'hd0'.
grub rescue>
Reinstalling Debian 12 using the XFCE desktop environment option resolves the
issue, and the server boots successfully. This suggests a missing dependency,
module, or configuration step in the minimal installation process that is
addressed when XFCE is selected.
________________________________
Steps to Reproduce
1. Install Debian 12 (Bookworm) on a Dell PowerEdge 2950 server with the
following configuration:
* PERC 6/i RAID controller configured as RAID 5 with six 2TB SAS drives.
* Partitioning set to use the entire disk with default options.
* Choose the minimal installation option during the installer.
2. Complete the installation process.
3. Reboot the server.
________________________________
Expected Behavior
* GRUB should load properly, and the server should boot into the Debian
operating system.
________________________________
Actual Behavior
*
GRUB fails to boot, displaying the error message:
GRUB Loading.
Welcome to GRUB!
error: attempt to read or write outside of 'hd0'.
grub rescue>
*
Running ls in the GRUB rescue shell outputs:
grub rescue> ls
(hd0) (hd0,gpt3) (hd0,gpt2) (hd0,gpt1)
* Only (hd0,gpt2) contains the /boot directory and shows a valid
filesystem.
* (hd0,gpt1) and (hd0,gpt3) return "unknown filesystem."
*
Attempting to set the root and prefix in GRUB rescue mode (set root=(hd0,gpt2)
and set prefix=(hd0,gpt2)/boot/grub) does not resolve the issue. Commands like
insmod normal or insmod ext2 also fail with the same error.
________________________________
Workaround
Reinstalling Debian 12 with the XFCE desktop environment option allows the
system to boot correctly. This suggests that the XFCE installation process
includes missing dependencies or configuration steps not present in the minimal
install.
________________________________
Additional Information
*
Logs:
* The GRUB error is consistent across multiple Dell machines that have
PERC present. The error has not presented on minimal installations on systems
using standard PC boxes with no RAID subsystem.
* GRUB configuration from /boot/grub and /etc/default/grub appears
standard when inspected in a working XFCE installation.
*
Hardware Details:
* Dell PowerEdge 2950 with PERC 6/i RAID controller (RAID 5 with 6 x 2TB
SAS drives)
*
Dell PowerEdge 2950 with PERC 5/i RAID controller (RAID 5 with 6 x 2TB SAS
drives)
*
Dell PowerEdge 2900 with PERC 5/i RAID controller (RAID 10 with 8 x 2TB SAS
drives)
* Dell PowerEdge 2950 with PERC 6/i RAID controller (RAID 10 with 8 x
600GB SAS drives)
*
GRUB Behavior:
* GRUB seems to successfully install during the minimal installation,
but fails to locate or load necessary modules at boot.
*
Historical Context:
*
On the last server minimal install, I tried a minimal install using Debian 11
and then a minimal install of Debian 10 as well and the same GRUB error was
exhibited. I have not tried uninstalling XFCE to see if any boxes become
unbootable as these are production servers.
________________________________
Request
This issue seems to be tied to the minimal installation path in Debian 12 and
earlier versions. I suspect there is a missing dependency, configuration step,
or GRUB module that is included when XFCE is selected but omitted in the
minimal installation.
* Please investigate this issue to identify the missing dependency or
misconfiguration.
* If additional information (e.g., logs, configuration files, or specific
tests) is required, I am happy to provide it.
________________________________
Thank You
Thank you for maintaining and improving Debian. I hope this report helps
address what seems to be a long-standing issue with GRUB in minimal
installations on certain hardware configurations.
________________________________
Contact Information
Charles Oropallo
char...@charlesworks.com
+1 603-924-9867
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