Installation of 12.04 fails - "unrecoverable error"

[paranat]

I am trying to do a clean install of Ubuntu 12.04 from a self-burned DVD. I have tried it now several times, and each time after the user name / password dialog the following message appears:

Installation failed

The installer encountered an unrecoverable error. A desktop session will now be run so that you may investigate the problem or try installing again.

I have no idea what the problem might be. Do you have any suggestions?

I chose the right version of the image file, the DVD burn is uncorrupted... To me it should be fine.

[kc1di]

I am trying to do a clean install of Ubuntu 12.04 from a self-burned DVD. I have tried it now several times, and each time after the user name / password dialog the following message appears:

I have no idea what the problem might be. Do you have any suggestions?

I chose the right version of the image file, the DVD burn is uncorrupted... To me it should be fine.

Will that machine boot to the live session? or are you trying to install without going to the live session. I know there was a bug that prevented some machines from doing the install if it was not installed from the live session, If it will not boot to live session then there be other problems.

[paranat]

Will that machine boot to the live session? or are you trying to install without going to the live session

It boots to the live session without problems. (I wrote my first message running on the live session.) I have tried installing both through the live session and without.

[dino99]

you might then try with bootoption

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

[nicks27]

I'm having the same issue installing on two (relatively old) separate machines (see below). I'm installing the Xubuntu12.04 LTS desktop 32-bit edition, md5 checksum correct and CD verified after the burn.

1) An Athlon 850Mhz with 512MB RAM (clean install, was previously running 10.04, not dual boot)

• install (not from the live session) failed with the "unrecoverable error" message.
• boots into a live session ok (but I've yet to try a reinstall from there)

2) An Athlon XP 3200+ with 1GB RAM (clean install, was previously running 11.10, dual boot with Win7)

• install (not from the live session) failed with the "unrecoverable error" message.
• boots into a live session ok, an install from there eventually gives an empty desktop with the hourglass mousepointer, a reboot went straight into Windows7 (no GRUB menu), I'm now trying another install from the live session and I'll leave the hourglass ticking over for a while...

If it helps here's the tail from my /var/log/syslog on the second machine:

Apr 27 13:40:05 xubuntu 50mounted-tests: debug: running subtest /usr/lib/os-probes/mounted/83haiku
Apr 27 13:40:05 xubuntu 83haiku: debug: /dev/sdb6 is not a BeFS partition: exiting
Apr 27 13:40:05 xubuntu 50mounted-tests: debug: running subtest /usr/lib/os-probes/mounted/90bsd-distro
Apr 27 13:40:05 xubuntu 50mounted-tests: debug: running subtest /usr/lib/os-probes/mounted/90linux-distro
Apr 27 13:40:05 xubuntu 50mounted-tests: debug: running subtest /usr/lib/os-probes/mounted/90solaris
Apr 27 13:40:06 xubuntu migration-assistant: info: setting ostype from: '/dev/sda1:Windows 7 (loader):Windows:chain'
Apr 27 13:40:06 xubuntu migration-assistant: info: got ostype of: 'windowsxp', mountpoint is: '/mnt/migrationassistant'
Error: Could not find the path /target/WINDOWS/system32/config/software
Error: Could not find the path /target/WINNT/system32/config/software
Fatal: Could not find the SOFTWARE registry hive at /target/WINNT/system32/config/software.
Apr 27 13:40:06 xubuntu ubiquity[3952]: migration-assistant: filtering out Windows 7 (loader) (/dev/sda1) as it has no users
Apr 27 13:40:06 xubuntu ubiquity[3952]: debconffilter_done: ubi-migrationassistant (current: ubi-migrationassistant)
Apr 27 13:40:06 xubuntu ubiquity[3952]: Step_before = stepUserInfo
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py: Exception during installation:
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py: Traceback (most recent call last):
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:   File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 689, in <module>
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:     install.run()
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:   File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 129, in run
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:     self.copy_all()
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:   File "/usr/share/ubiquity/install.py", line 465, in copy_all
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:     self.db.progress('SET', 10 + copy_progress)
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:   File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/debconf.py", line 60, in <lambda>
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:     lambda *args, **kw: self.command(command, *args, **kw))
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:   File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/debconf.py", line 65, in command
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py:     self.write.flush()
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py: IOError: [Errno 32] Broken pipe
Apr 27 13:43:15 xubuntu install.py: 
Apr 27 13:50:31 xubuntu kernel: [ 1128.666340] [drm] nouveau 0000:03:00.0: Setting dpms mode 1 on tmds encoder (output 1)
Apr 27 13:50:56 xubuntu kernel: [ 1153.939066] [drm] nouveau 0000:03:00.0: Setting dpms mode 0 on tmds encoder (output 1)

[8Kuula]

Alternate installation worked on Amilo K 7600 laptop.

[dreltuc]

I am having the same problem trying to install 12.04 from the desktop image downloaded on 4-26-12 to a CD. The live session appears to work but install fails.
I get the "unrecoverable error" if I attempt to install without the live session.
If I try to install from the live session the process hangs with the mouse pointer showing the little circle with rotating dots.
My system is a very basic MSI KM4M mother board with AMD processor and 1.5G ram.
I have independently successfully installed Xubuntu 10.04, Kubuntu 12.04, and ubuntu 11.04 on this system during the past few days.
I hope this help give someone an idea on how to resolve this issue. I really would like to get 12.04 going on my system.
Thank you
don

[nicks27]

Machine 2 from my post above also failed with:

• a fresh install of 11.10 followed by an upgrade to 12.04 in a live session from the cd
• a fresh install of 12.04 from a live session from bootable USB

On machine 1 I've done a fresh install of 10.04 followed by system updates... when they are complete I'll try an upgrade to 12.04 over the web through update manager.

Machine 1 (the 850MHz Athlon with 512MB RAM) has an ATI Rage 128 graphics card.
Machine 2 (the Athlon XP 3200+ with 1GB RAM) has an NVidia GeForce FX 5200 graphics card.

[dreltuc]

I wanted to pass along that I was also successful with the 12.04 alternate installation
(thank you '8Kuula' for the suggestion).
The "alternate" installation seems to be working well for me.
I hope this somehow is resolved before too many users get discouraged trying to install 12.04

[paranat]

Alternative installation worked for me also. Thank you.