Debian 12 installation failure: grub-install dummy fatal error

[Mateo7094]

Hello folks, new user to the forums but seasoned user of Debian.

There seem to be hundreds of posts like this with similar issues but I've tried the various solutions and not getting far. I am trying to install Debian 12 on a Dell Poweredge R730xd. The disk I'm installing to is a RAID1 drive that's controlled by the onboard perc H730 mini. This is not a software RAID drive. The system is set to UEFI boot mode. There are only 4 entries in the EFI boot menu. Secure boot is OFF.

The installation fails out with:

Code: Select all

Executing 'grub-install dummy' failed.
This is a fatal error.

Digging into the console/syslog messages it has:

Code: Select all

Feb 24 20:03:57 in-target: (Reading database ... 100%(Reading database ... 150722 files and directories currently installed.)
Feb 24 20:03:57 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../0-efibootmgr_17-2_amd64.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:57 in-target: Unpacking efibootmgr (17-2) ...
Feb 24 20:03:57 in-target: Selecting previously unselected package grub2-common.
Feb 24 20:03:57 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../1-grub2-common_2.06-13+deb12u1_amd64.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:57 in-target: Unpacking grub2-common (2.06-13+deb12u1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:57 in-target: Selecting previously unselected package grub-efi-amd64-bin.
Feb 24 20:03:57 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../2-grub-efi-amd64-bin_2.06-13+deb12u1_amd64.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:57 in-target: Unpacking grub-efi-amd64-bin (2.06-13+deb12u1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Selecting previously unselected package grub-efi-amd64.
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../3-grub-efi-amd64_2.06-13+deb12u1_amd64.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Unpacking grub-efi-amd64 (2.06-13+deb12u1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Selecting previously unselected package grub-efi-amd64-signed.
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../4-grub-efi-amd64-signed_1+2.06+13+deb12u1_amd64.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Unpacking grub-efi-amd64-signed (1+2.06+13+deb12u1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Selecting previously unselected package mokutil.
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../5-mokutil_0.6.0-2_amd64.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Unpacking mokutil (0.6.0-2) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Selecting previously unselected package shim-unsigned.
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../6-shim-unsigned_15.7-1_amd64.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Unpacking shim-unsigned (15.7-1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Selecting previously unselected package shim-helpers-amd64-signed.
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../7-shim-helpers-amd64-signed_1+15.7+1_amd64.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Unpacking shim-helpers-amd64-signed (1+15.7+1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Selecting previously unselected package shim-signed-common.
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../8-shim-signed-common_1.39+15.7-1_all.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Unpacking shim-signed-common (1.39+15.7-1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Selecting previously unselected package shim-signed:amd64.
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Preparing to unpack .../9-shim-signed_1.39+15.7-1_amd64.deb ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Unpacking shim-signed:amd64 (1.39+15.7-1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Setting up efibootmgr (17-2) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Setting up mokutil (0.6.0-2) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Setting up grub-efi-amd64-signed (1+2.06+13+deb12u1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Setting up grub2-common (2.06-13+deb12u1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Setting up shim-signed-common (1.39+15.7-1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: No DKMS packages installed: not changing Secure Boot validation state.
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Setting up grub-efi-amd64-bin (2.06-13+deb12u1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Setting up shim-unsigned (15.7-1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:58 in-target: Setting up grub-efi-amd64 (2.06-13+deb12u1) ...
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target:
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: Creating config file /etc/default/grub with new version
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: grub-install: warning: Cannot set EFI variable Boot0005.
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: grub-install: warning: efivarfs_set_variable: writing to fd 7 failed: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: grub-install: warning:
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: _efi_set_variable_mode: ops->set_variable() failed: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: grub-install: error: failed to register the EFI boot entry: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: Failed: grub-install --target=x86_64-efi
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: WARNING: Bootloader is not properly installed, system may not be bootable
Feb 24 20:03:59 in-target: Setting up shim-helpers-amd64-signed (1+15.7+1) ...
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: grub-install: warning: Cannot set EFI variable Boot0005.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: grub-install: warning: efivarfs_set_variable: writing to fd 7 failed: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: grub-install: warning:
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target:  _efi_set_variable_mode: ops->set_variable() failed: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: grub-install: error: failed to register the EFI boot entry: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: Failed: grub-install --target=x86_64-efi
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: WARNING: Bootloader is not properly installed, system may not be bootable
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: Setting up shim-signed:amd64 (1.39+15.7-1) ...
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: grub-install: warning: Cannot set EFI variable Boot0005.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: grub-install: warning: efivarfs_set_variable: writing to fd 7 failed: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: grub-install: warning: _efi_set_variable_mode: ops->set_variable() failed: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: grub-install: error: failed to register the EFI boot entry: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: Failed: grub-install --target=x86_64-efi
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: WARNING: Bootloader is not properly installed, system may not be bootable
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: No DKMS packages installed: not changing Secure Boot validation state.
Feb 24 20:04:00 in-target: Processing triggers for man-db (2.11.2-2) ...
Feb 24 20:04:01 grub-installer: info: Additionally installing shim-signed to go with grub-efi-amd64
Feb 24 20:04:01 /bin/in-target: warning: /target/etc/mtab won't be updated since it is a symlink.
Feb 24 20:04:01 in-target: Reading package lists...
Feb 24 20:04:01 in-target:
Feb 24 20:04:01 in-target: Building dependency tree...
Feb 24 20:04:02 in-target:
Feb 24 20:04:02 in-target: Reading state information...
Feb 24 20:04:02 in-target:
Feb 24 20:04:02 in-target: shim-signed is already the newest version (1.39+15.7-1).
Feb 24 20:04:02 in-target: shim-signed set to manually installed.
Feb 24 20:04:02 in-target: 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Feb 24 20:04:02 grub-installer: info: Installing grub on 'dummy'
Feb 24 20:04:02 grub-installer: info: grub-install does not support --no-floppy
Feb 24 20:04:02 grub-installer: info: Running chroot /target grub-install  --force "dummy"
Feb 24 20:04:02 grub-installer: Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
Feb 24 20:04:02 grub-installer: grub-install: warning: Cannot set EFI variable Boot0005.
Feb 24 20:04:02 grub-installer: grub-install: warning: efivarfs_set_variable: writing to fd 10 failed: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:04:02 grub-installer: grub-install: warning: _efi_set_variable_mode: ops->set_variable() failed: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:04:02 grub-installer: grub-install: error: failed to register the EFI boot entry: No space left on device.
Feb 24 20:04:02 grub-installer: error: Running 'grub-install  --force "dummy"' failed.

Looking around the internet, people have solved this by removing 'dump' entries in the /sys/firmware/efi/vars/ directory (I have no dump- files) or trying to make the ESP partition larger (that didn't work for me), or by chrooting into the installed system from a rescue/live boot and re-installing GRUB and grub-efi-amd64-signed. But when I try to mount an efivars mount it tells me unknown filesystem type. If I try to modprobe efivars I get

Code: Select all

Module efivars not found in directory /lib/modules/6.1.10-18-amd64

examples of this fix method:
https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... -motherboa
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1028703 ... all-target

What is the 'device' that is full? There are only 4 boot entries in the EFI boot menu. I'm really at a loss as to how to fix this. Any ideas welcome, thank you!
-Matt

EDIT 1: So I tried the cited fixes during the installation instead of rebooting into rescue. In that case, efivars module is loaded. when I ran grub-install I got a warning:

Code: Select all

warning: EFI variables are not supported on this system..

After that I followed the fix above from AskUbuntu and did

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install --reinstall grub-efi-amd64-signed
sudo grub-install --no-nvram 

What's interesting is that going back to the BIOS boot menu, and choosing boot from file, I was able to navigate to the grubx64.xpi file and boot into Debian properly. I can create a boot entry for it in the BIOS with 'Add Boot Option'. Is this basically what the installer would be doing with its attempt to write to nvram?

EDIT 2:fixed tags. thanks @sunrat !

[sunrat]

Please use code tags for terminal text, not preformatted text.

[pbear]

[Answer withdrawn. On further consideration, not a productive line of inquiry. Good luck.]

[Mateo7094]

heh thanks @pbear no problem. I'm going to chalk this up to weird interactions between this Dell EFI firmware and the efi boot variables universe. I was able to get a working bootable system going fine but I was obsessing with it not being able to properly report EFI info and wasted a lot of time on it
Interestingly, I get the same error of 'file system full' when fully booted into a running system and using the efibootmgr command to delete entries from the hardware's boot list. One command succeeded but when I tried to delete a second entry, I got the 'file system full' error.
Dell is known to add proprietary firmware bits in their systems so knows it could be some odd interaction there. I think best to play with boot entries from the BIOS on systems like this.