Bug#1102160: upgrade-reports: Bookworm to Trixie [amd64][EFI] initramfs unpacking failed invalid magic at start of compressed archive

[Staš Kotarac Guček]

On Sat, 3 May 2025 19:43:03 +0300 =?UTF-8?Q?Martin=2D=C3=89ric_Racine?= 
<martin-eric.racine at iki.fi> wrote:
 > la 3.5.2025 klo 17.47 Martin-Éric Racine (martin-eric.racine at iki.fi) 
kirjoitti:
 > >
 > > la 3.5.2025 klo 17.41 Julian Andres Klode (jak at debian.org) kirjoitti:
 > > >
 > > > On 3 May 2025 15:03:18 CEST, "Martin-Éric Racine" 
<martin-eric.racine at iki.fi> wrote:
 > > > >la 3.5.2025 klo 14.42 Chris Hofstaedtler (zeha at debian.org) 
kirjoitti:
 > > > >>
 > > > >> Control: tags -1 + moreinfo unreproducible
 > > > >>
 > > > >> On Fri, May 02, 2025 at 08:14:37PM +0300, Martin-Éric Racine 
wrote:
 > > > >> > pe 2.5.2025 klo 19.44 Chris Hofstaedtler (zeha at debian.org) 
kirjoitti:
 > > > >> > >
 > > > >> > > On Sun, Apr 13, 2025 at 10:23:17AM +0300, Martin-Éric 
Racine wrote:
 > > > >> > > > Is there any way I can help the maintainers pinpoint the 
source of the problem?
 > > > >> > >
 > > > >> > > This bug needs two things:
 > > > >> > >
 > > > >> > > 1) A full reproducer step list, starting from "I have 
nothing but an empty
 > > > >> > > amd64 VM".
 > > > >> >
 > > > >> > There isn't much to reproduce:
 > > > >> > 1) Start with a fully functional host running Bookworm with 
GRUB-EFI
 > > > >> > on a brtfs filesystem created using d-i/Bookworm's default 
@rootfs
 > > > >> > subvolume name.
 > > > >> > 2) Change APT sources from Bookworm to Trixie.
 > > > >> > 3) Dist-upgrade.
 > > > >> > 4) Reboot.
 > > > >> > 5) Find the above kernel panic.
 > > > >> > 6) Using Bookworm d-i's rescue mode via EFI, APT pin and 
downgrade
 > > > >> > grub* to Bookworm. All other packages remain at Trixie versions.
 > > > >> > 7) Reboot.
 > > > >> > 8) The host boots normally.
 > > > >>
 > > > >> I've followed these steps today, and cannot reproduce the problem.
 > > > >> The upgraded VM boots successfully.
 > > > >
 > > > >I beleive you. Again, googling this exact error mostly pulls up
 > > > >reports of this failing on ASUS motherboards of various models.
 > > > >
 > > >
 > > > Unfortunately some firmware is just broken and there isn't much 
that can be done about that.
 > >
 > > Sorry, but that's a really pitiful excuse for breaking something that
 > > worked fine until now.
 > >
 > > > As we're moving towards more upstream solutions that use more 
parts of the firmware, such as EFI LoadFile2 protocols for loading the 
initrd, more hardware will break.
 > >
 > > I cannot help but wonder what is the point of breaking something as
 > > fundamental as a bootloader, even just for the sake of adopting new
 > > ways of doing things. It can only result in fewer and fewer people
 > > using Debian.
 >
 > Check this post out:
 >
 > 
https://forum.level1techs.com/t/ubuntu-upgrade-bricked-os-initramfs-unpacking-failed-invalid-magic-at-start-of-compressed-archive/215981
 >
 > It's on Ubuntu, but the error is similar. Key point: something among
 > the boot messages (see screenshot there) suggests that either GRUB or
 > Linux don't know how to boot off a btrfs partition anymore. Sure

 > enough, someone in the thread says that once they made a fresh install

Hello,

I am running two very similiar pre-upgrade setups to Martin-Éric 
(Bookworm, btrfs install via Debian Installer with @rootfs) but on 
vastly different platforms - an Asus Ryzen B550 and a Lenovo 11th Gen 
Tiger Lake-LP laptop. I also have Asrock Ryzen B450 and B550 machines 
standing by for additional testings if applicable. For at least one of 
these I was planning a fresh Trixie btrfs install once it is out.

Seems to me this bug is for now limited to Asus boards (so far I saw 
Asus H61 and Z68 chipsets mentioned in the forum links you provided) 
with Sandy bridge CPUs and btrfs. Anyway, my question for you 
Martin-Éric, since I got a bit lost in your replies with mantainers, how 
would I try to verify if my machines will survive the Trixie upgrade or 
not (without actually fully upgrading for now)?

If I gather you correctly, if "Debian GNU/Linux 13 (trixie) amd64 - 
netboot mini.iso 20241227" boots in UEFI mode, the system will also 
probably boot after upgrade to Trixie?

BTW I feel your frustration, considering all the architectures Debian 
supports, that your somewhat-aged but pretty mainstream system is now 
(hopefully just temporarily) not supported.

Regards,

Staš

P.S. We still had some retired Sandy/Ivy Bridge H61/H67 workstations 
(mostly Gigabyte boards though) lying around a couple weeks ago, but we 
donated them to charity, shame as they could have come handy now.