Bug#379733: 'default saved' does not use the number set with grub-set-default

Tue Jul 25 09:24:35 UTC 2006

Package: grub
Version: 0.97-12
Severity: important

I'm not able to change default menu entry with the help of
'grub-set-default N' command. It creates/updates /boot/grub/default
file, but grub seems to ignore it, and use item #0 (the one saved with
'savedefault' during previous boot) instead. This makes grub-set-default
unusable for setting up fail-safe booting.

See below the output of related commands.

se:~# grub-set-default 1

se:~# cat /boot/grub/default
1
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
# WARNING: If you want to edit this file directly, do not remove any line
# from this file, including this warning. Using `grub-set-default\' is
# strongly recommended.

se:~# cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.           
default		saved

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		3

# Pretty colours
color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title		Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root		(hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader	+1
#
# title		Linux
# root		(hd0,1)
# kernel	/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hda2 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,1)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=vga=773

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
##      lockold=true
# lockold=false

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(single-user) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.16-2-686-smp
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.16-2-686-smp root=/dev/hda2 ro vga=773
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.16-2-686-smp
savedefault
boot

title		Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.16-2-686-smp (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.16-2-686-smp root=/dev/hda2 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.16-2-686-smp
savedefault
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title		Other operating systems:
root

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hda1
title		Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
root		(hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader	+1
total 196

se:~# ls -l /boot/grub
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root    191 2006-07-25 12:51 default
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root     15 2005-10-21 22:09 device.map
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   7776 2005-10-21 22:09 e2fs_stage1_5
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   7504 2005-10-21 22:09 fat_stage1_5
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   8320 2005-10-21 22:09 jfs_stage1_5
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   3888 2006-07-25 12:35 menu.lst
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   4279 2006-07-25 12:35 menu.lst~
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   7008 2005-10-21 22:09 minix_stage1_5
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   9216 2005-10-21 22:09 reiserfs_stage1_5
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root    512 2005-10-21 22:09 stage1
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 108168 2005-10-21 22:09 stage2
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   9288 2005-10-21 22:09 xfs_stage1_5

-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell:  /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.16-2-686-smp
Locale: LANG=en_US, LC_CTYPE=en_US (charmap=ISO-8859-1)

Versions of packages grub depends on:
ii  libc6                         2.3.6-15   GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libncurses5                   5.5-2      Shared libraries for terminal hand

grub recommends no packages.

-- debconf-show failed