Bug#423217: grub-pc: Should not set itself up completely automatically on installation

[Otavio Salvador]

Robert Millan <rmh at aybabtu.com> writes:

> On Thu, May 10, 2007 at 08:57:14PM +0200, Frans Pop wrote:
>> > > This is only valid for updates, not for new installs.
>> 
>> So, you would only have to do this _on upgrades_ of grub-pc, not for new 
>> installs. This can be tested separately. Still no need to run anything 
>> for new installs.
>
> We could test if we're upgrading grub-pc, or if we're installing new grub-pc
> but grub was present before (that one is trickier, any ideas?).  It would also
> be helpful for us to distinguish between the two.

Maybe grub-probe might be extended to detect if there's any version
already installed on MBR and report the GRUB version? That might be
useful for upgrades and our bug reporting script too.

> Or alternatively, we could set grub-installer to export some variable to
> indicate its presence.  How does that sound?
>
>> > We, at least for now, won't install grub2 but make it chainloadable
>> > using grub and then user can test it and see if he can upgrade or not.
>> 
>> Sure, but that is only in the short term. In the medium term I think you 
>> should probably offer the choice using a debconf question: install new 
>> grub into MBR or add menu option in current menu.lst to chainload from 
>> current grub.
>> And IMO you still need debconf questions to explain what is you are doing 
>> as a chainloaded setup is not at all intuitive.
>
> I don't think we should offer "install into MBR" for postinst, because this
> happens before boot with the new core.img has been verified.  I'm more
> inclined for a note that tells the user that we're going to chainload in
> menu.lst, and that she should install it to MBR using grub-install after
> verifiing everything is ok.
>
> -- 
> Robert Millan
>
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>
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