Bug#476481: Bootability regression with Smart Array controller and grub > 0.97-32

[Matthew Hall]

Package: grub
Version: 0.97-32
Severity: important

Running the following commands to install grubs 0.97-[36..33] causes failures.

root at nmboneyard:/boot# aptitude install grub=0.97-[36..33]
....
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  grub-common{a}
The following packages will be upgraded:
  grub
1 packages upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/530kB of archives. After unpacking 246kB will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] y
....
root at nmboneyard:/boot#

root at nmboneyard:/boot# sudo update-grub
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
grub-probe: error: Cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/cciss/c0d0p2.  Check your device.map.
root at nmboneyard:/boot#

However running the following command to install grub 0.97-32 succeeds.

root at nmboneyard:/boot# aptitude install grub=0.97-32
....
The following packages will be DOWNGRADED:
  grub
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  grub-common{u}
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 downgraded, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/367kB of archives. After unpacking 246kB will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] y
....
root at nmboneyard:/boot# sudo update-grub
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-1-686
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-2-686
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.21-1-686
Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done
root at nmboneyard:/boot#

Therefore, I conclude that there was a substantial functionality 
regression between 0.97-32 and 0.97-33 and up. I am not expert with grub 
whatsoever. Please let me know what data I should provide, to help 
diagnose this bug.

Best Regards,
Matthew Hall

-- System Information:
Debian Release: lenny/sid
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.22-2-686 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash

Versions of packages grub depends on:
ii  libc6                     2.7-10         GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libncurses5               5.6+20080405-1 Shared libraries for terminal hand

grub recommends no packages.

-- no debconf information