Bug#461367: grub: please use ucf for managing user changes to menu.lst

[Steve Langasek]

Package: grub
Version: 0.97-29
Severity: wishlist
User: ubuntu-devel at lists.ubuntu.com
Usertags: origin-ubuntu ubuntu-patch hardy

Hi guys,

Given bugs like #460177, I'm sure you're well aware that the current
update-grub behavior causes no small amount of consternation for users who
don't notice the magic comments and try to edit their boot configurations
directly.  At the last Ubuntu Developer Summit, it was decided that we should
do something about this for Ubuntu 8.04.[1]  Since grub2 is not yet ready to
be a default bootloader, that means finding a way to clean up update-grub's
behavior in grub.  Of the available solutions considered, we decided that
using ucf made the most sense, as a minimally-intrusive change that would at
least allow users to be notified that update-grub wanted to overwrite their
changes.

Attach is a preliminary patch that accomplishes this.  I don't consider it
final since there is still an outstanding feature enhancement request on ucf
to let us configure the debconf prompts (bug #456241), but I've tested it
with both xen and non-xen configs and it works sensibly for me so far, so at
this point I'd like to get your input on whether this is a change that could
be accepted into the Debian package as well.

Cheers,
-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer                                    http://www.debian.org/
slangasek at ubuntu.com                                     vorlon at debian.org

[1] https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/grub-configuration-improvements
A
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