Bug#442382: Grub multipath support

[Robert Millan]

On Sat, Mar 01, 2008 at 01:51:39PM +0100, Guido Günther wrote:
> On Sat, Mar 01, 2008 at 11:39:05AM +0100, Robert Millan wrote:
> > Unlike Parted 1.8, GRUB 2 is already in the archive, and already interacts
> > with the installer.  OTOH, I think the sataraid hackery is completely in the
> > wrong place (although I can understand why they did it); please don't use it
> > as reference.
> Please provide a better example/place to put things then.

It depends on which things.  AFAIK the sataraid hack was simply a workaround for
lack of sataraid support in GRUB;  probably due to lack of response on our part,
so I can't really blame it on whoever added it.

Anyway, we are responsive now.  So for things that belong in GRUB you're
encouraged to discuss them with us (this doesn't mean everything belongs in
GRUB, of course!).

> But as things
> stand I'll simply provide extra Grub/grub-installer packages for the
> moment.

If you insist on working on a branch that is considered obsolete, I suggest
you do that in upstream first.  If upstream accepts [1] your patches for GRUB
Legacy, hence promising to support them in future releases, I have no objection
to them.

Failing that, what you're essentially requesting is that we take care of
upstream maintainance for additional functionality _and_ add one more stopper
for migrating to GRUB 2 in the future.

> The "don't do this" without any reasonable explanation nor a way
> to do things better is just to time consuming to deal with

The way to solve this is simple:

  - Fix it in GRUB 2 upstream.
  - Get grub-installer to use GRUB 2 when this feature is used.  Since you
    needed to change grub-installer anyway, it can even be on the same patch.

Furthermore, if you ping me when you have posted to grub-devel at gnu.org, I may
even be able to help speed up things.

> - especially
> when the orignial report didn't have _any_ reaction for 5 months.

Sorry for that.  Please understand we're volunteers and are usually too
busy, specially when it comes to requests for new features that were sent
to the wrong branch of GRUB.

Thank you

[1] that is, when they're sanctioned by the upstream maintainers and included
    in next upstream release.

-- 
Robert Millan

<GPLv2> I know my rights; I want my phone call!
<DRM> What use is a phone call… if you are unable to speak?
(as seen on /.)