Bug#549165: grub-legacy: update-grub no longer works on my system

[Celejar]

Package: grub-legacy
Version: 0.97-58
Severity: important


update-grub no longer works on my system; it prints no errors, but returns an
exit code of 1.  From the dpkg output, when trying to install a stock debian
kernel:

-----

~# dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-2.6.30-2-686_2.6.30-8_i386.deb 
(Reading database ... 69738 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace linux-image-2.6.30-2-686 2.6.30-8 (using .../linux-image-2.6.30-2-686_2.6.30-8_i386.deb) ...
Updating directory /lib/modules/2.6.30-2-686.
Examining /etc/kernel/preinst.d/
Unpacking replacement linux-image-2.6.30-2-686 ...
Running postrm hook script /usr/sbin/update-grub.
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
User postrm hook script [/usr/sbin/update-grub] exited with value 1
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs 2.6.30-2-686 /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-2-686
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 2.6.30-2-686 /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-2-686
Setting up linux-image-2.6.30-2-686 (2.6.30-8) ...
Running depmod.
Running update-initramfs.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30-2-686
cryptsetup: WARNING: found more than one resume device candidate:
                     /dev/lizzie/swap
                     UUID=4b33b853-b245-4ec1-b649-c14f9a9b9907
cryptsetup: WARNING: found more than one resume device candidate:
                     /dev/lizzie/swap
                     UUID=4b33b853-b245-4ec1-b649-c14f9a9b9907
ln: creating symbolic link `/tmp/mkinitramfs_wRwI3y/sbin/vgchange': File exists
initrd.img(/boot/initrd.img-2.6.30-2-686
) points to /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30-2-686
 (/boot/initrd.img-2.6.30-2-686) -- doing nothing at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-2.6.30-2-686.postinst line 569.
vmlinuz(/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-2-686
) points to /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-2-686
 (/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-2-686) -- doing nothing at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-2.6.30-2-686.postinst line 569.
Running update-grub.
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
User postinst hook script [update-grub] exited with value 1
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.30-2-686 (--install):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-2.6.30-2-686

-----

The System.map, config, vmlinuz and initrd.img files are all created in /boot,
but the menu entries aren't added into /boot/grub.  My grub config is a bog
standard one, created by the installer, and has been working until now.  I have
the same problem when trying to install a custom compiled kernel.

Running update-grub manually:

-----

~# update-grub
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub

-----

Nothing happens to /boot/grub/menu.lst

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

Kernel: Linux 2.6.30-1-686 (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages grub-legacy depends on:
ii  grub-common               1.97~beta3-1   GRand Unified Bootloader, version 
ii  libc6                     2.9-26         GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libncurses5               5.7+20090803-2 shared libraries for terminal hand

grub-legacy recommends no packages.

Versions of packages grub-legacy suggests:
pn  grub-legacy-doc               <none>     (no description available)
pn  mdadm                         <none>     (no description available)
pn  multiboot-doc                 <none>     (no description available)

-- no debconf information