Bug#919029: grub-pc: meaningless message "RUB boot loader was previously installed..."

[Vincent Lefevre]

Control: severity -1 grave

Raising to grave since:
  * grub-pc doesn't let me install GRUB (I assume the new version)
    while this was normally needed.
  * The change in config.dat seems to imply that GRUB changed the
    configuration in my back.

On 2019-01-12 01:49:10 +0100, Vincent Lefevre wrote:
> Package: grub-pc
> Version: 2.02+dfsg1-10
> Severity: important
> 
> When upgrading the grub packages, I got the following message:
> 
> ─────────────────────────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├────────────────────────────────
> RUB boot loader was previously installed to a disk that is no
> r present, or whose unique identifier has changed for some reason.
>  important to make sure that the installed GRUB core image stays in
> with GRUB modules and grub.cfg. Please check again to make sure
> GRUB is written to the appropriate boot devices.
> 
> u're unsure which drive is designated as boot drive by your BIOS,
>  often a good idea to install GRUB to all of them.
> 
>  it is possible to install GRUB to partition boot records as well,
> ome appropriate partitions are offered here. However, this forces
> to use the blocklist mechanism, which makes it less reliable, and
> fore is not recommended.
> 
> install devices:
> 
> ] /dev/dm-0 (511850 MB; LVM PV RaDD9Y-cDSq-kdoy-fYKY-9eP0-kLkp-M1wVYw on /dev/dm
> ] /dev/sda (512110 MB; MTFDDAK512MAY-1AE1ZABHA___)
> ] - /dev/sda1 (254 MB; /boot)
> ] /dev/dm-1 (491111 MB; zira--vg-root)
> 
> 
>                                      <Ok>

After doing <Ok>, I got another message, and the only thing I could
do was to continue without installing GRUB (otherwise, I was sent
back to the above message). The config.dat file changed in the
following way, which seems wrong:

 Name: grub-pc/install_devices
 Template: grub-pc/install_devices
-Value: /dev/disk/by-id/ata-MTFDDAK512MAY-1AE1ZABHA_15060EBA71EE
+Value: 
 Owners: grub-pc
 Flags: seen
 Variables:
  CHOICES = /dev/dm-0 (511850 MB; LVM PV RaDD9Y-cDSq-kdoy-fYKY-9eP0-kLkp-M1wVYw on /dev/dm-0), /dev/sda (512110 MB; MTFDDAK512MAY-1AE1ZABHA), - /dev/sda1 (254 MB; /boot), /dev/dm-1 (491111 MB; zira--vg-root)
  RAW_CHOICES = /dev/disk/by-id/dm-name-sda5_crypt, /dev/disk/by-id/ata-MTFDDAK512MAY-1AE1ZABHA_15060EBA71EE, /dev/disk/by-id/ata-MTFDDAK512MAY-1AE1ZABHA_15060EBA71EE-part1, /dev/disk/by-id/dm-name-zira--vg-root
 
 Name: grub-pc/install_devices_disks_changed
 Template: grub-pc/install_devices_disks_changed
+Value: 
 Owners: grub-pc
+Flags: seen
+Variables:
+ CHOICES = /dev/dm-0 (511850 MB; LVM PV RaDD9Y-cDSq-kdoy-fYKY-9eP0-kLkp-M1wVYw on /dev/dm-0), /dev/sda (512110 MB; MTFDDAK512MAY-1AE1ZABHA___), - /dev/sda1 (254 MB; /boot), /dev/dm-1 (491111 MB; zira--vg-root)
+ RAW_CHOICES = /dev/disk/by-id/dm-name-sda5_crypt, /dev/disk/by-id/ata-MTFDDAK512MAY-1AE1ZABHA____15060EBA71EE, /dev/disk/by-id/ata-MTFDDAK512MAY-1AE1ZABHA____15060EBA71EE-part1, /dev/disk/by-id/dm-name-zira--vg-root
 
 Name: grub-pc/install_devices_empty
 Template: grub-pc/install_devices_empty
-Value: false
+Value: true
 Owners: grub-pc
+Flags: seen

-- 
Vincent Lefèvre <vincent at vinc17.net> - Web: <https://www.vinc17.net/>
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Work: CR INRIA - computer arithmetic / AriC project (LIP, ENS-Lyon)