Bug#1051271: GRUB2 2.12~rc1-7 prevent machine to boot

[M. Zhou]

Same here. But I have some different conclusions after fixing my
machine.

Before my machine becoming unable to boot, the last apt log involves

Start-Date: 2023-09-05  00:09:00
Commandline: apt upgrade
Requested-By: lumin (1000)
Upgrade: libimath-3-1-29:amd64 (3.1.9-2, 3.1.9-3), python3-brlapi:amd64
(6.6-2, 6.6-4), libtrilinos-aztecoo-13.2:amd64 (13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5),
libgtk-4-common:amd64 (4.12.1+ds-2, 4.12.1+ds-3), xbrlapi:amd64 (6.6-2,
6.6-4), libldb2:amd64 (2:2.7.2+samba4.18.6+dfsg-1,
2:2.8.0+samba4.19.0+dfsg-1), libwayland-cursor0:amd64 (1.22.0-2,
1.22.0-2.1), libbrlapi0.8:amd64 (6.6-2, 6.6-4), libtrilinos-ml-
13.2:amd64 (13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5), libwayland-server0:amd64 (1.22.0-2,
1.22.0-2.1), libtrilinos-epetraext-13.2:amd64 (13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5),
dvisvgm:amd64 (3.1-1, 3.1.1+ds-1), libtrilinos-ifpack-13.2:amd64
(13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5), libsuperlu6:amd64 (6.0.0+dfsg1-3, 6.0.1+dfsg1-1),
libtrilinos-trilinosss-13.2:amd64 (13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5), libtrilinos-
kokkos-13.2:amd64 (13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5), libwbclient0:amd64
(2:4.18.6+dfsg-1, 2:4.19.0+dfsg-1), libtrilinos-amesos-13.2:amd64
(13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5), libsmbclient:amd64 (2:4.18.6+dfsg-1,
2:4.19.0+dfsg-1), gir1.2-gtk-4.0:amd64 (4.12.1+ds-2, 4.12.1+ds-3),
grub-efi-amd64:amd64 (2.06-13, 2.12~rc1-7), gir1.2-accountsservice-
1.0:amd64 (23.13.9-3, 23.13.9-4), libnet-http-perl:amd64 (6.22-1, 6.23-
1), libtrilinos-epetra-13.2:amd64 (13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5), libtrilinos-
teuchos-13.2:amd64 (13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5), libscotch-7.0:amd64 (7.0.3-2,
7.0.4-1), libtrilinos-zoltan-13.2:amd64 (13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5),
libunbound8:amd64 (1.17.1-2, 1.18.0-1), libtrilinos-galeri-13.2:amd64
(13.2.0-4, 13.2.0-5), grub-efi-amd64-bin:amd64 (2.06-13, 2.12~rc1-7),
grub2-common:amd64 (2.06-13, 2.12~rc1-7), libwayland-egl1:amd64
(1.22.0-2, 1.22.0-2.1), libtrilinos-triutils-13.2:amd64 (13.2.0-4,
13.2.0-5), fonts-noto-cjk:amd64 (1:20230817+repack1-1,
1:20230817+repack1-3), grub-common:amd64 (2.06-13, 2.12~rc1-7), libgtk-
4-1:amd64 (4.12.1+ds-2, 4.12.1+ds-3), accountsservice:amd64 (23.13.9-3,
23.13.9-4), samba-libs:amd64 (2:4.18.6+dfsg-1, 2:4.19.0+dfsg-1),
libptscotch-7.0:amd64 (7.0.3-2, 7.0.4-1), libgtk-4-bin:amd64
(4.12.1+ds-2, 4.12.1+ds-3), libgtk-4-media-gstreamer:amd64 (4.12.1+ds-
2, 4.12.1+ds-3), libwayland-client0:amd64 (1.22.0-2, 1.22.0-2.1),
libaccountsservice0:amd64 (23.13.9-3, 23.13.9-4)
End-Date: 2023-09-05  00:09:25

The machine does not boot since here.

Then I wanted to reinstall grub without noticing that the package
to install is no longer grub2 in the EFI era. Ignore this change.

Start-Date: 2023-09-05  10:34:44
Commandline: apt install grub2
Install: grub2:amd64 (2.12~rc1-7), grub-pc-bin:amd64 (2.12~rc1-7,
automatic), grub-pc:amd64 (2.12~rc1-7, automatic)
Remove: grub-efi-amd64:amd64 (2.12~rc1-7)
End-Date: 2023-09-05  10:34:47

I have tried some other ways to fix the boot, including
rolling back grub to the testing version.
But after that I noticed that the most important package
grub-efi-amd64-signed:amd64 (1+2.06+13, 1+2.12~rc1+7)
was not upgraded along with the other grub packages.

Start-Date: 2023-09-05  10:48:36
Commandline: apt upgrade
Requested-By: lumin (1000)
Upgrade: evince:amd64 (45~alpha-2, 45~rc-1), libnghttp2-14:amd64
(1.55.1-1, 1.56.0-1), eog:amd64 (45~alpha-1, 45~rc-1), libevdocument3-
4:amd64 (45~alpha-2, 45~rc-1), libeatmydata1:amd64 (130-2+b1, 131-1),
libevview3-3:amd64 (45~alpha-2, 45~rc-1), evince-common:amd64
(45~alpha-2, 45~rc-1), grub-efi-amd64-signed:amd64 (1+2.06+13,
1+2.12~rc1+7), gir1.2-evince-3.0:amd64 (45~alpha-2, 45~rc-1),
eatmydata:amd64 (130-2, 131-1), libucx0:amd64 (1.15.0~rc3-1,
1.15.0~rc4-1)
End-Date: 2023-09-05  10:48:43

After this, I removed all the extra config files I wrote in order
to fix the boost. Then I did yet another clean grub install

update-initramfs -k all -u
update-grub2

Then reboot is successful with 1+2.12~rc1+7 .

So my conclusion is that there might be something wrong in the
Depends: sections of some of the grub2 packages, which did
not specify versioned dependency to express incompatibility.

I believe the maintainers have fully tested the grub loader
before pushing it to unstable. But unfortunately, the
asynchronized mirror update, resulted into partial upgrade
of grub2 at the user end, which eventually affected a large
amount of users.

If it was a issue in the Depends field, it is still a critical
bug which may damage user system, even if the trigger is
partial upgrade due to mirror sync.