[arch-releng] grub install not listing partitions

Desmond Cox desmondgc at gmail.com
Thu Dec 15 10:24:12 EST 2011


On Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 4:55 AM, Thomas Bächler <thomas at archlinux.org> wrote:
> Am 15.12.2011 10:40, schrieb Dieter Plaetinck:
>> Why exactly don't we list partitions anymore?
>> (see
>> https://github.com/Dieterbe/aif/commit/55190c0c81fc76f8b2b3983e790f2c7aacf4e69f)
>> IIRC you said it shouldn't be really needed, but turns out it is:
>> https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/25726
>> see also
>> http://mailman.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-releng/2011-March/001557.html
>>
>> so we should probably list again all blockdevices (partitions and devices themselves)
>
> Last time I tried installing grub into a partition (which is a while
> ago), it kept complaining a lot and refusing to install. Grub is weird
> that way.
>
> My rationale is this:
>
> 1.) You want to chainload grub: There is no need to chainload grub. If
> you want to use grub from a different system, you can just add Arch to
> that grub instance manually.
>
> 2.) You don't want to chainload grub: Put it in the MBR then.
>
> More importantly: Don't use grub, use syslinux (which will always
> install in the /boot partition).
>

Chainloading is useful because it allows each distribution to manage
its menu.lst separately. Consider a user running Debian, Ubuntu, and
Arch. Debian and Ubuntu both include several past kernels in their
menus as well as a handful of other recovery options. By installing
one system-wide GRUB instance to the MBR and distribution-specific
instances to each partition, the upgrade procedure is greatly
simplified. When booting, this user first selects their desired
distribution, then selects their desired kernel/fallback/recovery
mode. Combining all three into one menu causes clutter.

Yes, there are other (better and worse) ways to handle this, but why
_remove_ functionality? I never experienced trouble installing GRUB to
a partition.

-- Des


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