(Solved) Make Grub list correspond to installed kernels

[The Liquidator]

Hi

I don't know what's gone wrong here (well I do I guess I picked a wrong option) but my grub list does not agree with the kernels I actually have installed. The issue arises because when I get a kernel update I am then presented with a number of options to choose from as to what I want to happen to the grub list ( local list/package maintainers list etc etc etc) with no explanation as to what each one does. I have obviously picked the wrong one at some stage.

Can someone please tell me which one I should select in the future and how I go about fixing it? Tried to install from within the grub menu within system settings - no effect.

Thanks

[Qqmike]

Re: Make Grub list correspond to installed kernels

I don't know.
Never heard of this. But then I've given up using 8.10 and am on 8.04.

The groot = statement in menu.lst is important:

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd1,2)

where (hd1,2) should be the partition GRUB can find the kernel files in (the /boot directory), which is usually the same as root / but in general can be anywhere..

As for menu.lst, you may have already thought about doing it manually.
Example
title Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic
root (hd1,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=0df17bc5-0056-4ef7-bfca-251194b6eb44 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd1,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=0df17bc5-0056-4ef7-bfca-251194b6eb44 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic


Usually, the only thing that is different is the kernel number; e.g., the 2.6.24-23. So you can easily cook up all the entries for menu.lst

But, back to your question, I haven't seen this yet and can't respond directly.
Sorry.

[flarson]

Re: Make Grub list correspond to installed kernels

I think you must have answered a question during the installation that causes your system to ask about updating grub rather than doing it automatically, unless you edited /etc/kernel-img.conf and change it yourself. The /etc/kernel-img.conf that my installation generated is

do_symlinks = yes
relative_links = yes
do_bootloader = no
do_bootfloppy = no
do_initrd = yes
link_in_boot = no
postinst_hook = update-grub
postrm_hook = update-grub

This puts the kernel and initrd links in /, creates an initrd, and updates grub every time a new kernel is installed. The last 2 lines are the ones most of interest to you.

[The Liquidator]

Re: Make Grub list correspond to installed kernels

Here's mine:

# Kernel image management overrides
# See kernel-img.conf(5) for details
do_symlinks = yes
relative_links = yes
do_bootloader = no
do_bootfloppy = no
do_initrd = yes
link_in_boot = no
postinst_hook = update-grub
postrm_hook = update-grub

So apart from the first 2 lines, which appear to be commented out, they are the same.

My brain hurts!

Update: Removed an older kernel and was given the option again. Picked "install package maintainers version" of the boot menu and it was sorted! Thanks for the input.