Re: Grub breaks at auto-kernel update with spalshscreen

[Uwe Dippel]

Jason Thomas wrote:

> > the first splashimage entry is one that you must have added.  The second
> > one added after an update-grub is auto generated because it found a
> > splash image.
> >
> > Just remove the first.

> What you do not know: A year ago I had already noticed the two 
> occurrences in another, earlier, install on another machine that had 
> been screwed up as well and commented out the first one. Now take this: 
> *this did not help*. The single, 'second' one above the kernel still 
> screwed up the display and lead to not displaying the menu.

Let me support my statement. Maybe this can as well help to find the 
culprit; maybe someone can verify if this depends on a specific built or 
distribution or unfortunate cirumstances (though I experienced it on 
three different machines / installs).

Here comes a menu.lst with a single splashscreen as inserted by the 
updater which breaks the menu (no display) and messes the kernel boot 
messages to unreadable:

# cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 
0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default 
entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
default         0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the 
default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout         5

# Pretty colours
# color cyan/blue white/blue

# This should show a splash-screen
#splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz


## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive 
editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title         Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root          (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader   +1
#
# title         Linux
# root          (hd0,1)
# kernel        /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specifiv kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hda6 ro

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

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## ## End Default Options ##

splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.8-2-686
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.8-2-686 root=/dev/hda6 ro
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.8-2-686
savedefault
boot

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.8-2-686 (recovery mode)
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.8-2-686 root=/dev/hda6 ro single
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.8-2-686
savedefault
boot

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.3-1-386
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.3-1-386 root=/dev/hda6 ro
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.3-1-386
savedefault
boot

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.3-1-386 (recovery mode)
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.3-1-386 root=/dev/hda6 ro single
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.3-1-386
savedefault
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
#

(Yes, it stems from another box than the first example, but that should 
not matter; it is the same Debian Sarge and produces the same mess:
Linux mybox 2.6.8-2-686 #1 Thu May 19 17:53:30 JST 2005 i686 GNU/Linux
# dpkg -l | grep grub
ii  grub           0.95+cvs200406 GRand Unified Bootloader)

Uwe