[Bug 898655] Re: grub-install trashed grub-menu if run on current partition to make current partition to be a default boot up OS

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

** Changed in: grub2 (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Confirmed

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Title:
  grub-install trashed grub-menu if run on current partition to make
  current partition to be a default boot up OS

Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Please see the note at the end for why I start this bug report.
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  The bugs apply to both grub versions, with full updated all packages to the most current date,
  2 Dec 2011

  tbuntu at tbuntu:~$ grub-install -v
  grub-install (GRUB) 1.99~rc1-13ubuntu3
  Ubuntu 11.04
  and
  tbuntu at tbuntu:~$ grub-install -v
  grub-install (GRUB) 1.99-12ubuntu5
  Lubuntu 11.10
  -------------------------------------------------------------
  grub-install will destroy "grub boot menu" and you will get "grub command prompt",
  if you use the command grub-install in the following ways

  you boot into "current partition", in my case sda4 contain ubuntu 11.04
  (I also test with the same result in Lubuntu 11.10 in /dev/sda11)

  sudo mount /dev/sda(current partition) /mnt
  in my case sudo mount /dev/sda4 /mnt

  sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda
  in my case I want to reinstall grub to /dev/sda so when the computer boot up it will auto boot into sda4,
  which is the ubuntu partition I am using,
  "to execute" the grub-install command.

  It will produce this message.

  "Installation finished. No error reported."

  But in fact the grub menu was "trashed" or "disabled", after you
  reboot, it will only be a grub> display.

  My opinion the bugs are
   
  1. The "report-Installation finished. No error reported." at the end is wrong information. 
  or / and
  2. If usage of the above "grub-install" is prohibited, 
  then 
  grub-install should refuse to continue
  and
  there should be an error message telling you cannot "do grub-install" to your "current" partition.
  ============================================================================
  ----------------------------------------------
  Notes: 
  1.)
  I have commented in the 
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/730225
  since I thought the error I got 
  ......Sector 50 is already in use by FlexNet; avoiding it...........
  was the main cause for destroyed grub menu.
  and that bug report is the same as mine.

  But after experiment with clean hard disk that produce no "...sector 50...Flexnet....".
  it resulted in the same "destroyed grub menu".

  So I decide to report as bug.

  2.)
  the reasons I start to do grub-install the above way, 
  because the "startup-manager" fail to change grub menu as it did for my other previous Ubuntu versions,
  for my Lubuntu 11.10 to be a default boot OS.
  So I accidentally found that later that it is a bug?

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