get error running update-grub

[Bob]

** Reply to message from John Hupp <ubuntu at prpcompany.com> on Wed, 09 Jul 2014
16:08:07 -0400

> On 7/9/2014 3:03 PM, Bob wrote:
> > ** Reply to message from John Hupp <ubuntu at prpcompany.com> on Wed, 09 Jul 2014
> > 09:50:50 -0400
> >
> >> On 7/8/2014 11:59 PM, Bob wrote:
> >>> ** Reply to message from John Hupp <ubuntu at prpcompany.com> on Tue, 08 Jul 2014
> >>> 18:37:50 -0400
> >>>
> >>>> On 7/8/2014 4:43 PM, Bob wrote:
> >>>>> I updated /etc/defaults/grub to add "GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10" so that a
> >>>>> beboot after a failure will not stop waiting for someone to press a key.  I
> >>>>> want all boots to complete without intervention even after a power failure.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Running "update-grub" I get the following error:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> bob1 at Jupiter:~$ sudo update-grub
> >>>>> Generating grub configuration file ...
> >>>>> Warning: Setting GRUB_TIMEOUT to a non-zero value when GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT is
> >>>>> set is no longer supported.
> >>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-30-generic
> >>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-30-generic
> >>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-29-generic
> >>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-29-generic
> >>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-27-generic
> >>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-27-generic
> >>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-24-generic
> >>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-24-generic
> >>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-20-generic
> >>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.11.0-20-generic
> >>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-32-generic
> >>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-32-generic
> >>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-27-generic
> >>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.5.0-27-generic
> >>>>> Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
> >>>>> Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
> >>>>> done
> >>>>> bob1 at Jupiter:~$
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> My question is what should the values be for /etc/default/grub since the real
> >>>>> defaults are not completely correct?
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> /etc/default/grub
> >>>>>
> >>>>> # If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
> >>>>> # /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
> >>>>> # For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
> >>>>> #   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'
> >>>>>
> >>>>> GRUB_DEFAULT=0
> >>>>> GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
> >>>>> GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
> >>>>> GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
> >>>>> GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
> >>>>> GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
> >>>>> GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
> >>>>> GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10
> >>>>>
> >>>>> # Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
> >>>>> # This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
> >>>>> # the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
> >>>>> #GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"
> >>>>>
> >>>>> # Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
> >>>>> #GRUB_TERMINAL=console
> >>>>>
> >>>>> # The resolution used on graphical terminal
> >>>>> # note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
> >>>>> # you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
> >>>>> #GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
> >>>>>
> >>>>> # Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
> >>>>> #GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true
> >>>>>
> >>>>> # Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
> >>>>> #GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"
> >>>>>
> >>>>> # Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
> >>>>> #GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"
> >>>>>
> >>>> If GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10 gives you the behavior you want and you
> >>>> are only concerned about the error, then I would say don't be. The error
> >>>> is expected and is not a problem.
> >>> GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10 works so far with limited testing.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> For a default installation of Ubuntu, in /etc/default/grub we have enabled
> >>>>        GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
> >>>>
> >>>> With the above setting from a default Ubuntu install, sudo update-grub
> >>>> output includes:
> >>>>        Warning: Setting GRUB_TIMEOUT to a non-zero value when
> >>>> GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT is set is no longer supported.
> >>>> It objects even when G_H_T is set to a zero value!  It will cease
> >>>> objecting only if it is disabled.
> >>>>
> >>>> But, setting #GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0 has the effect of showing the
> >>>> default menu for the timeout period.  In a default single-OS Ubuntu
> >>>> installation, no menu displays, but it is the violation of the above
> >>>> warning that causes no menu to display!!
> >>> I don't like error messages but will live with this one as I will probably not
> >>> use update-grub again now that I have made my change.  Now the next time Ubuntu
> >>> does an update that requires an update-grub will the update fail with the error
> >>> message?
> >>>
> >>> Thanks for the information.
> >>>
> >>   From my testing I would expect the warning to appear anytime
> >> update-grub is run (when GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0), but it does not cause
> >> the update to fail.
> >>
> >> The version of Grub bundled with this release of Ubuntu is actually a
> >> beta version.  It could be that bumpy behavior like this will eventually
> >> be smoothed out in a final non-beta version.  (On the other hand, I'm
> >> not aware of there being a bug report on file somewhere to call
> >> attention to this.)
> > Doing a search for this problem on the Ubuntu web site (did not find it doing a
> > google search) I found a bug report #1258597 which had the following note (bug
> > report not closed).
> >
> > GRUB_DEFAULT=0
> > #GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
> > #GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
> > GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
> >
> > I commented out the hidden lines and the error message is gone.
> >
> 
> Thanks for the bug ID.  I didn't read through it in detail but it's nice 
> to know the issue is documented.
> 
> But doesn't disabling those two lines cause the Grub menu to display?  
> In the case of a single-OS (Ubuntu) installation, that would not be the 
> by-design behavior.
> 
> Of course, if you wanted it to display for your purposes, then problem 
> solved.

I have never had a boot menu displayed for a normal boot, only when there was a
problem.  The boot menu after an error was not timing out which is why I added
"GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10".  After that still no menu for a normal boot but
the error menu would time out.  Now that I have commented out the "HIDDEN"
options I always get a boot menu but they time out which is what I want.

-- 
Robert Blair