Well, I think this looks good, but I'm going to be very specific (and unfortunately long winded) to be sure my testing meets your needs. If I did anything wrong I'll be glad to repeat the testing.
I began by installing Karmic on sdb3, maybe my labels will help:
You can see that everything is Debian/Ubuntu based. Does that matter? I can do this on a computer with Windows on one drive if needed.
While installing this Karmic I allowed it to install grub to /dev/sda since that's default (the /dev/sdb MBR was assigned to the Maverick on /dev/sdb6), then just after installation I ran the following command:
lance@lance-desktop:~$ echo SET grub-pc/install_devices /dev/sda | sudo debconf-communicate
0 value set
lance@lance-desktop:~$
Then I upgraded to Lucid. I did not first apply the Karmic updates!
When confronted with "configure grub-pc" I chose to install the maintainers version, then I got the typical screen asking where to install grub and only /dev/sda was checked. I unchecked it and went to the screen where it says, "Continue without installing grub?", and I left the box unchecked which took me back to the previous screen with no boxes checked. I finally chose to install to /dev/sda (where it originally was) and continued.
When prompted to restart I did so, rebooted successfully, then ran:
lance@lance-desktop:~$ echo SET grub-pc/install_devices /dev/hda | sudo debconf-communicate
[sudo] password for lance:
0 value set
lance@lance-desktop:~$
Then I upgraded grub-pc & grub-common from proposed. I was then confronted with the new behavior (showing only /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, and /dev/sdb3 as possible locations) The info: "The GRUB boot loader was previously installed to a disk that is no longer present ..." appears only with a "mouse-over" in notify-osd or if you click on Help so it's possible that warning could be missed, but that's a "notify-osd thing" I'd think.
Choosing to continue without installing grub results in the expected loop until you either choose to install to a device or agree to not install as I think it should.
Please let me know if I goofed and need to repeat the test with modifications, also feel free to contact me anytime you think my testing might be useful.
Well, I think this looks good, but I'm going to be very specific (and unfortunately long winded) to be sure my testing meets your needs. If I did anything wrong I'll be glad to repeat the testing.
I began by installing Karmic on sdb3, maybe my labels will help:
lance@lance- desktop: ~$ sudo blkid 53e4-4f0d- 856b-0da92ff0d7 43" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3" cf18-4299- 9094-12acbdac91 ad" TYPE="ext3" 949d-432e- a18c-18f9ae770d 28" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3" 2791-4c0a- 8644-d9812545da 2d" TYPE="ext3" cb52-4caf- 96b8-5faf2c8304 53" TYPE="ext3" d681-4806- b6fd-aefd784f93 23" TYPE="ext3" 68c7-4703- 883e-c0baa2a381 d4" TYPE="ext3" 1ccd-4774- b4ea-a5ef8824ff aa" TYPE="swap" 3acb-4d96- 950c-62661ad871 4b" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3" 7805-437e- a06e-e18ab3268e 6a" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3" 09f1-4f19- b6c2-ad58812d67 94" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3" 9431-477e- bc71-a68db5c07c ba" TYPE="ext2" 01f8-4c98- acc3-ca123cd81b 06" TYPE="ext4" 29a4-44c1- ab74-94e268865e 8f" TYPE="swap" 7aea-44f4- a69e-5dfa2a992b 44" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda1: LABEL="Maverick" UUID="b7a0df33-
/dev/sda2: LABEL="Karmic" UUID="1332b9d0-
/dev/sda3: LABEL="Lucid" UUID="d252929b-
/dev/sda5: LABEL="Backups" UUID="594c3d40-
/dev/sda6: LABEL="Pictures" UUID="8a3f6c83-
/dev/sda7: LABEL="Downloads" UUID="05289ee4-
/dev/sda8: LABEL="Documents" UUID="571cfad8-
/dev/sda9: UUID="80627269-
/dev/sda10: LABEL="Isadora" UUID="f223fe5d-
/dev/sda11: LABEL="Squeeze" UUID="0eec2831-
/dev/sda12: UUID="f6062e12-
/dev/sdb1: LABEL="Not used" UUID="e5b97883-
/dev/sdb3: LABEL="This test case" UUID="5f555613-
/dev/sdb5: UUID="8d9402a0-
/dev/sdb6: LABEL="Maverick" UUID="4ac10d96-
You can see that everything is Debian/Ubuntu based. Does that matter? I can do this on a computer with Windows on one drive if needed.
While installing this Karmic I allowed it to install grub to /dev/sda since that's default (the /dev/sdb MBR was assigned to the Maverick on /dev/sdb6), then just after installation I ran the following command:
lance@lance- desktop: ~$ echo SET grub-pc/ install_ devices /dev/sda | sudo debconf-communicate desktop: ~$
0 value set
lance@lance-
Then I upgraded to Lucid. I did not first apply the Karmic updates!
When confronted with "configure grub-pc" I chose to install the maintainers version, then I got the typical screen asking where to install grub and only /dev/sda was checked. I unchecked it and went to the screen where it says, "Continue without installing grub?", and I left the box unchecked which took me back to the previous screen with no boxes checked. I finally chose to install to /dev/sda (where it originally was) and continued.
When prompted to restart I did so, rebooted successfully, then ran:
lance@lance- desktop: ~$ echo SET grub-pc/ install_ devices /dev/hda | sudo debconf-communicate desktop: ~$
[sudo] password for lance:
0 value set
lance@lance-
Then I upgraded grub-pc & grub-common from proposed. I was then confronted with the new behavior (showing only /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, and /dev/sdb3 as possible locations) The info: "The GRUB boot loader was previously installed to a disk that is no longer present ..." appears only with a "mouse-over" in notify-osd or if you click on Help so it's possible that warning could be missed, but that's a "notify-osd thing" I'd think.
Choosing to continue without installing grub results in the expected loop until you either choose to install to a device or agree to not install as I think it should.
Please let me know if I goofed and need to repeat the test with modifications, also feel free to contact me anytime you think my testing might be useful.