[Bug 768013] Re: grub-pc upgrade: can't back out of configuration, don't know how to proceed

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

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

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

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/768013

Title:
  grub-pc upgrade: can't back out of configuration, don't know how to
  proceed

Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: grub2

  While doing a routine upgrade, prompted by Update Manager, I was
  suddenly faced with a dialog for dealing with a conflict between some
  grub-pc config file and my existing config file.  After answering a
  few questions, I am now stuck in a dialog that I don't know how to
  answer, but the "back" button is grayed out.  I don't know how to
  proceed - scared to give the wrong answer, scared to kill the process,
  etc.

  (I can't even copy/paste text to make reporting the error more
  accurate and convenient.  Grrrr!)

  Details:

  The Update Manager "Applying Changes" dialog says "Configuring grub-
  pc"

  The last message in the Details section of that dialog is "Setting up grub-pc (1.98+20100804-5ubuntu3.1)
   (I can select that text, but I can't copy it with cntl-c - WHY NOT?)

  The window on top where I'm stuck says "Configuring grub-pc" and has three "GRUB install devices":
   /dev/sda, /dev/sda1 and /dev/sdb (an external usb disk with a bootable system).  None of them are checked (why not?)

  The "back" button is grayed out.  The "help" button and tool tip are
  as shown in the attached screen shot, and once again I can't
  copy/paste or even select the text.  But basically they say that grub
  was installed previously to a disk that is no longer present or whose
  normally unique identifier has changed and then warns me of problems
  of doing the wrong thing.

  My recollection (hard to recollect now....) is that the difficulty
  started when it pointed out that some grub config file had been
  modified manually locally, and also changed in the new update, and so
  I have to reconcile the differences.  I think I bravely opted to try
  some experimental automated 3 way merge or something.  I expected to
  be able to go backwards, but I can't now.  That is the most urgent
  underlying issue right now - not being able to go backwards.

  I've attached a screenshot of the current situation with the full text
  of what I can see now.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
  Package: grub-pc 1.98+20100804-5ubuntu3.1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-28.50-generic 2.6.35.11
  Uname: Linux 2.6.35-28-generic x86_64
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Wed Apr 20 20:22:02 2011
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
  ProcEnviron:
   PATH=(custom, user)
   LANG=en_US.utf8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: grub2

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