[Bug 439776] Re: Executing "dpkg-reconfigure console-setup" does not always update the correct initrd.img file

[Rolf Leggewie]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response
from the original bug reporter.  However, if the issue still exists in
the latest development version of Ubuntu and you are the original
reporter please feel free to reopen with the requested information.  If
you are not the original reporter, please don't reopen this one but
instead file a new bug and reference this one.


** Changed in: console-setup (Ubuntu)
       Status: Incomplete => Invalid

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/439776

Title:
  Executing "dpkg-reconfigure console-setup" does not always update the
  correct initrd.img file

Status in “console-setup” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: console-setup

  Ubuntu 8.10
  console-setup, Version: 1.25ubuntu4

  If you have multiple kernels installed, executing

          dpkg-reconfigure console-setup

  will update the /boot/initrd.img-* file that is linked to by
  /initrd.img.  That link normally points to the /boot/initrd.img-*
  file used with the kernel which was most recently installed.  So,
  if you happen to be using another kernel, the wrong file is updated.

  If that happens, the changes will be made to the console, as expected,
  but the next time the user reboots with that kernel, the console will
  revert to its previous state.  Adding to the confusion is the fact that
  executing "dpkg-reconfigure console-setup" again will provide default
  answers matching those supplied before, and accepting those defaults
  will again make changes to the console, as expected.  But the console
  will again revert to its previous state on the next reboot to that
  kernel.

  To reproduce:

  1. If you have only one kernel installed, install another kernel
     package (not just a different version of your current package).
  2. Note that the soft link at /initrd.img points to the the
     /boot/initrd.img-* file corresponding to the most recently
     installed kernel.
  3. If you are using the most recently installed kernel, reboot and
     select another from the grub menu.
  4. Run

             sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup

     and change the font and/or the font size.
  5. Note that the font changes as expected.
  6. Reboot and select the same kernel you just used.

  Actual results:   the font has reverted to its old state.
  Expected results: the font is as configured in step 4.

  The seems to be in /var/lib/dpkg/info/console-setup.postinst.
  Near the bottom of that script is this line:

          update-initramfs -u

  When given the -u option, update-initramfs always prefers the file
  linked to by /initrd.img, if it exists.  Perhaps that one line could
  be replaced by the following three lines (which were borrowed from
  update-initramfs itself, and modified appropriately):

      if [ -f /boot/initrd.img-`uname -r` ]; then
          update-initramfs -u -k `uname -r`
      fi

  This works for me, although I've not done any extensive testing.

  (This bug may be a duplicate of LP:345145 and/or LP:410335, but it is
  not clear if those bugs have the same root cause as this one.)

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