[Bug 389194] Re: Poor choice of device for installing GRUB

[Craig Hansen]

WOW indeed. This bug highlighted a legitimate problem, and all the attention it got was abusive.
Finally, it got closed five years later with a useless and incomplete comment.

WHERE grub gets installed is a legitimate issue, and the default is completely unrelated to
where the BIOS goes looking for boot candidates. The numbering system for grub's drives
is unique to itself, unrelated to the numbering/naming that Ubuntu gives to drives after
bootstrapping. Without further assistance, grub will frequently make an inappropriate choice
and fails to communicate that choice to the user at a time when the user could have any
useful control over it. For myself, I've taken to installing Ubunutu on a non-raid drive and
physically removing all raid drives at the time of installation because otherwise grub
may choose one of the raid drives to install grub, rather than the drive to which I'm
installing the system.

Unfortunately, the treatment of this bug report is typical.

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Friday
Sent: 01/12/14 02:42 PM
To: craig.hansen at mail.com
Subject: Re: [Bug 389194] Re: Poor choice of device for installing GRUB

WOW, I filed 389194 a loooooong time ago. I didn't think anyone would
ever look at it again. After thinking about this again I realize that
ANY default location for GRUB is going to be wrong for someone. Perhaps
the best solution is to force the user to explicitly choose where to put
GRUB. At 04:54 PM 1/12/2014, you wrote: >Defaulting to the device you
are installing to isn't good either since >it will pick the wrong drive
for anyone installing to their secondary >internal drive. > > >**
Changed in: ubiquity (Ubuntu) > Status: New => Won't Fix > >-- >You
received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
>report. >https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/389194 > >Title: > Poor choice
of device for installing GRUB > >Status in One Hundred Papercuts: >
Invalid >Status in "ubiquity" package in Ubuntu: > Won't Fix > >Bug
description: > My laptop runs Windows. But I booted up a Ubuntu LiveCD
and > installed to a Flash Drive. Surprisingly, GRUB got put onto my >
Windows hard drive instead of my Flash Drive. This was absolutely > not
what I'd expect, because one reason for installing to a USB device is to
be > able to have a portable Ubuntu installation. After Googling for a >
while I found out that I had to use the "Advanced" button to select > a
different location for installing GRUB. > > It would be much more new-
user-friendly if the step where you > choose the device on which to
install Ubuntu would > (1) automatically select the device you're
installing to as the > place to put GRUB > AND > (2) Output a message
something like "GRUB will be installed on > <your device>. Use the
"Advanced" button to specify > a different location." > >To manage
notifications about this bug go to:
>https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/389194/+subscriptions
-- You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the
bug report. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/389194 Title: Poor choice of
device for installing GRUB Status in One Hundred Papercuts: Invalid
Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu: Won't Fix Bug description: My
laptop runs Windows. But I booted up a Ubuntu LiveCD and installed to a
Flash Drive. Surprisingly, GRUB got put onto my Windows hard drive
instead of my Flash Drive. This was absolutely not what I'd expect,
because one reason for installing to a USB device is to be able to have
a portable Ubuntu installation. After Googling for a while I found out
that I had to use the "Advanced" button to select a different location
for installing GRUB. It would be much more new-user-friendly if the step
where you choose the device on which to install Ubuntu would (1)
automatically select the device you're installing to as the place to put
GRUB AND (2) Output a message something like "GRUB will be installed on
<your device>. Use the "Advanced" button to specify a different
location." To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/389194/+subscriptions

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to ubiquity in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/389194

Title:
  Poor choice of device for installing GRUB

Status in One Hundred Papercuts:
  Invalid
Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu:
  Won't Fix

Bug description:
  My laptop runs Windows. But I booted up a Ubuntu LiveCD and installed to a Flash Drive. Surprisingly, GRUB got put onto my Windows hard drive instead of my Flash Drive. This was absolutely not what I'd expect, because one reason for installing to a USB device is to be
  able to have a portable Ubuntu installation. After Googling for a while I found out that I had to use the "Advanced" button to select a different location for installing GRUB.

  It would be much more new-user-friendly if the step where you choose the device on which to install Ubuntu would
  (1) automatically select the device you're installing to as the place to put GRUB
  AND
  (2) Output a message something like "GRUB will be installed on <your device>. Use the "Advanced" button to specify
  a different location."

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts/+bug/389194/+subscriptions