GRUB 2 now default for new installations

[Felix Miata]

On 2009/06/11 09:20 (GMT+0200) Markus Hitter composed:

> Additionally, if you have more than one installation of Ubuntu on the  
> same platter, you really want to share /boot with both installations.

That's asking for trouble, unless only one or fewer installations actually
mount the "/boot" on /boot.

> Not doing so means two /boot's, while you can address only one of  
> those in the master boot record.

Astute multibooters whose other options include a non-Linux OS do _not_ place
Grub in the MBR. Better to make that the universal default, never addressing
via MBR, instead leaving the MBR code generic, and using that generic code
with a primary partition containing a Grub that _no_ installed Linux
automatially configures. My Grub primaries don't get mounted as /boot by any
Linux installation. I have upwards of 20 multiboot systems, and all use
generic MBR code.

> As /boot also contains kernels, you
> end up booting grub from one partition and the kernel from the other  
> partition. Kernel install scripts can't deal with such a situation,  
> you end up sync'ing those two /boots manually after each update of  
> one of the kernels.

I don't find having multiple /boot partitions to be a problem, but normally
find one real "/boot" to be sufficient, allowing each of the / partitions to
provide a home for one set of kernels and one menu.lst that install scripts
can cope with. To get there, I both partition and install Grub on a primary
using a live CD boot, _before_ starting _any_ OS installation program.
-- 
"Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to
the sky like an eagle."	       Proverbs 23:5 NIV

 Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409

Felix Miata  ***  http://fm.no-ip.com/