get error running update-grub

[John Hupp]

On 7/9/2014 3:03 PM, Bob wrote:
> ** Reply to message from John Hupp <ubuntu at prpcompany.com> on Wed, 09 Jul 2014
> 09:50:50 -0400
>
>> On 7/8/2014 11:59 PM, Bob wrote:
>>> ** Reply to message from John Hupp <ubuntu at prpcompany.com> on Tue, 08 Jul 2014
>>> 18:37:50 -0400
>>>
>>>> On 7/8/2014 4:43 PM, Bob wrote:
>>>>> I updated /etc/defaults/grub to add "GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10" so that a
>>>>> beboot after a failure will not stop waiting for someone to press a key.  I
>>>>> want all boots to complete without intervention even after a power failure.
>>>>>
>>>>> Running "update-grub" I get the following error:
>>>>>
>>>>> bob1 at Jupiter:~$ sudo update-grub
>>>>> Generating grub configuration file ...
>>>>> Warning: Setting GRUB_TIMEOUT to a non-zero value when GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT is
>>>>> set is no longer supported.
>>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-30-generic
>>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-30-generic
>>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-29-generic
>>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-29-generic
>>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-27-generic
>>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-27-generic
>>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-24-generic
>>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-24-generic
>>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-20-generic
>>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.11.0-20-generic
>>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-32-generic
>>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-32-generic
>>>>> Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-27-generic
>>>>> Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.5.0-27-generic
>>>>> Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
>>>>> Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
>>>>> done
>>>>> bob1 at Jupiter:~$
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> My question is what should the values be for /etc/default/grub since the real
>>>>> defaults are not completely correct?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> /etc/default/grub
>>>>>
>>>>> # If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
>>>>> # /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
>>>>> # For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
>>>>> #   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'
>>>>>
>>>>> GRUB_DEFAULT=0
>>>>> GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
>>>>> GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
>>>>> GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
>>>>> GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
>>>>> GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
>>>>> GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
>>>>> GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10
>>>>>
>>>>> # Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
>>>>> # This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
>>>>> # the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
>>>>> #GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"
>>>>>
>>>>> # Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
>>>>> #GRUB_TERMINAL=console
>>>>>
>>>>> # The resolution used on graphical terminal
>>>>> # note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
>>>>> # you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
>>>>> #GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
>>>>>
>>>>> # Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
>>>>> #GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true
>>>>>
>>>>> # Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
>>>>> #GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"
>>>>>
>>>>> # Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
>>>>> #GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"
>>>>>
>>>> If GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10 gives you the behavior you want and you
>>>> are only concerned about the error, then I would say don't be. The error
>>>> is expected and is not a problem.
>>> GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10 works so far with limited testing.
>>>
>>>
>>>> For a default installation of Ubuntu, in /etc/default/grub we have enabled
>>>>        GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
>>>>
>>>> With the above setting from a default Ubuntu install, sudo update-grub
>>>> output includes:
>>>>        Warning: Setting GRUB_TIMEOUT to a non-zero value when
>>>> GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT is set is no longer supported.
>>>> It objects even when G_H_T is set to a zero value!  It will cease
>>>> objecting only if it is disabled.
>>>>
>>>> But, setting #GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0 has the effect of showing the
>>>> default menu for the timeout period.  In a default single-OS Ubuntu
>>>> installation, no menu displays, but it is the violation of the above
>>>> warning that causes no menu to display!!
>>> I don't like error messages but will live with this one as I will probably not
>>> use update-grub again now that I have made my change.  Now the next time Ubuntu
>>> does an update that requires an update-grub will the update fail with the error
>>> message?
>>>
>>> Thanks for the information.
>>>
>>   From my testing I would expect the warning to appear anytime
>> update-grub is run (when GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0), but it does not cause
>> the update to fail.
>>
>> The version of Grub bundled with this release of Ubuntu is actually a
>> beta version.  It could be that bumpy behavior like this will eventually
>> be smoothed out in a final non-beta version.  (On the other hand, I'm
>> not aware of there being a bug report on file somewhere to call
>> attention to this.)
> Doing a search for this problem on the Ubuntu web site (did not find it doing a
> google search) I found a bug report #1258597 which had the following note (bug
> report not closed).
>
> GRUB_DEFAULT=0
> #GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
> #GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
> GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
>
> I commented out the hidden lines and the error message is gone.
>

Thanks for the bug ID.  I didn't read through it in detail but it's nice 
to know the issue is documented.

But doesn't disabling those two lines cause the Grub menu to display?  
In the case of a single-OS (Ubuntu) installation, that would not be the 
by-design behavior.

Of course, if you wanted it to display for your purposes, then problem 
solved.