Bug 32165 - Enhancement: provide user control in drakboot to control whether GRUB2 automatically saves the selected boot entry as the new default entry
Summary: Enhancement: provide user control in drakboot to control whether GRUB2 automa...
Status: REOPENED
Alias: None
Product: Mageia
Classification: Unclassified
Component: RPM Packages (show other bugs)
Version: Cauldron
Hardware: All Linux
Priority: Normal enhancement
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Mageia tools maintainers
QA Contact:
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords: IN_ERRATA8, IN_ERRATA9
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2023-08-10 00:41 CEST by katnatek
Modified: 2023-08-13 21:24 CEST (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Source RPM: drakxtools-18.65
CVE:
Status comment: Suggestion in comment 14


Attachments

Description katnatek 2023-08-10 00:41:30 CEST
Description of problem:

I boot a previous kernel version to make some test and after reboot, the boot looader boots again that version instead the most recent.

This look as the same as in mga#18785

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):


How reproducible:
1. if you have at less one old kernel version select that version instead the most recent
2. reboot and let the boot process finish, you will see that the kernel running is again the old version

or in multi system boot when you choose one system at reboot if you not choose other you will boot the last system selected. 



Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.
katnatek 2023-08-10 00:41:51 CEST

See Also: (none) => https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18785

Comment 1 Lewis Smith 2023-08-10 21:43:41 CEST
Can you say when this problem appeared for you? 'Regression' suggests that it worked better previously: what is your setup? Cauldron system, or recent M9 installation? EFI?) what has changed?
 $ rpm -q --last grub2
should indicate whether/when Grub2 has been updated recently.

I agree about the other bug referenced.

CC: (none) => lewyssmith

Comment 2 katnatek 2023-08-10 22:34:19 CEST
(In reply to Lewis Smith from comment #1)
> Can you say when this problem appeared for you? 'Regression' suggests that
> it worked better previously: what is your setup? Cauldron system, or recent
> M9 installation? EFI?) what has changed?

I can't be sure if the bug is not present previous to mga 8 to 9 migration , is a BIOS machine, maybe or may be not is due to a update because i usually use rpmnew files as main file when the update applet ask for action  

>  $ rpm -q --last grub2
> should indicate whether/when Grub2 has been updated recently.
> 
rpm -q --last grub2
grub2-2.06-27.mga9.x86_64                     mié 17 may 2023 14:34:32

LC_ALL=C rpm -q --last grub2
grub2-2.06-27.mga9.x86_64                     Wed May 17 14:34:32 2023


> I agree about the other bug referenced.

I just consider this regression because is a behaviour previously reported as fixed
Comment 3 Lewis Smith 2023-08-11 21:18:20 CEST
Can we understand that you experience this problem after upgrading an MBR/BIOS machine from M8 to M9? And that you did not see it before the upgrade?
Comment 4 katnatek 2023-08-12 00:00:43 CEST
(In reply to Lewis Smith from comment #3)
> Can we understand that you experience this problem after upgrading an
> MBR/BIOS machine from M8 to M9? And that you did not see it before the
> upgrade?

Yes, but only because i decide to boot with old kernel, a think that i don't usually do, so i can't say that the issue is not present on mageia 8.

Since some versions ago my systems are mageia only so i don't have to boot other system, and i don't remember i suffer of issues related to kernel, so as i say before run a old kernel is not a think that do regularly
Comment 5 katnatek 2023-08-12 00:18:55 CEST
Still valid on recent grub2 update
LC_ALL=C rpm -q --last grub2
grub2-2.06-28.mga9.x86_64                     Fri Aug 11 16:05:58 2023

Source RPM: grub2-2.06-27.mga9.src.rpm => grub2-2.06-27.mga9.src.rpm,grub2-2.06-28.mga9.src.rpm

Comment 6 Martin Whitaker 2023-08-12 09:23:03 CEST
This has been the default behaviour for new installs since 2016 - see bug 18560.

To prevent the saved entry being automatically updated, edit /etc/default/grub and change

  GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=true

to

  GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=false

Then you can either use drakboot or the command grub2-set-default to set the default menu entry and it will persist.

CC: (none) => mageia

Comment 7 katnatek 2023-08-12 19:46:30 CEST
(In reply to Martin Whitaker from comment #6)
> This has been the default behaviour for new installs since 2016 - see bug
> 18560.
> 
> To prevent the saved entry being automatically updated, edit
> /etc/default/grub and change
> 
>   GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=true
> 
> to
> 
>   GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=false
> 
> Then you can either use drakboot or the command grub2-set-default to set the
> default menu entry and it will persist.

Then we need a errata to inform about this

Keywords: (none) => FOR_ERRATA8, FOR_ERRATA9

Comment 8 katnatek 2023-08-12 20:08:18 CEST
Please check https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Mageia_9_Errata#Boot , i add this bug to section, if you like i backport to Mageia 8
Comment 9 sturmvogel 2023-08-12 21:10:48 CEST
Why does this need to be in errata? As pointed out by Martin this is standard behaviour. It is even standard behaviour on other major distributions like openSUSE!
Comment 10 katnatek 2023-08-12 21:27:10 CEST
(In reply to sturmvogel from comment #9)
> Why does this need to be in errata? As pointed out by Martin this is
> standard behaviour. It is even standard behaviour on other major
> distributions like openSUSE!

If not in Errata in Release Notes but i think must be informed in somewhere, 
so we avoid the user expect to boot in a expected default option and if don't take attention ends in other previously selected boot option. Even in the errata we can add that is a expected behaviour due is the standard.
Comment 11 katnatek 2023-08-13 01:33:26 CEST
For the moment i enhance the note in the Errata, i let in your hands the decision of Move to Release Notes or erase the note.
Comment 12 Morgan Leijström 2023-08-13 10:49:38 CEST
This follow our kind and helpful habit of explaining for users about things that may be unexpected even if so by design.  Design is often about taste anyway.

CC: (none) => fri
Keywords: FOR_ERRATA8, FOR_ERRATA9 => IN_ERRATA8, IN_ERRATA9

Comment 13 Morgan Leijström 2023-08-13 10:53:22 CEST
And it is not a bug.

Resolution: (none) => WORKSFORME
Status: NEW => RESOLVED

Comment 14 Martin Whitaker 2023-08-13 10:58:32 CEST
drakboot allows you to select the default entry without indicating that this is for the next boot only, so it is a bit misleading. It would be a useful enhancement to add an extra checkbox to enable/disable the GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT setting.
Comment 15 Morgan Leijström 2023-08-13 11:04:37 CEST
Good idea

Status: RESOLVED => REOPENED
Resolution: WORKSFORME => (none)
Severity: normal => enhancement
Status comment: (none) => Suggestion in comment 14

Martin Whitaker 2023-08-13 17:07:04 CEST

Assignee: bugsquad => mageiatools
Source RPM: grub2-2.06-27.mga9.src.rpm,grub2-2.06-28.mga9.src.rpm => drakxtools-18.65
Summary: Regression:Grub2 default boot option follows Nth option if Nth option was last chosen => Enhancement: provide user control in drakboot to control whether GRUB2 automatically saves the selected boot entry as the new default entry

Lewis Smith 2023-08-13 21:24:34 CEST

CC: lewyssmith => (none)


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