[SOLVED] Generate /boot/grub/menu.lst with UUID instead of mapped name?

uhcafigdc · 07-28-2010, 11:08 AM

I have a Debian Lenny file server here with multiple disks. By default, /boot/grub/menu.lst is configured with a line like

Code:

kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-1-686 root=/dev/sda1 ro

Sometimes, the mapped name of that disk will change (ie: /dev/sda1 and /dev/sdb1 will switch), so I configured /boot/grub/menu.lst with a UUID instead:

Code:

kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-1-686 root=UUID=e2d91dc4-e72c-4529-92e8-3f090472e044 ro

The problem is that when I update the kernel via `apt-get upgrade` or such, it writes a new /boot/grub/menu.lst using the mapped name instead of the UUID.

What is the fix for this? Do I manually rewrite /boot/grub/menu.lst with the UUID every time I update the kernel?

saikee · 07-28-2010, 11:33 AM

When your sda1 become sdb1 the disk order can also get changed so you have to edit Grub by changing (hd0) and (hd1).

Each distro has its own arrangement so if you want all in UUID then use Ubuntu as I don't think it uses the traditional device name by default.

Personally I find the traditional device names better as we still have to use them in Linux.

uhcafigdc · 07-28-2010, 12:51 PM

So, your answer to my last question is "yes"?

AwesomeMachine · 07-28-2010, 01:10 PM

You can use grub2, which uses UUIDs.

saikee · 07-28-2010, 02:04 PM

AwesomeMachine,

Think Grub1 can use UUID and the OP post #1 shows that is what he is using. He just want the updates automatically have it.

uhcafigdc,

My answer is if you do not want the hassle of editing the UUID every time go with a distro like Ubuntu that has defaulted to UUID.

I go exactly the opposite. I let a distro to use the UUID but if it fails to boot then I alter it back to /dev/sdax. It is easier to control the disk order in the Bios than writing out the long UUID which has no meaning to anyone.

uhcafigdc · 08-03-2010, 02:41 PM

The solution, as AwesomeMachine said, is to go with grub2, which eliminates this problem that I have.

FYI saikee, Ubuntu uses grub2.

saikee · 08-03-2010, 03:40 PM

uhcafigdc,

Your Post #1 has command "kernel" which is a Grub1 command.

Grub2 used "linux" in its place.

You might have changed to Grub2 now but your original post is from Grub1.

AFAIK Grub1 was still used in Ubuntu V8.04. In V9.04 it was selectable. Grub2 became the default in V10.04. However you can install Grub2 in any distro and have both of them in one Linux.