After examining the maintainer scripts, this does appear to be a bug in the maintainer scripts. I compared output of dpkg-reconfigure between two different systems: one running Etch and the other running Lenny. Both had lilo installed as the boot loader. In both cases, the contents of /etc/kernel-img.conf were as follows:
---------- # Kernel image management overrides # See kernel-img.conf(5) for details do_symlinks = yes relative_links = yes do_bootloader = yes do_bootfloppy = no do_initrd = yes link_in_boot = yes ---------- Here is the output of dpkg-reconfigure on Etch: ---------- # dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-2.6.18-5-686 Running depmod. Finding valid ramdisk creators. Using mkinitramfs-kpkg to build the ramdisk. Not updating initrd symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled (2.6.18.dfsg.1-13 was configured last, according to dpkg) Not updating image symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled (2.6.18.dfsg.1-13 was configured last, according to dpkg) You already have a LILO configuration in /etc/lilo.conf Running boot loader as requested Testing lilo.conf ... Testing successful. Installing the partition boot sector... Running /sbin/lilo ... Installation successful. # ---------- Here is the output of dpkg-reconfigure on Lenny: ---------- # dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-2.6.26-2-686 Running depmod. Running mkinitramfs-kpkg. Not updating initrd symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled (2.6.26-21lenny4 was configured last, according to dpkg) Not updating image symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled (2.6.26-21lenny4 was configured last, according to dpkg) # ---------- Notice the absence of any information about running the boot loader in the Lenny output! The boot loader simply was not run, despite a request in /etc/kernel-img.conf to run it. I compared the two relevant maintainer scripts: /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image.2.6.18-5-686.postinst and /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image.2.6.26-2-686.postinst and quickly discovered the reason. The maintainer scripts for the 2.6.26 kernel define the $loader variable to be the null string. The 2.6.18 maintainer script defines the $loader variable to be lilo. To be specific, line 38 of /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-2.6.26-2-686.postinst currently says: my $loader = ""; # lilo, silo, quik, palo, vmelilo, nettrom, arcboot or delo I changed it to say: my $loader = "lilo"; # lilo, silo, quik, palo, vmelilo, nettrom, arcboot or delo The new output is as follows: ---------- # dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-2.6.26-2-686 Running depmod. Running mkinitramfs-kpkg. Not updating initrd symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled (2.6.26-21lenny4 was configured last, according to dpkg) Not updating image symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled (2.6.26-21lenny4 was configured last, according to dpkg) You already have a LILO configuration in /etc/lilo.conf Running boot loader as requested Testing lilo.conf ... Testing successful. Installing the partition boot sector... Running /sbin/lilo ... Installation successful. # ---------- There is no conflict with grub version 1 or grub version 2 here. If the user has either version of grub installed, then the user will set do_bootloader = no in /etc/kernel-img.conf. In the case of grub version 1, he will also add postinst_hook = update-grub postrm_hook = update-grub A similar change should be made to the preinst, prerm, and postrm scripts for consistency. The Squeeze and Sid scripts have the same problem. OK, I solved the mystery. Now someone on the kernel team actually has to fix it. -- .''`. Stephen Powell : :' : `. `'` `- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-rc-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
