Re: What to expect following major update

[Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk>]

On Fri 25 Nov 2011 at 07:40:02 -0600, Harry Putnam wrote:

> 
> Camaleón wrote:
> >> > If the package is installed and the config file needs to be updated the 
> >> > upgrade routine uses to ask what to do (keep the old file, compare both, 
> >> > replace it with the nre one...). If the partition where the file lies is 
> >> > not mounted then it's up to the admin user what to do.
> 
> Harry responded:
> >> Yes, all that happened.  I finally said OK to the new one since I had
> >> never edited the old one, I figured a new default would be ok too.
> 
> Brian wrote:
> > It would be very surprising if it had happened because grub.cfg is a
> > file generated by update-grub, not one which is supplied by the grub-pc
> > package. update-grub is run during an install when, for example, you get
> > a new kernel.
> 
> I'm not sure what you are saying above.  By now it doesn't much
> matter.  If you are saying it did NOT happen, you are wrong.  And
> further you indicate the only places this might occur is during an
> install or a kernel change.  Wrong again.
> This was an update which has been mentioned from the very start.

During the install/update/upgrade/replacement of some GRUB packages dpkg
came up with something like this?

   Configuration file `/boot/grub/grub.cfg'
    ==> Modified (by you or by a script) since installation.
    ==> Package distributor has shipped an updated version.
      What would you like to do about it ?  Your options are:
      Y or I  : install the package maintainer's version
      N or O  : keep your currently-installed version
        D     : show the differences between the versions
        Z     : start a shell to examine the situation
    The default action is to keep your current version.
   *** grub.cfg (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ?

My surprise is now mingled with considerable bewilderment because

1. This screen can be produced when the file is a conffile. grub.cfg
   isn't such a file.

2. If an existing conffile has not been altered it would silently be
   replaced by the package file.

3. None of grub-common, grub2-common, grub-pc and grub-pc-bin contain a
   grub.cfg. So no updated version to ship.

4, I've installed an up-to-date grub-pc to a Sid machine not 30 minutes
   ago. A new grub.cfg was *generated* using files in /etc/default and
   /etc/grub.d. No asking, either.