Bug#775322: Bootloader code issues and improvements
Package: live-build
Version: 5.0~a2-1
Reviewing the bootloader menu creation code, I have drawn up the
following list of fixes and improvements needed. Some of these I have
already reported and supplied patches for separately, but I'm listing
them here again to provide a comprehensive set of issues.
Where applicable, I'll specify the bug number of the separate bug report
either specifically for the issue, or where a patch has been previously
supplied already as part of addressing something else. I intend to wrap
this bug report up with one or more sets of commits to address them all.
Broken boot capability issues:
-----------------------------------
#1) grub2 broken, with missing file error on boot due to files being
placed in the wrong directory (#775316).
Kernel parameter issues:
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#2) [install entries] user supplied kernel params added in wrong
position in grub/grub2 (#775143).
#3) [install entries] 'quiet' (d-i?) param excluded from rescue entries
instead of expert entries in grub2 (#775143).
#4) [install entries] the '--' delimiter prior to the (d-i?) quiet
kernel parameter is not output for grub/grub2 (#775143).
#5) [install entries] the '--' delimiter needs to be replaced now with
'---' (#775128).
#6) [live entries] user supplied kernel params added in wrong position
in grub/grub2 (less important than for installer entries) (#775143).
#7) [live entries] normal user supplied params being added to fail-safe
entry instead of fail-safe user params in grub/grub2.
#8) [live entries] unnecessary replacement of fail-safe-installer user
params placeholder in syslinux
#9) depreciated video/graphics kernel parameters are being used.
Menu entry set issues:
-----------------------------------
#10) [install entries] speech synthesis option missing, affecting
accessibility
#11) [install entries] lots of install options not provided by syslinux
menus
#12) [live entries] too many entries added in grub/grub2 (redundant
entries with kernel version specified)
#13) memtest entry included in syslinux menus even if no memtest included
#14) install entries included in syslinux menus even if no installer
included
Other issues:
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#15) [live entries] undocumented user failsafe params option
#16) grub2 splash not being displayed
#17) grub splash displayed, but horribly (can this be fixed?)
#18) grub/grub2 do not rename kernel files unlike syslinux. syslinux
does this for a technical reason, but it might be desirable to do across
the board anyway. This needs further consideration.
#19) consider switching grub/grub2 code to work more like syslinux, with
pre-constructed pieces of the menus in files, from which the full menu
can be constructed by including chunks from those files, and replacing
placeholders.
Also to be considered, particularly in respect to #18 and #19 are bug
#757697 (support arch autodetection) and the best way to allow
derivatives (e.g. Kali) to replace menu components such as labels and
splash.
As of this moment I have written patches for 11 of these issues, some of
which have already been posted separately. More to follow soon.
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