Rename grub package

stupidus · 2013-06-26 09:53:56

This might be sort of a stupid question from my side, but I have a problem related to this thread. Basically, I am still using grub-0.97. And I dont want to change anything on my bootloader, ever. I am just glad it works as it is. I could of course install grub-legacy from AUR which would probably solve my problem, but I am still afraid that might break my bootloader.

Basically, now that there is a package called grub in the repos, I need to ignore grub on updates, which is more of a work-around than a long-term solution. Back when the /usr/bin change was happening I used a solution to simply move the grub files manually and manually changing the pacman database. Keeping this in mind, I thought I could do something similar and simply change the name of the grub package to grub-legacy in the pacman database.

Would renaming /var/lib/pacman/local/grub-0.97-21/ to grub-legacy-0.97-21 do the trick or are there more files I need to change? And what is the lesser evil? Tinkering with the pacman database and risk breaking it or dealing with my paranoia about changes to the bootloader and installing grub-legacy from AUR?

jasonwryan · 2013-06-26 09:57:02

stupidus wrote:

And what is the lesser evil? Tinkering with the pacman database and risk breaking it or dealing with my paranoia about changes to the bootloader and installing grub-legacy from AUR?

The latter. By a long shot. In fact it is not even an evil, lesser or otherwise; it is the sane thing to do if you want to keep using the old grub.

stupidus · 2013-06-26 09:59:52

I almost thought so. But it is that package really safe? As in, will it change anything on the actual bootloader, or will it just rebuild the same package that I already have and replace some files, without changing anything in the MBR?

WorMzy · 2013-06-26 10:03:16

You'd also need to update the %NAME% field in the desc file in that folder. There won't be any negative consequences to making these changes.

Updating to the version in the AUR won't break your bootloader though. I did the same on one of my machines when the filesystem update first rolled out. Just make sure to backup your menu.lst, just in case.

Potomac · 2013-06-26 10:04:48

stupidus wrote:

I could of course install grub-legacy from AUR which would probably solve my problem, but I am still afraid that might break my bootloader.

all you need is to backup your grub configuration ( /boot/grub/menu.lst ), if you have a backup menu.lst file then it's safe to install the grub-legacy package from AUR,

just follow the wiki for reinstalling grub-legacy, it's easy, no difficulties if you have a menu.lst backup file

hokasch · 2013-06-26 10:06:13

stupidus wrote:

But it is that package really safe? As in, will it change anything on the actual bootloader, or will it just rebuild the same package that I already have and replace some files, without changing anything in the MBR?

Your grub install made to MBR and /boot/grub/ is seperate from the grub package installed by pacman. The former is not changed by the latter, only if you run grub-install (or similar) will the grub stages used for booting be changed.

stupidus · 2013-06-26 10:12:58

Thanks, everyone! I now installed grub-legacy from AUR and it seems like everything still works.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-06-26 09:53:56

Rename grub package

#2 2013-06-26 09:57:02

Re: Rename grub package

#3 2013-06-26 09:59:52

Re: Rename grub package

#4 2013-06-26 10:03:16

Re: Rename grub package

#5 2013-06-26 10:04:48

Re: Rename grub package

#6 2013-06-26 10:06:13

Re: Rename grub package

#7 2013-06-26 10:12:58

Re: Rename grub package

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