[Bug 1017677] New: Better bootloader help
http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677 Bug ID: 1017677 Summary: Better bootloader help Classification: openSUSE Product: openSUSE Distribution Version: Leap 42.2 Hardware: x86-64 OS: openSUSE 42.2 Status: NEW Severity: Minor Priority: P5 - None Component: Bootloader Assignee: jsrain@suse.com Reporter: richard.bos@xs4all.nl QA Contact: jsrain@suse.com Found By: --- Blocker: --- Created attachment 708132 --> http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/attachment.cgi?id=708132&action=edit Bootloader help screen I'm in the process of moving an openSUSE (13.1) instance from one partition (/dev/sda3) to another at another disk (/dev/sdb6). It's a long bug report. Use it please to look carefully at the bootloader help and hopefully with the information I provide below, you can provide the best bootloader help of all linux distributions. Use case: As such I don't want to alter the bootloader config that is stored for /dev/sda. I want the bootloader config to be stored at /dev/sdb. With the idea that during the boot I select the disk to boot from (sdb), and use the bootloader that is located at that disk.... For the interested, it's like a bit as described in this article: http://sysadmin.compxtreme.ro/how-to-migrate-a-single-disk-linux-system-to-s... In this article grub2-mkconfig grub-install /dev/sda grub-install /dev/sdb are used, but these commands are hidden by yast-bootloader. Back to yast bootloader: The help about 'edit disk boot order' states: "Disks Order To specify the order of the disks according to the order in BIOS, ......" Why is this boot order depending on the order in the bios? Is another (random) disk order allowed as well, if so what would be consequence? The boot loader location: what are the advantages of the three different boot loader locations (boot from root partition, MBR or custom partition? This is not mentioned at all in the help. In case of custom partition, can it be any partition (swap? A partition for /home or /srv or must e.g. /boot be located at the partition?). BTW: Why is it not: Boot from Custom Boot partition, just like the other two option. The menu can then become: Boot from: [] Root Partition [] Master Boot Record [] Custom Boot Partition Hmm, what is meant with Root Partition? The Root partition of what (when there are multiple openSUSE's on the disk, which root partition). And should it be 'Custom Root Partition' or indeed be boot partition (with /boot on it)? Is it possible to provide a drop down list of possible (boot) partitions for the custom Boot partition? BTW why is it called 'custom boot partition', why not just 'custom partition'? When should "write generic boot code to mbr" be used? There is no advice about that in the help. What happens when 'set active flag in parttion table for boot (root?? see boot loader location section above ) partition' is not used? In other words is it required, if so when and how. When all is set and configured, and the user clicks OK to get the bootloader created is it an idea to show a summary screen to show what settings have been chosen. After confirmation of the proposal continue created / changing the bootloader. As stated in the beginning, please consider improving the bootloader help based on my questions and remarks above. The bootloader may be obvious for the regular bootloader user, but may not be obvious for others ( although I'm an experienced linux user, so that is not the issue ). Looking forward to the improvements, hopefully already in 42.3! PS: I selected component bootloader, but perhaps yast2 is better -- You are receiving this mail because: You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677 http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677#c1 Jiri Srain <jsrain@suse.com> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CC| |jsrain@suse.com, | |richard.bos@xs4all.nl Assignee|jsrain@suse.com |jreidinger@suse.com Flags| |needinfo?(richard.bos@xs4al | |l.nl) --- Comment #1 from Jiri Srain <jsrain@suse.com> --- Well, the purpose of the help is not to supply the complete how-to about booting on x86 (or any other architecture). If you wanted to explain everything in a details, it would be way longer than what's suitable for a help text. Anyway, there is always a lot of space for improvements. Would you mind providing your suggestions, e.g. new text, diff of the text, or similar way? For developer, who works with this stuff on daily basis, a lot seems obvious that for others does not, having your suggestions in more details could be helpful. Would this work for you? -- You are receiving this mail because: You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677 http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677#c2 --- Comment #2 from Richard Bos <richard.bos@xs4all.nl> --- Of course it shouldn't be a complete howto. But it should at least be helpful, and indeed as a developer it's not obvious what is not clear. I can't provide the text, cause I don't know what the various options do. I found good (openSUSE) documentation here: https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/reference/html/book.opensuse.ref... I just opened to small bug reports for the documentation: 1017720 and 1017726. To start with would it be possible to refer from the help to this documentation, that would be already be helpful. -- You are receiving this mail because: You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677 http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677#c3 Richard Bos <richard.bos@xs4all.nl> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flags|needinfo?(richard.bos@xs4al | |l.nl) | --- Comment #3 from Richard Bos <richard.bos@xs4all.nl> --- Jiri, Is it possible to refer to the good openSUSE documentation on the web from the YaST 'bootloader' help window as I suggested in the previous comment? https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/reference/html/book.opensuse.ref... That would already be very helpful. 2) Is it possible to alter the 'boot code location' section to: Boot Code Location / Boot from [ ] Root Partition [ ] Master Boot Record [ ] Custom Boot Partition Partition [ ] Currently it states for the first two 'Boot from', but that is valid for the custom partition too (my proposal above (and in the bug report)) makes the three options consistent. 3) Root partition: is it possible to list the partition behind the text? When it is e.g.just /dev/sdb6 that should be doable and makes immediately clear which partition is meant. 4) When to use which one: In case you can take care for the above mentioned items, I create another bug ticket to address this: see if the explanation on the web can explain 'when to select which of the three options': https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/reference/html/book.opensuse.ref... -- You are receiving this mail because: You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677 http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677#c4 --- Comment #4 from Jiri Srain <jsrain@suse.com> --- Pointing to the documentation is a good idea - it will only have limited value during installation when it matters most (you will need to re-type the URL to another computer). Anyway, still much better than nothing, thanks for the idea! -- You are receiving this mail because: You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677 http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677#c5 --- Comment #5 from Josef Reidinger <jreidinger@suse.com> --- (In reply to Richard Bos from comment #3)
Jiri,
Is it possible to refer to the good openSUSE documentation on the web from the YaST 'bootloader' help window as I suggested in the previous comment?
https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/reference/html/book.opensuse. reference/cha.grub2.html#sec.grub2.etc_grub_d
That would already be very helpful.
2) Is it possible to alter the 'boot code location' section to:
Boot Code Location / Boot from [ ] Root Partition [ ] Master Boot Record [ ] Custom Boot Partition Partition [ ]
Currently it states for the first two 'Boot from', but that is valid for the custom partition too (my proposal above (and in the bug report)) makes the three options consistent.
I agree we should make this part more clean. In fact it is location where to install grub2 stage1. So I am still fighting what is precise but user friendly label.
3) Root partition: is it possible to list the partition behind the text? When it is e.g.just /dev/sdb6 that should be doable and makes immediately clear which partition is meant.
Well, it is possible, but problem is that we use udev names to prevent change of kernel names, so often device is /dev/disk/by-uuid/a47f29fe-de47-4976-bc54-4dfd30a0cb47 which is too long for this part.
4) When to use which one: In case you can take care for the above mentioned items, I create another bug ticket to address this: see if the explanation on the web can explain 'when to select which of the three options':
https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/reference/html/book.opensuse. reference/cha.grub2.html#pro.sec.grub2.yast2.location
ok, in fact this section of documentation is wrong as it changed for Leap 42.2 and TW. Now MBR use disk MBR where "/boot" lives. so if "/boot" is on /dev/sdb6, then it install grub2 to /dev/sdb. Also boot from root is not default. Default proposal is very complex code that consider partitioning setup. So currently default is pick between root/boot partition and MBR depending on disk setup. For help to user which option use when it is not so easy. In general if opensuse is only system on disk, then MBR is always good option. If there are more systems and that system can chainload ( almost majority of current OSes ), then boot from partition is good idea unless it use specific partitioning scenarios ( it is quite long list including encrypted partitions, RAIDs and more. I will need more digging if you want exact list when what can be used). -- You are receiving this mail because: You are on the CC list for the bug.
http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677 http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1017677#c8 --- Comment #8 from Richard Bos <richard.bos@xs4all.nl> --- Opened #1018185 - Explanation about boot code locations not up to date to have the boot code location explanation at the web updated. -- You are receiving this mail because: You are on the CC list for the bug.
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