bugGNU GRUB - Bugs: bug #27058, Save current MBR before Grub...

 
 

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bug #27058: Save current MBR before Grub installs itself & provide undo commmand

Submitter:  mike <mikec001>
Submitted:  Mon 20 Jul 2009 04:34:27 PM UTC
   
 
Category:  Installation Severity:  Major
Priority:  5 - Normal Item Group:  Feature Request
Status:  Invalid Privacy:  Public
Assigned to:  None Originator Name:  mike
Open/Closed:  Closed Release:  None
Release:  n/a Reproducibility:  None
Planned Release:  None

Mon 20 Jul 2009 04:55:19 PM UTC, comment #1: 

It's already in task list. Patches are welcome

Vladimir Serbinenko <phcoder>
Group administrator
Mon 20 Jul 2009 04:34:27 PM UTC, original submission:  

New Feature Request:

Save current MBR before installing grub to MBR and
provide an new mbrUndo command to restore MBR to previous state.
----------------------------------------------------------------  
As a Gnu/Linux user of many many years I have found that the most common problem/complaint of grub users is the
accidental installing of GRUB onto a computer's MBR. 

This is usually due to either a discrete user error - or due to a wayward distribution's automatic install to the MBR without asking the user for confirmation of the action.

(e.g At time of writing a standard Ubuntu 9.04 desktop install, is a  classic example of an distribution that installs
grub to the MBR without seeking prior approval or confirmation)

To counteract this, I propose that GRUB take the initiative by:

1. First backing up the current MBR to a file, before installing itself to the MBR ( or to the first sector of a partition).
2. Provide a new  MBR 'undo'  command that would reinstate a previous MBR of the users choosing.

e.g.
Grub could store the previous MBR  in a file in  /boot/grub/MBR.000
    /boot/grub/MBR.001
    etc.

A new grub 'undo' command  could restore the MBR to a previous state, thus providing
a user with a quick remedy to the situation.

mbrUndo  <filename>

e.g  mbrUndo  /boot/grub/MBR.001

Invoking mbrUndo without  a  filename could default to the last MBR.xxx   file  created.

By doing this, a user who accidentally installed  grub to the MBR, or  to a partitions first sector, could
quickly rectify the situation.

mike <mikec001>

 

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    Follow 3 latest changes.

    Date Changed by Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced by
    2009-07-20 phcoder StatusNone Invalid
        Open/ClosedOpen Closed
    2009-07-20 mikec001 Carbon-Copy- Added mikec001

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