[bug #29213] GRUB2 hangs if second SATA controller card is newly empty

[Sonic Nudge]

URL:
  <http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?29213>

                 Summary: GRUB2 hangs if second SATA controller card is newly
empty
                 Project: GNU GRUB
            Submitted by: sonicnudge
            Submitted on: Sat 13 Mar 2010 10:52:20 PM GMT
                Category: Booting
                Severity: Major
                Priority: 5 - Normal
              Item Group: Software Error
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
             Assigned to: None
         Originator Name: Sonic
        Originator Email: address@hidden
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Any
                 Release: 
                 Release: 1.97
         Reproducibility: Every Time
         Planned Release: None

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Details:

GRUB2 hangs when I remove the last drive from my second SATA add-in
controller card.

Details:
Ubuntu 9.10 server, fully patched
GRUB2 1.97 beta4
IBM PIII/x2 workstation
(2) Rosewill RC-209 4-port SATA 1.5 controllers:
http://www.rosewill.com/products/719/productDetail.htm
(4) Seagate 320 GB HD ("permanent drives")
(1) Seagate 160 GB HD ("vault drive")

Objective: Remove the "vault drive" (semi-permanently -- literally put in the
bank vault)

Steps to reproduce problem:
1) All (4) permanent drives on controller 1.
2) Vault drive (solo) on controller 2.
3) Booted. All worked OK.
4) Removed vault from /etc/fstab
5) Shutdown.
6) Removed vault from controller 2. (controller 2 now empty.)
7) Rebooted. Hangs at "GRUB loading." <------ This is where I was stymied for
months.

The "fix" (or working alternative):
8) Shutdown.
9) Split the 4 permanent drives between controller 1 and 2 (2 on each)
10) Rebooted. All OK. (Note: After seeing "GRUB loading", I also saw "error:
no such disk". I believe this is GRUB giving up on the existence of vault --
as it should do at #7, above. This indicates the heart of the problem, what I
believe is a GRUB2 bug.)
11) Added vault to /etc/fstab.
12) Shutdown.
13) Added vault as 3rd drive on controller 2.
14) Rebooted. All OK. (Maybe some additional output during boot -- machine is
adding vault drive (?).)
15) Removed vault from /etc/fstab.
16) Shutdown.
17) Removed vault drive.
18) Rebooted. All OK. (Again, "GRUB loading", followed briefly by "error: no
such disk" message.)


Thank you and Good Luck,
-Sonic




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