Fwd: rip-14.9: Modifying /boot/grub/menu.lst

[Svend Sorensen]

I am trying to modify RIP, a Linux live CD which uses GRUB to add
serial console.  After modifying the menu.lst file, GRUB will not boot
any of the entries, and the menu gets scrambled.  Here are the
details, from the mail I sent to the developer of RIP:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Svend Sorensen
Date: Feb 6, 2006 3:39 PM
Subject: rip-14.9: Modifying /boot/grub/menu.lst
To: <snip>

I am trying to remaster RIP v14.9, to add a default serial console to
GRUB and Linux.  GRUB refuses to boot after I have modified the
menu.lst file.

I followed the instructions in RIP.readme.  After the step where the
stock initrd is extracted:

  /rip2/boot/1# gzip -dc ../rootfs.cgz | cpio -iumdv

I made a backup copy of ./boot/grub/menu.lst, then edited the menu.lst
file to add a serial console:

  /rip2/boot/grub# cp -a menu.lst menu.lst.ORIG
  /rip2/boot/grub# vi menu.lst

I have attached the final menu.lst file, but to summarize, I added the
lines to set up GRUB's serial console output:

serial --unit=0 --speed=9600 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1
terminal --timeout=10 serial console

and I made a copy of the Linux entries, adding serial console by
appending the following to each kernel line:

console=tty0 console=ttyS0,9600n8

I then modified the initrd, adding serial console support (my problem
is with GRUB, so I will not go into these modifications).

Finally I completed the instructions in RIP.readme regarding remastering.

When I boot from the remastered disc, GRUB outputs the menu to the
serial console correctly.  However, when I attempt to boot a menu item
(any item), GRUB complains:

"Filename must be either an absolute pathname or blocklist"

When it returns to the menu, the item titles are scrambled, and
unreadable.  I can select them, and edit them, but booting still
results in the above error.  GRUB behaves in this way whether I use
the serial console, or the standard console.

Do you have any idea why changing the menu.lst file results in GRUB
refusing to boot anything?

menu.lst
Description: Binary data