Debian Bug report logs - #883992
install to harddrive, ignore connected usb, reboot with preseeded grub

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Package: grub-installer; Maintainer for grub-installer is Debian Install System Team <[email protected]>;

Reported by: "Raymond Burkholder" <[email protected]>

Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2017 06:45:02 UTC

Severity: normal

Found in version grub-installer/1.140+deb9u1

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Report forwarded to [email protected], Debian Install System Team <[email protected]>:
Bug#883992; Package grub-installer. (Sun, 10 Dec 2017 06:45:04 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).


Acknowledgement sent to "Raymond Burkholder" <[email protected]>:
New Bug report received and forwarded. Copy sent to Debian Install System Team <[email protected]>. (Sun, 10 Dec 2017 06:45:04 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).


Message #5 received at [email protected] (full text, mbox, reply):

From: "Raymond Burkholder" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
Subject: install to harddrive, ignore connected usb, reboot with preseeded grub
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2017 02:22:33 -0400
Package: grub-installer
Version: 1.140+deb9u1

Is there a magic incantation for preseed files to install to a harddrive
when usb is present?

There are two stages:  usb appears as /dev/sda during install process, but
appears as something else, maybe /dev/sdd during normal boot

Therefore, the target drive might be /dev/sdb during install, but shows as
/dev/sda during normal boot.

My almost working preseed file has:

============
# install to /dev/sdb (main harddrive), when usb shows as /dev/sda
# these two lines are correct and working for the install process
d-i    partman-auto/select_disk        select  /dev/sdb
d-i     partman-auto/disk       string  /deb/sdb

# grub 
# the first value is correct to install grub
d-i  grub-installer/bootdev  string /dev/sdb

# a couple of items I've seen both true and false, but do not seem to affect
the outcome:
d-i grub-installer/only_debian boolean false
d-i grub-installer/with_other_os boolean false

# I am not sure how to get these values to work properly, or maybe I am
missing something
d-i     grub-installer/choose_bootdev   select  /dev/sda2
d-i     grub-pc/install_devices multiselect     /dev/sda2

=============

The final boot should be /dev/sda2, but /boot/grub/grub.cfg seems to take on
/dev/sdb2.

The important piece here:  HOW does one get /dev/sda2 (instead of /dev/sdb2)
into /boot/grub/grub.cfg?


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