Grub not listing multiversion kernels

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I’ve always followed the opensuse multiversion instructions of uncommenting multiversion in zypp.conf, and then listing “latest,latest-1,running” under multiversion.kernels.

However, recently I’ve found grub is only giving me the option of the 4.16.12-1 kernel. I can edit the option at boot time to boot into the latest 4.17.2-1 kernel, but the next time I restart grub goes back to only displaying 4.16.12-1 again.

Just wondering if there are new instructions on setting up multiversion? I notice zypp.conf now has a “multiversion.d” parameter that I had not worked with before. Do I need to pass some command to system.d now to set up multiversion? I don’t see any update in the official instructions. I searched the forums for “multiversion.d” and “multiversion” and did not see anything that addressed this.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Andy Prough

2

I just checked. If I use the “Advanced Options” boot entry, I can select between

  • 4.17.2-1-default
  • 4.17.1-1-default

What do you see if you run “os-prober” (at root command line)?

3

Thanks, you helped me fix it for now. os-prober gave me no output, but a little research led me to this old forum post: https://forums.opensuse.org/printthread.php?t=483217&pp=10&page=1

As root, I ran
/etc/grub.d/30_os-prober
and then
grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

That seemed to do the trick. Right away it recognized all my kernels:

suse-pc:/boot/grub2 # grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found theme: /boot/grub2/themes/openSUSE/theme.txt
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.17.2-1-default
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd-4.17.2-1-default
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.17.1-1-default
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd-4.17.1-1-default
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.16.12-3-default
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd-4.16.12-3-default
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.16.12-1-default
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd-4.16.12-1-default
done

Now I’ve got all the kernels available at boot. I’ll be interested to see if I need to run this process again next time I add a kernel, or if its straightened out for good now.

4

So it turns out that as long as I run this command after installing a new kernel:

grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

then I get all the multiversion kernels available in the grub menu at boot time.

If I don’t run that command, then I don’t get the new kernel in my grub menu options. So I must still be missing something regarding my setup.

5

How did you install Tumbleweed?

As far as I know, grub2-mkconfig should be automatically run after every kernel update. Well, okay, that’s not quite right. I think “/sbin/update-bootloader” is automatically run. And I believe that looks in “/etc/sysconfig/bootloader” to see what bootloader you are using. So if that file is not correct or is missing, you might run into the issue you are having.

6

You are right, of course, and I have no /etc/sysconfig/bootloader for some reason. The mystery deepens.

And you are right to question my installation - I went with Gecko just to give it a shot. Looks like Gecko is coming up a bit short. I have very little time invested in this install, I should just reinstall over it with straight TW. Even if I get past this issue with bootloader, there’s no telling what other config files I’m missing.

7

I found the “Probe Foreign OS” checkbox in the YaST Bootloader module was colored in, but not fully checked. I checked that box, and now /etc/sysconfig/bootloader exists and the grub menu is updating properly.

Very interesting. Thanks for the hints.

8

Yes, I think using Yast bootloader to change something can result in that file being created.

I’m glad that you now have working as it should.