Grub instructions in pacman.log after [Stable Update] 2024-12-06

[mkb]

I just updated my system (two ‘stable updates’ [12-06 & 11-30]) without any problems (Yay! ) and noticed some instructions in pacman.log afterwards due to updates to grub, install-grub and update-grub. It says each time:

[ALPM-SCRIPTLET] :: To use the new features provided in this GRUB update, it is recommended
[ALPM-SCRIPTLET]    to install it to the MBR or UEFI. Due to potential configuration
[ALPM-SCRIPTLET]    incompatibilities, it is advised to run both, installation and generation
[ALPM-SCRIPTLET]    of configuration:
[ALPM-SCRIPTLET]      # UEFI: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GRUB#Installation
[ALPM-SCRIPTLET]      # BIOS: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GRUB#Installation_2

Further down in the log, pacman calls some grub hooks (I might have manually added them some times ago due to a recommendation.)

[ALPM] running '98-install-grub.hook'...
[ALPM-SCRIPTLET] Grub will be installed on: EFI
…
[ALPM] running '99-update-grub.hook'...
…

My question is, do I have to take further action or am I already safe due to the hooks being executed afterwards?

[Wollie]

@mkb

I might have manually added them some times ago due to a recommendation.

How could we know when we don’t know how exactly you installed them?

[cscs]

@mkb

[ALPM] running '98-install-grub.hook'...
[ALPM-SCRIPTLET] Grub will be installed on: EFI
…
[ALPM] running '99-update-grub.hook'...
…

My question is, do I have to take further action or am I already safe due to the hooks being executed afterwards?

We might guess maybe so, but it really depends on what is in that hook.

Unless you specified some other path using HookDir in pacman.conf, then they would be in /usr/share/libalpm/hooks/.

So maybe we could see with something like

cat /usr/share/libalpm/hooks/98-install-grub.hook

[Teo]

This hook ist part of the install-grub package, which was created this year by @philm with the sole purpose to automate this process to make manjaro more noob friendly arch derivative (just like the pacnew checker). There is a long topic buried somewhere in the forum. Seems like our dear mods have already forgotten

This had to be manually installed earlier, i hope it had found its way into the default iso installs by now (have you installed it manually?).

In the log you see of course the warnings and info from the original grub package which is unaware that you also have the automation package with the hook too.
So no, no further action is required since you already has the hook which has done the reinstallation already.

[mkb]

Thanks @Teo. That’s exactly what I did install manually because of a discussion in one of the [Stable] announcement discussions. Unfortunately I couldn’t remember the details but only that I installed something in the past for automatic grub updates respectively something with grub and updates.

The discussion of @philm for install-grub:

Install-grub: a new way to keep your EFI/MBR in-sync with grub package

Some might not know that when updating the grub package you’re actually only update GRUB partly. This also creates some issues with your system if an older grub got installed but doesn’t match configurations and scripts. This script fixes most of our installation cases. If you have a fancy partition layout or some extra stuff ongoing, it may fail as explained here: Re: [Regression] efi: Don't display a uefi-firmware entry if it's not su You can now install the package install-grub. It comes wit…

For sake of completeness here are the contents of the two hooks:

98-install-grub.hook

[Trigger]
Type = Package
Operation = Upgrade
Target = grub

[Action]
Description = Installing Grub to MBR/EFI
When = PostTransaction
Exec = /usr/bin/install-grub

99-update-grub.hook

[Trigger]
Type = Path
Operation = Install
Operation = Upgrade
Operation = Remove
Target = usr/lib/modules/*/vmlinuz
Target = boot/vmlinuz*

[Action]
Description = Updating Grub-Bootmenu
When = PostTransaction
Exec = /usr/bin/update-grub