Re: [PATCH v3] Mandatory install device check for PowerPC

["Michal Suchánek" <msuchanek@suse.de>]

On Mon, Oct 13, 2025 at 03:09:59PM +0530, Avnish Chouhan wrote:
> This patch adds a check on install_device while installing grub for PowerPC.
> If install_device is not mentioned in grub2-install and machine is detected
> as PowerPC, the error will be thrown and it will terminates the grub2-install
> operation. Running grub2-install on PowerPC without the install_device may
> result in bootlist corruption. When no install device is specified, it attempts
> to load images from the filesystem, which leads to nvram bootlist corruption.
> The idea is to fail the operation and avoid creating the invalid boot entry.

Hello,

there is the part
if (install_device)
  is_prep = 1;

The check added by this patch now assumes PReP.

For consistency this should be set unconditionally now.


> Signed-off-by: Avnish Chouhan <avnish@linux.ibm.com>
> ---
>  util/grub-install.c | 13 +++++++++++++
>  1 file changed, 13 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/util/grub-install.c b/util/grub-install.c
> index 0602465..f7389b3 100644
> --- a/util/grub-install.c
> +++ b/util/grub-install.c
> @@ -1289,6 +1289,19 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
>  	      is_prep = 0;
>  	    }
>  	}
> +#if defined(__powerpc__)
> +     else
> +       {
> +         /*
> +	   * As the machine has been detected as PowerPC and not the PowerMac. We need to check
> +	   * whether the install_device has been mentioned while installing. If no device has been
> +	   * mentioned, we need to exit and mark it as an error as the install_device is required for
> +	   * PowerPC installation. An installation with no device mentioned may lead to corruptions.
> +	   */
> +          if (!install_device)
Then instead of nesting inside else you could change the condition to

if (is_prep && !install_device)

That clarifies what it is checking for, and will cover the cases when
there is a partition that is checked for macppc content but none is
found.

Thanks

Michal
> +            grub_util_error ("%s", _("install device isn't specified required for PowerPC"));

I think this can be worded better.

Something like "No install device specified and no PowerPC Mac partition found."

Thanks

Michal

> +       }
> +#endif /* __powerpc__ */
>      }
>  
>    size_t ndev = 0;
> -- 
> 2.47.3
> 

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