GRUB issue with partitions

Hello!
Well this is not a critical issue, but it is anoying anyway.
Every time a "grub-update" is performed to introduce new kernel images to grub menu.lst, the partitions numbers in every entry is wrong, but not the drive number.

Here is the list of partitions in my single drive:
/dev/sda1 is a fat16 partition containing Dell diagnose utilities (It's a Dell laptop).
/dev/sda2 is an ext3 partition containing Debian Lenny.
/dev/sda3 is an extended partition containing /dev/sda5 for linux-swap.
/dev/sda4 is an ntfs partition for winxp.

So an entry for a linux kernel in /dev/sda2 should looks like:

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.28.6
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28.6 root=/dev/sda2 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28.6

However after doing grub-update (manually or automatically by a kernel image package install), this entry for the kernel looks like:

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.28.6
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28.6 root=/dev/hda3 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28.6

As you can see, the partition number is one more than what should be, and it changes sda for hda in kernel's root parameter, though there is not any hd* device under /dev.
So after a grub-update, I have to change manually the partition number on root command and partition name on kernel's root parameter for every entry listed in menu.lst.
Also it doesn't make an entry for Dell utilities partition nor Winxp partition, so I have to introduce them both manually.

Just in case it could be useful.. device.map lists:
(hd0) /dev/sda

I tried adding entries here for each partition:
(hd0,0) /dev/sda1
(hd0,1) /dev/sda2
(hd0,3) /dev/sda4
but then grub-update complains about it.

I hope someone can help me to figure out why GRUB can't guess right partition numbers.
Thanks!

Hi and Welcome !

Something is wrong with kopt value. Post all the contents of menu.lst file here, including commented lines.

Hi, thanks for your answer!

I see that kopt could help me to deal whit the issue of hda and sda in kernel parameters, but what about wrong partitions numbers detected by grub???

Here it is, my "working" menu.lst:


# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-legacy-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
#default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
#timeout 1

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/sda2 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,1)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(single-user) single
# altoptions=(single-user mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

default 0
timeout 1
hiddenmenu
splashimage=(hd0,1)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.28.6-20090218
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28.6-20090218 root=/dev/sda2 ro vga=791
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28.6-20090218

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.28.6-20090218 (single-user mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28.6-20090218 root=/dev/sda2 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28.6-20090218

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.26-1-686
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-1-686 root=/dev/sda2 ro vga=791
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.26-1-686

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.26-1-686 (single-user mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-1-686 root=/dev/sda2 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.26-1-686

title Dell Diagnostics
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

title WinXP UE7
root (hd0,3)
makeactive
chainloader +1

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST