[clue] revisiting boot partition and LVM + grub

[David L. Anselmi]

> This leads me to a question of defeating my purpose (separate /boot disk area within lvm so as to
> be able to resize when an update involving the kernel is possibly going to go over available
> space and I am not yet sure what backup kernel(s) I am ready to remove)

I've never had a good reason to use a separate boot partition.  Others have told me 2:

Using the same (probably custom built) kernel with several distros.  So all distros share the same 
/boot.  If you're using stock kernel packages that seems error prone and with initramfs I'm not sure 
how possible it is these days.  Regardless, I've never wanted to do it.

Putting root on a partition that can't be booted from (e.g., using grub with LVM).  I used LILO to 
boot off LVM until grub2 could handle it.  Today I don't have any reason to do this.

> I think the Ubuntu 8.04 LTS USB stick should work which is what I intend to modify, but I still
> kinda wonder about the update issues surrounding the kernel once the grub version is
> changed...

With grub2 a grub update should cause it to be reinstalled on your boot device.  A kernel or initrd 
update should cause the config to be rebuilt.  If your distro doesn't get that right, get one that 
does (obsolete distros aside).

> Oh, I have also found various fdisk representations e.g. starting block and DOS compatibility
> mode between versions available on installation media and my favorite systemrescueCD to be a bit
> confusing particularly when choosing the start so as to install the grub on a HDD.

How big is your core.img?  It has to fit between the MBR and the first partition.

Dave