Bug#1038914: GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false is a double negation; replace it with GRUB_ENABLE_OS_PROBER=true

[Al Ma]

Package: grub2-common

Version: 2.06-13

Severity: wishlist

The file /etc/default/grub contains, among many lines, the following one:

#GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

Both “disable” and “false” contain a negation—we have a double negation here.  For a human brain, a negation (let alone a double one) is more difficult to understand than a positive claim. I had to look at this setting a bit before understanding what is really meant. Suggestion: replace the above line with a straighforward

# GRUB_ENABLE_OS_PROBER=true

Moreover, I suggest that the default setting, whichever it may be, gets documented in a comment in the configuration file itself.

Off-topic: Personally, I prefer to run the os-prober because all my computers are (and should be) able to boot both Windows and Linux. Each time grub is seriously upgraded, I need to take manual action in /etc/default/grub. I'd prefer NOT to undertake this manual action during upgrades. So, I prefer GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false or, respectively, GRUB_ENABLE_OS_PROBER=true to be default.

Perhaps, os-prober could also be made cleverer in choosing (and looking into) the operating systems that can be booted (the file says, “if your computer is a host for guest OSes installed via LVM or raw disk devices”). After all, nobody prevents a computer from having both: at least two installed operating systems and hosting guest OSes installed via LVM or raw disk devices.

Gratefully,

AlMa