> > IMHO these kind of options don't
> even make sense. If the user needs to
> > change the kernel, it could do it with the grub editors
> that sometime
> > ships
> > in distros or just use the keyboard error. This has
> been a feature that
> > has
> > confused me since KDE 3.2
> 
> Agreed.  A typical user should not even be able to
> change this except at
> boot, as it would be possible (for example) to select an
> older kernel
> containing a security vulnerability to be used at the next
> machine
> restart.  I don't know if this honors any GRUB
> passwords; if it does (or
> requires root access) then my scenario is rendered invalid
> of course. ;-)
> 
> From a usability standpoint, can we state categorically that
> anyone who
> wants to select the specific kernel to use should know how
> to select the
> correct kernel at system startup?  Does this option
> make it more
> convenient, and therefore remain relevant (e.g. select a new
> kernel,
> reboot, and go get coffee while the machine is rebooting
> instead of
> lingering around waiting for the GRUB prompt)?

I agree those options don't belong in the TDE shutdown dialog. Hence my original post.

Those options are not part of the original 3.5.10. Those options were inherited or merged from elsewhere.

I'm trying to envision when I or others might want those options to appear and what value they add. First, I don't think equivalent options with LILO are possible because LILO needs to be "rebuilt" after editing the lilo.conf file. Normal users can't do that on-the-fly. Similarly, editing the GRUB menu.lst file on-the-fly is impossible too.

The only time those options could actually have effect is when the user is logged in and using TDE as root. Using TDE as root does not bother me although I know some people have heart attacks and start frothing with such topics. Regardless, the point here is I don't see when those options become useful in the TDE shutdown dialog.

As mentioned, what is so challenging as to wait until the GRUB menu appears and then selecting the desired option? Further, when the default option needs to be changed, then somebody with admin privileges can login and edit the menu.lst file.

I have both options in my menu.lst file so I can test both command line and graphical logins. I am struggling to see why those options are in the shutdown dialog when they can't be changed anyway by normal users.

Should I file a bug report to rip those options from the shutdown dialog?

Darrell