We've integrated grub2 in grml-debootstrap in current versions and this issue 
shouldn't be present anymore. Closing this bugreport therefore - please reopen 
if you think your issue isn't fixed yet.

thx && regards,
-mika-

ACK, but grub2 isn't ready for production use yet IMO. We could start to 
support grub2 on request but we shouldn't move from grub to grub2 by default 
IMO, at least for these days. ;)

thx && regards,
-mika-

this is a principle problem from device names in the current running system and
the device names in the installed installed system, once booted.

Imho the only solution would be grub2 as it is able to search for the bootable
filesystem per UUID which would free us from _any_ guessing about the device
names in the installed system (once booted).

What do we want to do regarding this bugreport?

thx && regards,
-mika-

yea this requirement is bit special.

grub2 would definitiv of help on installations with SW-Raid or LVM.

for plain installations it should be enough to just produce a temporary 
device.map and make a grub-install.

We believe that your issue has been closed by the upload of
Version 0.18 of grml-debootstrap from Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>.
The explanation is attached below

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Format: 1.8
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:01:14 +0200
Source: grml-debootstrap
Binary: grml-debootstrap
Architecture: source all
Version: 0.18
Distribution: unstable
Urgency: low
Maintainer: Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
Changed-By: Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
Description: 
 grml-debootstrap - wrapper around debootstrap for installing plain Debian via grml
Changes: 
 grml-debootstrap (0.18) unstable; urgency=low
 .
   The "development sponsored by Sipwise GmbH" release.
 .
   * Provide interactive configuration dialog.
   * Initial support for SW-RAID.
   * Use stages based on target information, this gives us
     the possibility to run multiple instance of grml-debootstrap.
     [Closes: issue510]
   * Use policy-rc.d inside chroot to avoid startup of daemons.
     [Closes: issue509]
   * Do not activate /sys by default anymore in /etc/fstab.
   * Copy /etc/network/interfaces from running system to target
     installation.
   * Setting password via passwd does not work, use chpaswd instead.
   * Remove stages after successful execution. [Closes: issue513]
   * Make sure the configuration file inside the chroot provides
     the same configuration as specified on the cmdline (thanks gebi
     for reporting).
   * Copy system's /etc/hosts to the target system.
   * Move stages to /var/cache/grml-debootstrap (thanks for the idea,
     gebi).
   * Install devices using our own device tarball instead of running
     MAKEDEV (which is just an ungly fork bomb).
   * Install MTA postfix by default to avoid installation of unwanted
     packages like citadel in lenny.
   * Allow use of comments in file /etc/debootstrap/packages.
   * Replace initrd-tools with initramfs-tools.
   * Run aptitude with --without-recommends option.
   * Run grub-install using --no-floppy, as requested by gebi.
   * Support setting hostname via cmdline.
   * Close issue in grml's BTS which showed up during development in hg:
     Fix handling of config file inside chroot, thanks for spotting, gebi!
     [Closes: issue512]
   * Update debian/ to make lintian happy.
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 6a7d3735dd5d982d979bce09c6b74f189f2504ce 129965 grml-debootstrap_0.18.tar.gz
 0cab3f36ea55bb61f4d476081e9e88f6b414b374 103046 grml-debootstrap_0.18_all.deb
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Files: 
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 3c4e797b9c9324f35ddd396033fdebae 129965 grml optional grml-debootstrap_0.18.tar.gz
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Alright, I've just no idea how to solve this situation with an automatism. 
Would use of grub2 help us? Otherwise only manual remapping inside the grub 
console during bootup will help, nor?

thx && regards,
-mika-

here grml-debootstrap confuses the configuration of the running system with the 
target.
it only produces a bootable system if the target system is compatibel with the 
source system.

running system:
   /dev/hda (something else)
   /dev/hdb (grml-debootstrap on)
target system:
   /dev/hda (root, installed from the running system where it is /dev/hdb)

grml-debootstrap --target /dev/hdb1 --grub /dev/hda --groot hd0,0 ...
the problem is, that /dev/hdb1 got the root device in the target system which 
should be hda1.