how to edit grub 2 boot seqence

Asked by WASI Weerathunga

I have installed vista & ubuntu 7.10 also edit grub as boot vista 1st& hide recovery partitions, working fine. after Install ubuntu servser 9.10 I try to do same by editing menu.lst file but could not, pl let me know how to edit boot sequence & hide recovery partitons.this is what I got in menu.lst file. Thx WASI
# 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-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 use 'savedefault' 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 05

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# 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=UUID=70c7f859-119c-421e-bf3a-60ca68b2a2c9 ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,7)

## 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=quiet splash

## 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=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery 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 ##

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda2
title Windows Vista
root (hd0,1)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

title Ubuntu 7.10
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=70c7f859-119c-421e-bf3a-60ca68b2a2c9 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
#title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
#root (hd0,0)
#savedefault
#makeactive

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the debian
# ones.
#title Other operating systems:
#root
#chainloader +1

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
#title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
#root (hd0,0)
#savedefault
#makeactive
#chainloader +1

#title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
#root (hd0,7)
#kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=70c7f859-119c-421e-bf3a-60ca68b2a2c9 ro single
#initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

#title Ubuntu 7.10, memtest86+
#root (hd0,7)
#kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
#quiet

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Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#1

Grub2 is a real pain to configure. Its editted using scripts in /etc/grub.d

you can of course edit /bott/grub/grub.cfg. I'm not sure how that will be handled if you ever upgrade kernel but you can use this guide some.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1200600

Revision history for this message
Sam_ (and-sam) said :
#2

Since it's an essential recommendation of Wiki that grub.cfg isn't meant to be edited, I actually don't understand why users do recommend it? (ubuntuforums.org)
Assuming when a kernel update executes update-grub(2) one has to edit grub.cfg every time again.
As we learned this isn't what it was meant for.
Hence, even to put Vista in front of *nix entries won't survive a kernel update.
Because it reads from scripts as 10_linux and so on. Others then *nix need to use a different script.
e.g. if Vista is meant to start before Ubuntu the script name could be:
/etc/grub.d/09_Vista

At first glance GRUB2 seems to be more complicated, but actually it only splits menu.lst in separate modules. Since more and more users run multi-boot systems it was time to introduce a highly customizable way, presume for such users the Wiki below is comprehensible.

btw. in the future maybe startupmanager will handle GRUB2?

Reference:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Grub2
http://members.iinet.net/~herman546/p20.html

Revision history for this message
setinstone31 (mike3113) said :
#3

this is it: sudo gedit /etc/default/grub

check this out for more info

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1195275

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#4

you dont run sudo gedit, use gksudo gedit

sudo is NOT for GUI apps

Revision history for this message
WASI Weerathunga (dewani1967) said :
#5

All these are very confuse so any one know how reinstall grub 1 or older version.
thx

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#6

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GrubHowto

Boot to the live cd and install grub

Revision history for this message
intj (intj-nt) said :
#7

I had a similar problem.

You may want to look at this.

https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/efibootmgr/+question/4683

shows how to switch the boot order of dual boot. In this case XP and ubuntu.

Revision history for this message
Tom (tom6) said :
#8

Hi :)

Initj i think you are referring to grub1 which is becoming grub-legacy as grub2 takes over the prime slot. Nice link tho and good to see people trying, thanks :)

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

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