Arch Linux: customizing GRUB

[@craigw4644]

You always do a good job, complete information and easy to follow.

[@eflinux]

I appreciate that! Thanks!

[@darrenrichard998]

Thanks Ermanno, looking forward to you're live stream :)

[@justme-iz7ec]

Thank you for showing the terminal and customizer way tysm

[@mnsnows]

Best linux videos ever. Thanks for share this kind of content! #fromBrazil

[@eflinux]

You’re welcome! Glad you like it!

[@SuperHippie1960]

Thanx a lot for this guide. It was very helpful

[@eflinux]

Glad it helped :)

[@freebeenergy]

Hello Ermanno! I don't remember what of your videos I,ve written. But the idea was to have a multiboot distros on just one partition /dev/sda1. And now I've made it. I've made a MBR-dos partion about 1TB. Formated it in btrfs. And then created btrfs-subvolumes like artix-root, artix-home, artix-pkg, artix-snap & data. And installed on there, on the same partion but different subvolumes. After that I installed a 2nd distrib. Therefor I've create on the same partition where allready is the artix-distrib, the /dev/sda1, subvolumes like void-root, void-home etc. And installed void-linux on this subvolumes. So far so good. But my problemm was that grub2 with os-prober doesn't register another distrib, when it is installed on a btrfs-subvolume. So the idea was to write manually boot parameters in grub2 boot files. The way I've done it is not the best, but it works. The idea is, after install your 2nd distrib, chose one of them as a general distrib. And create an own partion, or in my case a subvolume. Mount it as /BOOT/. Not /boot/ like usally. Then make a 2nd time the grub-install comand. But this time with boot directory path parameter. It would be # sudo grub-install --boot-directory /BOOT/ /dev/sda. Yep this example is for ms-dos partion-table. So if you have a GPT, you schould make an extra partion for your /BOOT/ master boot. Then you put some config lines to /BOOT/grub/grub.cfg. So how it works: ...... When the machine is booting, at first starts you grub2 menu from /BOOT/grub/grub.cfg . Where you chose your distrib. There you chose your distrib and click one of them. After that you see the 2nd, originally grub2 menu of /boot/grub/grub.cfg. where you can't choose another distribution anymore. The video intruction for this is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoLZpad-qs-UqLs But I've found the text instruction on manjaro.ru too. In the commets of youtube video, the author said he make it now more easy with the package grub-btrfs. And I should read the grub-btrfs manuall. But for me now it works =)) And at first I want to make my multiboot disstribution usb-flash. To have one USB with all distributions I need)) Wish to everyone who read it and need it, good day!!!

[@poyep7061]

...::: Master Ermanno !!! best regards :::...

[@eflinux]

Far from that, but thanks! :)

[@sharjeel_mazhar]

Thank you sir for this great content❤💯

[@eflinux]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@ranimungcal]

thank you for the tutorial.

[@rosquinha21]

Very helpful. Thank you

[@LuiseroBR]

Thanks for the video

[@peterarbeitsloser7819]

Hey, where did you get that cool wallpaper from? Link would be very appreciated! I'll use it for my grub and maybe for my desktop.

[@eflinux]

Oh I don’t know where it is right now. If you search for Japan 4K wallpapers you’ll find it.

[@peterarbeitsloser7819]

No, I meant the arch Linux one?

[@eflinux]

Yes, that is what I was telling you :)

[@UncleMike81]

Arch has a backgrounds package just search for it. It has something very similar. Prob something like arch-backgrounds

[@eflinux]

Yep, it is archlinux-wallpaper.

[@Kratun4o]

Why are you using a mouse? Does ctrl+alt+T not work? Otherwise perfect job, I didn't know there was a grub change app, even though I've been in Arch family for a long time.

[@bananam4x]

When I start grub customizer I can only see two entries: Windows and Bios setup, no linux entry at all. I have dual boot with Windows 11 and Fedora 36 installed on different drives. GRUB is supposed to be installed on the drive Fedora is installed. Themes dont apply at all either even following all steps. There is something I might have done wrong and I dont know what it is.

[@luqmanhamdan9285]

I did password protection from GRUB menu using grub-mkpasswd-pbkdf2 and /etc/grub.d/40_custom file shown in wiki but nothing seem to works. What did I miss?

[@eflinux]

I'd have to look into it, I never did that.

[@TymexComputing]

Thank you

[@halem978]

when i try to put the theme on grub customizer this message shows up every time " theme doesn't contain theme.txt..." i tried to configure the grub manually but it doesn't work the grub theme stays the same as before. what can i do Emanno?

[@eflinux]

I don't have it in fron of me, so I can't really say. Which theme are you using?

[@halem978]

@@eflinux i used like three different themes and all of them show the same message, the themes are fine cuz they all have theme.txt as i checked, i think the problem is either in grub or grub customizer

[@eflinux]

Most likely in customizer. You can trying also to specify the theme in GRUB directly by editing /etc/default/grub.

[@halem978]

@@eflinux i told i already manually configured grub by editing the grub default and specifying a theme, i guess it's a grub problem

[@halem978]

but anyways man i appreciate ur reply

[@mr_elyte]

You forgot to put the link of the default theme on the description.

[@juxuanu]

Where can we get themes? I know Manjaro ships with one, for example

[@eflinux]

One is installed already and it’s called Starfield. You see in the video description link how to install it.

[@playerone2772]

After editing these options in both my first Arch install (nvme drive) and second one (hard disk) I can no longer access my first Arch disk in boot loader. Just a black screen now. All others work, I'm not sure what happened. I can't login to it to change the settings back. All I get is a black screen...

[@davidkrespos3639]

HELP after i installed Ubuntu 18.04.4 my BIOS disappeared, i already have the bootable USB but i dont have BIOS to run it. evry F1 to F12 comand just opens Grub, and i dont kneow what else to do. I just want to go back from Ubuntu to my windows 8 :( PLEASE HELP! / AYUDA después de instalar Ubuntu 18.04.4, mi BIOS desapareció, ya tengo el USB de arranque pero no tengo BIOS para ejecutarlo. Evry F1 a F12 comand simplemente abre Grub, y no sé qué más hacer. Solo quiero volver de Ubuntu a mi Windows 8 :( POR FAVOR AYUDA!

[@eflinux]

Hi David, it sounds like the boot loader didn't pick up Windows. You can try going into Ubuntu and type in the terminal "update-grub" and see if Windows is added to the list.

[@DJRemarkable1026]

Can these commands be done in Linux Mint? Great video!

[@eflinux]

The grub file should be the same. I am not sure about Grub Customizer. Probably you'll have to install that from the software center.

[@BennoKushnir]

Is there a way to make grub-customizer compatible with UEFI ?

[@eflinux]

This video was on UEFI.

[@Appalling68]

Ermanno, the use of Grub Customizer can be extremely problematic. The first year or so I was using Linux Mint I was also using this package regularly, and I often ran into boot issues over time. Where you really get into trouble is when you use over a long period of time and then uninstall it: you’re almost guaranteed a corrupted Grub loader. In the early days I didn’t know what to do and would just reinstall Mint from scratch. Nowadays I can fix Grub boot loader problems easy, but have NEVER had to repair it as I no longer use Customizer. Somewhere there is a link to a very good post on why NOT to use this package.

[@eflinux]

Hi there! I have not experienced any problem so far with it, but it doesn't mean I never will. Also, I have tried it only on Arch Linux, so that might make a difference. However, I'd customise it via the grub file if I'd to pick a choice. Not that I use it, because in my machines I disable it anyway, but probably the best way is to try out both approaches and see which one fits better and is less problematic.

[@Appalling68]

@@eflinux Exactly. It's better (albeit more difficult) to make Grub changes directly. Here's a link to that post I mentioned earlier about what makes Grub Customizer a little dangerous: easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p/grub-customizer.html

[@eflinux]

Thanks for sharing this!

[@ThePazuzu]

Why grub instead of something like refind?

[@eflinux]

I'll go over rEFInd as well :)

[@AyushTH]

UHHH my grub absolutely refuses to display

[@lakshminarasimmanv]

Are you the secret Linux founder?

[@eflinux]

Haha, I wish :)

[@Themusslegend]

as expected doesn't work