Getting grub2 menu to show up vs dealing with M$ hassles in dualboot.

BLizgreat! · 2015-12-16 07:41:56

Had been wanting to do so for awhile and a poster on another forum finally prompted me to deal with this. The situation described ... Have windows 8.1 preinstalled, multiple gnu/Linux OS's alongside.

This is an Hp laptop ... and was having to tap the Esc key during boot and then when appropriate screen came up, would have to hit F9, to get to the boot options menu. From there I could select Linux Mint 17.2-xfce and then it'd take me to the familiar grub2 menu, from which I could select whatever other gnu/Nix Os I wished to boot.

This clearly sucked, as there are multiple steps and I wasn't happy with the arrangement. So used this to deal with the problem.

Some additional relevant info, have a Debian Jessie 8.2 netinstall and Arch Linux on the system. I didn't bother installing a bootloader for either of them. Only for LM 17.2 and it's grub2 found and boots both of the other gnu/Nix OS's just fine ( after a "sudo update-grub" of course.)

Ordinarily someone would likely install a bootloader for each of their gnu/nix Os's. There would be relevant files placed in the systems ESP=EFI and whichever other files are needed to boot the OS.

In my case, I used Rod Smith's sage advice and put Linux Mint's grub2 in charge as the default boot manager. With the command he specified, did so in win8.1, in an admin command prompt, as he advises.

Yeppers, LM 17.2 shows up as ubuntu and the bcdedit command for it was ...

bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi

You will have to adapt this to your needs. Dig around in the the relevant files and find the path you need to add, to set the desired boot manager.

End result ... now LM's grub2 menu has taken over for the win8.1 boot manager, I don't have to press xyz keys, do the hokey pokey and turn meself around to boot installed gnu/Linux Os's.

Relevant considerations:
Rod Smith notes, that some window$ O$'s have a known tendency to reinstate itself as default bootmanager, if the default bootmanager isn't selected from an admin command prompt within the window$ OS itself.
Also be sure to disable fast boot, as he describes and personally long ago disable secureboot meself.

End result of this nonsense ? Hopefully if x-nixer has employed common sense, adapted these instructions to their needs. You wind up with the grub2 menu, rather than having to jump through many hoops to boot all your favorite nixishness fellows.

Last edited by BLizgreat! (2015-12-16 08:08:35)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-16 07:43:48

Excellent guide, thanks!

Good work in that thread d00d

BLizgreat! · 2015-12-16 08:04:57

^Thanks much HOAS,

Feel like I'm leaving too much out here. I don't have any bootloader installed for Jessie or Arch and so am not 100% sure of the bcdedit path/commands someone would have to run to designate BL/Debian or Arch's boot manager as default.

If you are so inclined, please feel free to take up the slack fellow nixer. I didn't want to fill up my ESP = EFI partition on this system. It's all of 260mbs in size and appropriate terminal commands tell me, I've used 40% of it by just installing LM 17.2's bootloader.

Anal edit: 60% still free and that's with M$'s boot manager/files + LM 17.2's, so there's actually plenty of space available in the sucker.

So elected to not install anything I didn't have to and booting all other gnu/Nix OS's with Linux Mint instead. All real credit goes to Rod Smith, based on so many other postings I've seen from him ( and the post was very recent.), felt confident in employing his solution as described.

Guy is clearly no slouch when it comes to dealing with GPT/UEFI, secure-boot etc. If anyone wants to provide the specific path to making BL/Debian's boot manager default in bcdedit or Arch's that would be cool.

Also note: That believe a nixer should retain this information and keep it handy, in the event that a M$ update decides to reinstitute the M$ OS's boot manager as default, despite an endusers wishes.

If so ... it shouldn't take much to put things back the way x-nixer wishes, with their preferred boot manager in charge of the boot process.

Last edited by BLizgreat! (2015-12-17 02:30:27)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-16 08:10:48

BLwillbegreat! wrote:

If you are so inclined, please feel free to take up the slack fellow nixer.

I'm currently single-booting BSD on all my systems so I can't really help there, sorry.

Hopefully we can get some feedback and update the guide as we go

BLizgreat! · 2015-12-16 08:16:48

Lmao ! You dang bsd'ers !

Messing, yeah ... no worries, someone should always do their research ( and googling) before employing a how-2 imo anyway. Shouldn't be overly difficult to adapt this info to whoever's needs.

Would've liked to be more BL/Debian specific but dang it, I tend to put thinking cap on, find the info I need and hack it till it works as I prefer.

Gotta say, even though grub2's default menu is kinda fugly, am grateful to be seeing it again, rather than having to jump through multiple hoops to boot stuff. My poor Esc key was getting worn out from all the tapping.

#1 2015-12-16 07:41:56

Getting grub2 menu to show up vs dealing with M$ hassles in dualboot.

#2 2015-12-16 07:43:48

Re: Getting grub2 menu to show up vs dealing with M$ hassles in dualboot.

#3 2015-12-16 08:04:57

Re: Getting grub2 menu to show up vs dealing with M$ hassles in dualboot.

#4 2015-12-16 08:10:48

Re: Getting grub2 menu to show up vs dealing with M$ hassles in dualboot.

#5 2015-12-16 08:16:48

Re: Getting grub2 menu to show up vs dealing with M$ hassles in dualboot.

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