Linux Lite - Grub in 3.2

[Zebedee Boss]

I would like to see an option to be able to boot two linux distros or Linux and windows each on their own hard drive with the boot screen offering both.  Other new users might want this as well.  (Just click and it does it for you in the install options.)

Hi stingray72,

Not sure what you "exactly" mean by that but you can already have multiple Linux Distros and Windows on different HDD's

e.g.  My current multi boot setup across 2 diff SSD's with LL grub running from a 3rd HDD
https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/release-announcements/linux-lite-3-2-beta-released/msg26933/#msg26933

Regards Zeb...

[Jerry]

I agree with you TC for the most part, with the exception that not all Linux folk are of the same skill level. I'm confident my solution will keep all happy without anyone actually noticing any changes. Change by stealth

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[trinidad]

Nice I guess for Linux multi booters, but now we have to edit the name. (chuckling). It was fine like it was especially given that it is aimed at the Windows user community. I'd leave it. Linux people should know how to easily deal with it. I just copy and paste menu entries between grub config files to use whatever system bootloader I want once the LL grub config is set. Linux people shouldn't need all the fancy grub tools they use. Linux people don't need this. Windows people on the other hand need it the way it was. I'm against the change, now that I'm awake and full of coffee. I'll write a simple tutorial on simply editing grub config to get the whiners off your back if you like. Remember what your aiming at with LL -- Windows users. Leave it. The L in Linux doesn't stand for lazy, but the W for Windows users often stands for WTF?! Don't change it just for lazy Linuxers.

TC 

[stingray72]

I would like to see an option to be able to boot two linux distros or Linux and windows each on their own hard drive with the boot screen offering both.  Other new users might want this as well.  (Just click and it does it for you in the install options.)

[joecare32]

Glad that you are are looking at this. I had this issue and posted previously about grub. I have overcome this problem with  grub custom_40 entry
menuentry      'Linux Lite 3.0 GNU/Linux'{
      set root='hd1,msdos17'
      linux   /vmlinuz root=UUID=ebd7e224-4faa-47ab-93b4-1ed4d0f4e416 ro
           initrd   /initrd.img
}
Hope this helps somebody in the meantime.

[joecare32]

I've heard all the concerns from people about the way Linux Lite handles Grub, especially in respect to multi-booting with other operating systems.

First, let me reiterate that Linux Lite is targeted and Windows people first and foremost. I don't want people to infer from that, that I ignore or place little emphasis on other distros.
In Linux Lite 3.2 I'll default back to the way Grub handles other operating systems. I'm unsure of the outcome of this, and I'll revert back to placing Windows to the fore in 3.4 if it doesn't all work out. So in 3.2, LL should play nicely with other operating systems, time will tell. The Beta will be released in mid to late October. Linux Lite 3.2 will be released 1st November, 2016.

[gold_finger]

Pardon my ignorance, but what was wrong with Grub in LL? I have had LL installed with other distros and all distros appear in the grub menu ok. Two provisos though: I always installed LL after other distro and never installed with Windows.

Due to a customization in LL's grub, if another Linux distro were in charge of booting the computer it's menu listing for starting LL would fail to work.  The easiest solution has always been to let LL's grub be the one in charge of booting all the OSes.  Since you installed LL last and didn't alter default to install grub to the MBR of the drive, it's grub replaced whatever was in MBR before and took over booting of computer -- therefore you never experienced any problems multi-booting.

Since this distro is aimed at Windows users who are new to Linux, the customization in grub was geared toward making the grub menu better/(easier?) for them to work with when dual-booting with Windows.  (At least, that's my understanding of it.)  I've never dual-booted LL with Windows, so I can't tell you what is different/(better?) about it.  Have recently acquired a used desktop with Win7 on it.  Installed a different Linux distro on it and the standard grub menu choice for Windows seems pretty straight forward to me.

[Jerry]

Pardon my ignorance, but what was wrong with Grub in LL? I have had LL installed with other distros and all distros appear in the grub menu ok. Two provisos though: I always installed LL after other distro and never installed with Windows.

Works if LL is the last OS to install.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[mdavies5]

Pardon my ignorance, but what was wrong with Grub in LL? I have had LL installed with other distros and all distros appear in the grub menu ok. Two provisos though: I always installed LL after other distro and never installed with Windows.

[aviceda]

Thanks Jerry, this was my biggest issue with LL, great distro but it kept 'stuffing-up' my Grub....will return when 3.2 released.
Tom

[Jerry]

Have now dual booted successfully via Grub with another linux OS freshly installed.

[Jerry]

Testing for this to date has garnished good results, 'Linux Lite' still shows in Grub when multi-booting, after the changes. More testing to come.

[trinidad]

I noticed after a recent kernel update that Solydx has done the same thing. Previously, last year, it performed the same kind grub takeover as LL. I haven't updated LXDE for a while but I'd bet on this change there too. Seems to be a common complaint, and the Ubuntu terminal access on boot failure was too difficult for most new users to handle. Eventually most popular Linux distros will have to get off legacy anyway the way things are going.

TC

[Jerry]

I've heard all the concerns from people about the way Linux Lite handles Grub, especially in respect to multi-booting with other operating systems.

First, let me reiterate that Linux Lite is targeted and Windows people first and foremost. I don't want people to infer from that, that I ignore or place little emphasis on other distros.
In Linux Lite 3.2 I'll default back to the way Grub handles other operating systems. I'm unsure of the outcome of this, and I'll revert back to placing Windows to the fore in 3.4 if it doesn't all work out. So in 3.2, LL should play nicely with other operating systems, time will tell. The Beta will be released in mid to late October. Linux Lite 3.2 will be released 1st November, 2016.