Linux Lite Forums

General => Suggestions and Feedback => Topic started by: jefboyardee on June 15, 2014, 11:09:32 PM

Title: Grub Quirk
Post by: jefboyardee on June 15, 2014, 11:09:32 PM
Just passing this along cuz I have a soft spot for LL:

1. I install Linux Lite.
2. I boot to Linux Mint, my keeper distro.
3. I edit Grub Customizer to my tastes. Its description for Lite: menuentry script:os-prober.
4. I try to boot into Lite; get some 'expected filename' error message.
5. I reinstall Lite and also install Grub Customizer there. Its description: menuentry script:linux / default name: description: Linux Lite 2.0 GNU/Linux. By the way, I didn't edit those lines, just the first-line names.

It works fine that way, probably because of the differences up there. It very well could've been my error, but I've done steps 1-3 on dozens of distros and Lite is the first to trip me up. I've also tried all this more than once to confirm that it's repeatable. I can email pix if you like.
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: Jerry on June 16, 2014, 05:42:37 AM
This is possibly due to the way in which the final version had it's grub tweaked so that if people dual booted with Windows, Linux Lite would show as Linux Lite in the grub Menu instead of showing as Ubuntu, a previous confusion for those people. The original line in grub reads:

GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`

which pulls the distributor id from /etc/lsb-release

the new line reads:

GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -d 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`

which pulls the distributor description from /etc/lsb-release. Switching the line in /etc/default/grub back to GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian` may fix it for existing linux dual booters but this is untried, it's all I can think of since this was the only alteration made to grub in the final in an effort to help Windows users easily identify operating systems.
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: davesurrey on June 16, 2014, 08:54:31 PM
Hi,
As I started a thread earlier on this issue at https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/index.php?topic=441.0 I thought it only right to try your suggestion Valtam so changed the line in /etc/default/grub as above.
Unfortunately after I did a sudo update-grub in Lubuntu where my grub files reside I still get the same error. No big deal as I am now booting into Lite  2.0 with a manual 40_custom  file.
Great distro BTW. Many thanks.
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: N4RPS on June 18, 2014, 02:57:57 AM
Hello!

I am very interested in all this. I'd like to change these values to reflect the exact flavor of Ubuntu I'm running, and to have those changes remain after a kernel update...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob
 
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: galen on April 08, 2015, 10:40:56 AM
I have filled a bug report
https://www.linuxliteos.com/bugs/index.php?do=details&task_id=43&project=1&order=dateopened&sort=desc

also affecting 2.4
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: Jerry on April 08, 2015, 02:32:47 PM
This is not a bug, so please don't report it as such. Grub is deliberately altered so that folks who dual boot with Windows will recognise Linux Lite in the Grub menu. This has been explained already. Cheers.
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: galen on April 21, 2015, 08:05:59 AM
well it kills running two or more tuxes on a machine
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: gold_finger on April 21, 2015, 01:00:49 PM
galen,

While I have to admit that I'm not crazy about the grub change myself, there is a simple solution to multi-booting other distros with LL.  Just keep LL's grub in charge of booting.  When installing other distros after LL, direct their grub boot loader installation to their Root partitions instead of the drive's MBR.  Reboot after the new install and run sudo update-grub in LL to add their entries to the boot menu and all is well.

If you mistakenly break LL booting by allowing another distro to take over booting, just use your "live" LL disk to re-install grub with LL in charge again.  Here are basic steps for that:
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: galen on April 27, 2015, 09:06:27 AM
I suggest letting users know upfront that LL must be the master boot loader
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: gold_finger on April 27, 2015, 09:59:23 AM
Quote from: galen
I suggest letting users know upfront that LL must be the master boot loader

Added this to my ToDo list for the Help Manual.  Over next 2-3 months, planning to attempt revising format of whole thing and there are several suggestions from users here (https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/suggestions-and-feedback/need-suggestions-for-the-help-manual/) that we will try incorporating into it.
Title: Re: Grub Quirk
Post by: bfb on October 13, 2015, 10:57:55 AM
I tried goldfinger's solution with a live usb but I got this:
Code: [Select]
buntu@buntu-Aspire-V5-573PG:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
buntu@buntu-Aspire-V5-573PG:~$ sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda1
Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: warning: Filesystem `ext2' doesn't support embedding.
grub-install: warning: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
grub-install: error: will not proceed with blocklists.
buntu@buntu-Aspire-V5-573PG:~$ sudo umount /dev/sda1
buntu@buntu-Aspire-V5-573PG:~$