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    #1

    [SOLVED] Editing the boot menu

    Hi all,

    I have upgraded to Kubuntu 7.10, which works like a charm.
    Now I noticed a rather long boot menu (I used Kubuntu 7.04 before), which contains 3 versions of booting Kubuntu, and Windows XP.
    So I went to /boot/grub, and edited menu.lst (as root, using VI), to loose 2 versions of Kubuntu; saved the session, checked the new menu which looked fine.
    Next I rebooted the system, but found to my surprise the old, long menu! Went back to menu.lst, which indeed was back into the old state.
    Is editing this menu not the right thing to do when I want the boot menu to change? And why are there so many versions of Kubuntu configurations to start from? The configurations are numbered, in my case 14,15 and 16; number 14 is at the top, which is the one I normally boot from, assume that this is the newest version?

    Thanks for your help!
    Are you Microsoft's slave, or do you master Linux?
    Tags: None
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    #2
    Re: Editing the boot menu

    Did you edit menu.lst as root? And afterwards remember to save (File > Save, File > Quit)?

    When you edit menu.lst, for now, you may simply comment-out the stuff you don’t wish to see in the boot menu, by placing the hash sign # before each line you wish to make into a “comment” and not seen. That way, you still have a record of what is installed on your machine, but you don’t have to look at all of it in the boot menu.

    If you really want to remove the actual, old kernels, that’s here:

    Removing Unnecessary entries from menu.lst
    http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3082556.0
    Rog131

    The newest kernels will have the largest numbers –n as part of their naming.

    Suspicions:

    > That perhaps you forgot to save the changes made to menu.lst.

    > Do you have Automatix installed? If so, that has been known to produce the symptoms you report.

    You may wish to post your menu.lst here so we can see it. Sometimes, “Automatix” is mentioned somewhere in the menu.lst. Automatix may cause these problems when you get a kernel update. Experts I’ve read advise people to not use Automatix.

    An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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      #3
      Re: Editing the boot menu

      While trying to respond from within Kubuntu ( using Konqueror as browser) I ran into another problem: after logging on to the forum, and being recognized, I changed to the forum in order to enter my reply; I found that as soon as I changed from the home screen I was prompted to login again?? Logging in gave me back the home page, but as soon as I .... etc.

      So now from the 'other' operating system...

      The only thing I wanted to do with removing some of the lines in the boot menu was to make it simply shorter and easier to read - why should the other login options be there if I don't use them anyway? I could not find 'automatix', but here's my menu.lst file:

      ************************************************
      # 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 change this entry to 'saved' or your
      # array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
      default saved

      ## timeout sec
      # Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
      # (normally the first entry defined).
      timeout 5

      ## 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=0624a9ab-d7ac-4e7b-a5fb-f8709dc751df ro

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

      ## default grub root device
      ## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
      # groot=(hd0,2)

      ## 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=true

      ## ## End Default Options ##

      title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
      root (hd0,2)
      kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=0624a9ab-d7ac-4e7b-a5fb-f8709dc751df ro quiet splash
      initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
      quiet
      savedefault

      title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
      root (hd0,2)
      kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=0624a9ab-d7ac-4e7b-a5fb-f8709dc751df ro single
      initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

      title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic
      root (hd0,2)
      kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=UUID=0624a9ab-d7ac-4e7b-a5fb-f8709dc751df ro quiet splash
      initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic
      quiet
      savedefault

      title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic (recovery mode)
      root (hd0,2)
      kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=UUID=0624a9ab-d7ac-4e7b-a5fb-f8709dc751df ro single
      initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic

      title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic
      root (hd0,2)
      kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=0624a9ab-d7ac-4e7b-a5fb-f8709dc751df ro quiet splash
      initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
      quiet
      savedefault

      title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic (recovery mode)
      root (hd0,2)
      kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=0624a9ab-d7ac-4e7b-a5fb-f8709dc751df ro single
      initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic

      title Ubuntu 7.10, memtest86+
      root (hd0,2)
      kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
      quiet

      ### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

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


      # This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
      # on /dev/hda1
      title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
      root (hd0,0)
      savedefault
      makeactive
      chainloader +1
      savedefault
      ***********************************************

      So I should use the version with the highest number (16)?
      Reading the above I wonder if you meant 'Automagic'?, which I can see. Suppose I can change the 'howmany' parameter to less than 7, thus resolving my problem? Or do you suggest to remove the 'automagic' part altogether?
      Are you Microsoft's slave, or do you master Linux?
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        #4
        Re: Editing the boot menu

        No – don’t remove the Automagic section! That’s the main section where your current, working OS kernels are kept.

        It’s OK – everything looks fine.

        For now, to keep this simple, and so you know what you have, you may simply “comment-out” the lines you do not wish to see in the boot menu.

        Your 2.6.22-14 is the newest kernel (sorry, I misunderstood), so keep that. And keep its Recovery mode.

        So start with 2.6.20-16 like this:

        # title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic
        # root (hd0,2)
        # kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=UUID=0624a9ab-d7ac-4e7b-a5fb-f8709dc751df ro quiet splash
        # initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic
        # quiet
        # savedefault

        The comments, introduced by the hash sign #, are ignored by GRUB. When you boot up the PC, you will not see the 2.6.20-16 in the menu.
        But if you leave them there (and not delete them), then you can see what you have installed on the machine. Later, you can always actually, physically delete the kernel files (following Rog131 How-To) and then also delete these boot entries.

        And yes, you could set the howmany parameter, too.
        An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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          #5
          Re: Editing the boot menu

          Oh yes, edit the menu.lst as root, then don't forget to save the changes (File > Save, then File > Quit). -- a common mistake!
          An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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            #6
            Re: Editing the boot menu

            Great, thank you very much!

            Sounds smart, commenting out lines you do not want, so it is always possible to look back and see what is installed, I will take your advice.
            Are you Microsoft's slave, or do you master Linux?
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