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Unable to change the grub

I am a total Linux noob, so it is probably something simple that I'm missing but I have exhausted all search options and nothing has worked. And possibly I am posting this in the wrong place, so my apologies if that is the case.

I did a clean install of Kodibuntu (Lubuntu with Kodi) and updated it as outlined by the wiki (sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade). So the machine is now running Lubuntu 14.04 up to date as of 2016-08-17.

The issue I am having is with the Lubuntu shell. I am unable to get the grub at startup to disappear. It has been there since installation and is persistent after two clean installs. The grub being there is an issue as the machine running it is controlled via touchscreen and remote, so no option to select anything in the grub, and the grub never times out.

When I boot I see the following options without a timeout counter:

Code:

[  ] Ubuntu

[  ] Advanced options for Ubuntu with

[  ] Memory test (memtest86x)

[  ] Memory test (memtest86x. serial console 11520)

The content of "grub":

Code:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update

# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:

#  info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'



GRUB_DEFAULT=0

GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0

GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true

GRUB_TIMEOUT=0

GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=countdown

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

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""



# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs

# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains

# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)

#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"



# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)

#GRUB_TERMINAL=console



# The resolution used on graphical terminal

# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE

# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'

#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480



# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux

#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true



# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries

#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"



# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start

#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep

GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=1

The content of "grub.cfg":

Code:

#

# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE

#

# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates

# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub

#



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then

  set have_grubenv=true

  load_env

fi

if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then

  set default="${next_entry}"

  set next_entry=

  save_env next_entry

  set boot_once=true

else

  set default="0"

fi



if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then

  menuentry_id_option="--id"

else

  menuentry_id_option=""

fi



export menuentry_id_option



if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then

  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"

  save_env saved_entry

  set prev_saved_entry=

  save_env prev_saved_entry

  set boot_once=true

fi



function savedefault {

  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then

    saved_entry="${chosen}"

    save_env saved_entry

  fi

}

function recordfail {

  set recordfail=1

  if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi

}

function load_video {

  if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then

    insmod all_video

  else

    insmod efi_gop

    insmod efi_uga

    insmod ieee1275_fb

    insmod vbe

    insmod vga

    insmod video_bochs

    insmod video_cirrus

  fi

}



if [ x$feature_default_font_path = xy ] ; then

  font=unicode

else

insmod part_msdos

insmod ext2

set root='hd0,msdos5'

if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then

  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5  801c66b8-e7e0-4b85-b050-aa5b1104ee11

else

  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 801c66b8-e7e0-4b85-b050-aa5b1104ee11

fi

    font="/share/grub/unicode.pf2"

fi



if loadfont $font ; then

  set gfxmode=auto

  load_video

  insmod gfxterm

  set locale_dir=$prefix/locale

  set lang=en_US

  insmod gettext

fi

terminal_output gfxterm

 if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ] ; then

  set timeout=1

 else

  if [ x$feature_timeout_style = xy ] ; then

    set timeout_style=countdown

    set timeout=0

  # Fallback hidden-timeout code in case the timeout_style feature is

  # unavailable.

  elif sleep --interruptible 1 ; then

    set timeout=0

  fi

 fi

### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

set menu_color_normal=white/black

set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray

### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

function gfxmode {

    set gfxpayload="${1}"

    if [ "${1}" = "keep" ]; then

        set vt_handoff=vt.handoff=7

    else

        set vt_handoff=

    fi

}

set linux_gfx_mode=keep

export linux_gfx_mode



### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the

# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change

# the 'exec tail' line above.

### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

if [ -f  ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then

  source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg

elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then

  source $prefix/custom.cfg;

fi

### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

I followed several 'solutions' I found online, but nothing seems to work. I changed the grub file, moved several files (with number 30) from /etc/grub.d and ran "sudo update-grub" and saw "grub.cfg" update to what you see above. I would expect there to be no options like memtest in the grub anymore, but yet they are still appearing.

Also, setting "GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=false" and "GRUB_TIMEOUT=1" has no effect.

Does anybody know how I could get the grub to timeout (or better yet, not to come up at all)?

Just to cover all bases here: did you info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration' ??

This post took some time before it was up, I stopped checking four hours after I posted it. Since then I actually found an answer.

Installing grub again made it adhere to what is in grub.cfg, but it did remove the splashscreen that was there before (and I haven't found a way of getting it back, or implementing a new one).

Installing again was done with:

Code:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Quote:

I did a clean install of Kodibuntu (Lubuntu with Kodi) and updated it as outlined by the wiki (sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade). So the machine is now running Lubuntu 14.04 up to date as of 2016-08-17.

There is no harm in general OS updating or upgrading so long as you can cope up the often nasty consequence. I am no longer using any *buntu, nay Mint, so I cannot say with certainty anymore what happens generally speaking after a universal upgrade or update. But the general attitude should be *not to update or upgrade if it is NOT broke*. Security patches in Gnu/Linux OS's are given in detailed bits so you can do it in *isolated* work out.

I wonder the recent trend of hastily upgrading and updating. This probably came with the Microsoft Mentality brought in by migrants from that world. Such an attitude was not decades ago in Gnu/Linux community, save on truly serious security issues where the upgraders talk first about the library and dependency issues, but not in a simple *click right away* action.

Just a reminder from those who came from Redmond mental conditioning machine: There is no need to update or upgrade, unless it is truly necessary.

Quote:

Also, setting "GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=false" and "GRUB_TIMEOUT=1" has no effect.
Does anybody know how I could get the grub to timeout (or better yet, not to come up at all)?

Set the timeout to 20 seconds and you will have a twenty lonely seconds wait.

Do this:

Code:

sudo vi /etc/default/grub <or you can use whatever text editor you have there>

sudo leafpad /etc/default/grub

edit the timeout:
GRUB_TIMEOUT=20
then run the update-grub to update /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

Code:

sudo /usr/sbin/update-grub

there is no need to run grub-mkconfig nor change anything from the scripts in /etc/grub.d.
However, should your distro need run mkconfig then by all means run it first:
Be sure first where the grub.cfg file is located and make it your target -o file, example:

Code:

sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

sudo update-grub

Reboot.

Hope that helps. Good luck and enjoy.

m.m.

Quote:

Originally Posted by malekmustaq (Post 5592458)

The reason I sun the update is to update Kodi. That software has gotten some essential updates. For one of the clean installations I ran an update just on Kodi and the same error occurred with the grub. The last time I just took the easier route of running "sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade" as that involved a lot less keystrokes ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by malekmustaq (Post 5592458)

Set the timeout to 20 seconds and you will have a twenty lonely seconds wait.

Do this:

Code:

sudo vi /etc/default/grub <or you can use whatever text editor you have there>

sudo leafpad /etc/default/grub

edit the timeout:
GRUB_TIMEOUT=20
then run the update-grub to update /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

Code:

sudo /usr/sbin/update-grub

Code:

sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

sudo update-grub

Reboot.

Hope that helps. Good luck and enjoy.

m.m.

Setting the timeout to any number had no effect. Although I didn't test with 20 (only with 1, 5, 10 and 30), I am sure that setting it to 20 would have made no difference. I waited for 5 minutes with the timeout set to 30 and the grub didn't do anything...

It was clear that I could make changes to /etc/default/grub and then run "sudo update-grub" to see /boot/grub/grub.cfg change accordingly. However, these changes have no effect on the grub displayed during boot. Even after installing grub again, I am unable to make any changes to the grub via this route.

Can you run post us first what is seen by grub inside after running */usr/sbin/grub-probe*?

Quote:

Originally Posted by malekmustaq (Post 5593010)

Can you run post us first what is seen by grub inside after running */usr/sbin/grub-probe*?

I didn't know about that feature. I'll try it when I'm back home on Monday. Thank you for all the help BTW, it is much appreciated!

It took some time for me to get around to working on this issue.

I must have misunderstood what you wanted me to try, because running */usr/sbin/grub-probe* resulted in "No path or device is specified.".

So I looked online as what would normally be commands for grub-probe to get any results and I did the following:

*grub-probe -t device /boot/grub* results in "/dev/sda1"

and

*grub-probe --target=drive --device /dev/sda1* results in "warning: disk does not exist"

But I have no idea if this helps at all. Note that I have a separate boot partition.

Make sure to install grub to the mbr with the following procedure:

step 1 - confirm the device you want to install to with

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

Since you already have a separate /boot partition, it should be pretty obvious which device is the correct one. I'll assume it is /dev/sda.

Then, you want to install grub with

Code:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

This is assuming you have already updated grub with update-grub, which I'm supposing you have already done multiple times so far. However, I am worried. The grub.cfg you posted above does NOT look like it has any valid menu entries at all. To me, it looks like the mbr either has LILO or an old legacy grub setup, and it's kind of a miracle that you can boot into your newly installed OS at all.

So I'd recommend doing a more comprehensive procedure:

1st - check /etc/fstab to make sure the entry for /boot is sane. It should be some normal file system probably referencing a UUID but also with a comment indicating which partition it was when originally installed (something like /dev/sda5)

2nd - assuming /boot seems sane, update /boot/grub/grub.cfg with:

Code:

sudo update-grub

This should give feedback indicating that it has found at least one Linux OS. If not, then...well that's not good. Don't procede with the rest of this.

3rd - Check the contents of /boot/grub/grub.cfg to see if it looks sane. There should hopefully be one or more menuentry for your Linux OS. Look at the top one. There should be a line saying something like "set root='hd0,msdos4'", where 0=sda, 4=sda5 (add one to both numbers). Since you have a separate /boot partition, the linux and initrd lines should look something like:

echo 'Loading Linux ...'
linux /vmlinuz-3.16.0-4-646-pae root=UUID=5345325342634 ro quiet
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /initrd.img-3.16.0-4-686-pae

4th - If this looks sane, then install grub to the disk's main boot record (mbr) with:

Code:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Like I said, if sda isn't the right device, then adjust all of the above accordingly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IsaacKuo (Post 5595428)

Make sure to install grub to the mbr with the following procedure:

step 1 - confirm the device you want to install to with

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

Since you already have a separate /boot partition, it should be pretty obvious which device is the correct one. I'll assume it is /dev/sda.

Then, you want to install grub with

Code:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Thank you for taking time to help me with this. I wish I had more time to respond quickly, but with the machine not being mine, I don't always have access to it. As I posted above, I did update the grub with update-grub, and installed grub again using sudo grub-install /dev/sda (which is the correct drive). This fixed the issue with the grub appearing, but did not fix the issue with the grub not responding to grub.cfg.

Maybe the reason it looks so strange/old to you is that this is a LUBUNTU v14.04 install?

I tested the grub with grub emulator (grub-emu). I don't remember what the results were exactly for the grub I posted in the top post, but it works with the following. I used the GUI of grub customizer to update the grub to include a custom menu entry and it shows up in the emulated grub as expected.

grub

Code:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update

# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:

#  info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'



GRUB_DEFAULT="Kodi"

#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT="0"

GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET="true"

GRUB_TIMEOUT="5"

GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE="hidden"

GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT="0"

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

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="splash"

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""



# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs

# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains

# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)

#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"



# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)

#GRUB_TERMINAL="console"



# The resolution used on graphical terminal

# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE

# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'

#GRUB_GFXMODE="640x480"



# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux

#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID="true"



# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries

#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"



# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start

#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"



#GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX="keep"



#GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER="false"

#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT="false"

grub.cfg

Code:

#

# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE

#

# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates

# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub

#



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then

  set have_grubenv=true

  load_env

fi

if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then

  set default="${next_entry}"

  set next_entry=

  save_env next_entry

  set boot_once=true

else

  set default="Kodi"

fi



if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then

  menuentry_id_option="--id"

else

  menuentry_id_option=""

fi



export menuentry_id_option



if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then

  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"

  save_env saved_entry

  set prev_saved_entry=

  save_env prev_saved_entry

  set boot_once=true

fi



function savedefault {

  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then

    saved_entry="${chosen}"

    save_env saved_entry

  fi

}

function recordfail {

  set recordfail=1

  if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi

}

function load_video {

  if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then

    insmod all_video

  else

    insmod efi_gop

    insmod efi_uga

    insmod ieee1275_fb

    insmod vbe

    insmod vga

    insmod video_bochs

    insmod video_cirrus

  fi

}



if [ x$feature_default_font_path = xy ] ; then

  font=unicode

else

insmod part_msdos

insmod ext2

set root='hd0,msdos5'

if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then

  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5  801c66b8-e7e0-4b85-b050-aa5b1104ee11

else

  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 801c66b8-e7e0-4b85-b050-aa5b1104ee11

fi

    font="/share/grub/unicode.pf2"

fi



if loadfont $font ; then

  set gfxmode=auto

  load_video

  insmod gfxterm

  set locale_dir=$prefix/locale

  set lang=en_US

  insmod gettext

fi

terminal_output gfxterm

 if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ] ; then

  set timeout=0

 else

  if [ x$feature_timeout_style = xy ] ; then

    set timeout_style=hidden

    set timeout=5

  # Fallback hidden-timeout code in case the timeout_style feature is

  # unavailable.

  elif sleep --interruptible 5 ; then

    set timeout=0

  fi

 fi

### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

set menu_color_normal=white/black

set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray

### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

function gfxmode {

        set gfxpayload="${1}"

        if [ "${1}" = "keep" ]; then

                set vt_handoff=vt.handoff=7

        else

                set vt_handoff=

        fi

}

if [ "${recordfail}" != 1 ]; then

  if [ -e ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt ]; then

    if hwmatch ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt 3; then

      if [ ${match} = 0 ]; then

        set linux_gfx_mode=keep

      else

        set linux_gfx_mode=text

      fi

    else

      set linux_gfx_mode=text

    fi

  else

    set linux_gfx_mode=keep

  fi

else

  set linux_gfx_mode=text

fi

export linux_gfx_mode



### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/21_memtest86+ ###

### END /etc/grub.d/21_memtest86+ ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/32_uefi-firmware ###

### END /etc/grub.d/32_uefi-firmware ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

if [ -f  ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then

  source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg

elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then

  source $prefix/custom.cfg;

fi

### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###



### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/44_custom_proxy ###

menuentry "Kodi"{

        set root='(hd0,3)'

        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 6dd07524-ce55-48d9-8431-ae0af032fb9d

        linux /vmlinuz root=UUID=6dd07524-ce55-48d9-8431-ae0af032fb9d

        initrd /initrd.img

}



# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the

# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change

# the 'exec tail' line above.





### END /etc/grub.d/44_custom_proxy ###

However, now that I run "sudo grub-install /dev/sda" again, I get the following message (which I might have gotten the first time as well, I don't remember):

Code:

Sector 32 is already use by the program 'FlexNet' avoiding it. This software may cause boot or other problems in future. Please ask its authors not to store data in the boot track. Installation finished. No error reported.

I have no idea what this means or how it will affect the grub, but I'm guessing it has something to do with my problem.