Grub2 and multiple boot different ubuntu versions

[Tom H]

> So how would you advise a standard multiboot user to edit this:

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

<snip>

>> insmod ext2
>> set root='(hd0,8)'
>> search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
>> if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
>>   set gfxmode=640x480
>>   insmod gfxterm
>>   insmod vbe
>>   if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
>>     # For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
>>     # understand terminal_output
>>     terminal gfxterm
>>   fi
>> fi
>> insmod ext2
>> set root='(hd0,8)'
>> search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
>> set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
>> set lang=en
>> insmod gettext
>> if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
>>   set timeout=-1
>> else
>>   set timeout=10
>> fi

<snip>

>> ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
>> menuentry "Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-17-generic" --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
>>       recordfail
>>       insmod ext2
>>       set root='(hd0,8)'
>>       search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
>>       linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-17-generic root=UUID=<snipped> ro   quiet splash
>>       initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-17-generic
>> }

<snip>

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

>> ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
>> menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
>>       insmod ext2
>>       set root='(hd0,8)'
>>       search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
>>       linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
>> }
>> menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
>>       insmod ext2
>>       set root='(hd0,8)'
>>       search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
>>       linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
>> }
>> ### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

>> ### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
>> menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" {
>>       insmod ntfs
>>       set root='(hd0,1)'
>>       search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
>>       chainloader +1
>> }
>> menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-20-generic (on /dev/sda5)" {
>>       insmod ext2
>>       set root='(hd0,5)'
>>       search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
>>       linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-20-generic root=UUID=<snipped> ro quiet splash
>>       initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-20-generic
>> }

<snip>

>> menuentry "Ubuntu, linux 2.6.24-27-generic (on /dev/sda7)" {
>>       insmod ext2
>>       set root='(hd0,7)'
>>       search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
>>       linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-27-generic root=UUID=<snipped> ro quiet splash
>>       initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-27-generic
>> }

<snip>

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

> to simply edit out the memtest bits? Would I take the chance of deleting a:

>> }
>> menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+) (on /dev/sda7)" {
>>       insmod ext2
>>       set root='(hd0,7)'
>>       search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
>>       linux /boot/memtest86+.bin
>> }

> to see if it works or not?

> You see, it will take quite a bit of work to do that, and a single
> mistake could bork grub2 in the process. Plus, how do you keep it updated?

The first line that you are proposing to delete is already one line too many! :)

I keep a grub.cfg in /root and "vi /root/grub.cfg" to add and remove
entries before copying it to /boot/grub.


> While I very much respect your advise & opinions, I seriously doubt that
> modifying grub2 is easier than the former menu.lst and/or 'not much of a
> hassle'. Note that Tom H had to provide a method simply to eliminate the
> Win7 bits (thanks Tom H!) for the Win7 recovery entries.

I find grub.cfg just as easy to edit manually as menu.lst... (You're welcome!)


This is a small thing, but if you choose
GRUB_TERMINAL=gfxterm
as opposed to
GRUB_TERMINAL=console
in
/etc/default/grub
you end up with two
<begin>
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,8)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set <snipped>
</end>
in
/boot/grub/grub.cfg
before the menuentry stanza
so the grub maintainers still have some cleaning up to do in their
scripts - and MIGHT at some point make some changes that will give
more options. Fingers crossed; VERY crossed.