[Bug 428570] [NEW] Default grub2 configuration won't boot through to default OS

[Patrick Goetz]

Public bug reported:

Binary package hint: grub-common

The default settings for /etc/default/grub won't allow the machine to
boot through automatically to the default OS -- someone must hit <Enter>
on the console, which is almost never an appropriate configuration for a
server.  Here is the default /etc/default/grub:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

  GRUB_DEFAULT=0
  GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
  GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
  GRUB_TIMEOUT="2"
  GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
  GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
  GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

with just a bit of trial and error I discovered that a non-zero value
must be set for GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT in order for the machine to boot
through to the first OS after timeout; e.g.

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=1
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT="2"
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

Looking over the documentation for grub2, it seems clear that
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT shouldn't have anything to do with whether or not
the machine boots through after timeout.  I'm guessing this is a grub2
bug?  Ubuntu/package versions listed below:

root at ibis:/home/pgoetz# cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=9.10
DISTRIB_CODENAME=karmic
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu karmic (development branch)"

root at ibis:/home/pgoetz# dpkg -l | grep grub
ii  grub-common   1.97~beta2-2ubuntu2      GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (common
ii  grub-pc            1.97~beta2-2ubuntu2      GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (PC/BIOS

** Affects: grub2 (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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Default grub2 configuration won't boot through to default OS
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/428570
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