Idea #3977: Better default organization of the Grub menu

This idea is a duplicate of idea #21: Professional-looking bootloader.

357

Written by oencke the 9 Mar 08 at 13:32. Category: System.
Related to: Nothing/Others. Status: New

Description

On each kernel update the GRUB menu is reset to less than beginnerfriendly defaults.

At the moment, the menu.lst first has an automagic kernels list, then an "other operating systems" divider, and at last the windows partition.
The automagic kernels list consists of the complicating entries

Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
Ubuntu 7.10, memtest86+

I think a beginnerfriendly list should look like this:
Ubuntu 7.10
Microsoft Windows XP
... (other non-ubuntu OS's)
Maintenance:
Ubuntu 7.10 recovery mode - kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
Ubuntu 7.10 memory test

The main ubuntu entry should not have the kernel version, since it looks too frightening to the average user.
Also the non-ubuntu OS's have to be directly under the main entry to make switching as simple as possible and to not appear discriminating them by placing two additional (unimportant) ubuntu entries above all other OS's and pushing them away into a far off section.

Tags: grub

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Comments

Madsrh wrote on the 9 Mar 08 at 14:05

That sound like a sensible idea to me.
Perhaps the recovery mode and memory test and stuff like that should be placed in a submenu called "Maintenance". Like this:

* Ubuntu 7.10
* Ubuntu 8.40 Alpha 6
* Microsoft Windows XP
________________________

* Maintenance ->

vicho wrote on the 9 Mar 08 at 14:12

At first sight I was going to vote this down, but after i read it you had a + :)

Cybercod wrote on the 9 Mar 08 at 19:27

This would be awesome and save me a lot of time since I do this on every dual-boot Ubuntu machine that I install for friends/family/customers. And then I run into the problem of it being re-configured every time they do updates. My only option then is to either continue to redo it, or turn off the updates, or spend five hours explaining to someone what it all means.

I would also suggest that inside the "Maintenance" submenu is the perfect place for all of the previous kernel entries, since after a while of updating a system you tend to get multiple sets of
[code]
Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
Ubuntu 7.10, memtest86+
[/code]

each with different kernel versions, with Windows or other *nix OS's WAAAAAY down at the bottom.

Having access to previous kernels is important sometimes if a new kernel doesn't like your machine. But I don't want them clogging up my boot menu.

And I would also suggest that the Ubuntu line show the code name, so as not to be outdone by the flashy name(s) that come along with other OS's.

[code]
Ubuntu Linux 8.04 Hardy Heron
Fire Hydrant Linux 3.01
Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows XP Professional

>Maintenance

[/code]

Roanoke wrote on the 9 Mar 08 at 20:47

No. And if that beginner needs to boot into the memtest or the recovery mode or has more than one ubuntu installed with different kernels?

oencke wrote on the 9 Mar 08 at 21:08

I like the additional idea of a submenu, if grub is able to do that.

I might also go along with the version code name although the shorter the name the better. But I don't think we need the Linux part in it, because everyone who wants to know does know that ubuntu is a GNU/Linux distribution.

oencke wrote on the 9 Mar 08 at 21:32

@Roanoke:
We do not want to kill all the additional options, they just get moved to an extra area/submenu where they don't hinder the OS switching as much. They are rarely needed during the daily usage of a computer. And I don't think it is very common that a beginner has more than one ubuntu installation, although if that is the case, grub will detect that and could act accordingly. I don't think this case justifies to keep the kernel version for every installation.

nq6 wrote on the 9 Mar 08 at 22:37

See the diagram below.
http://lh3.google.com/nq6.studio/R8m3O_x-smI/AAAAAAAAAZs/2ZU53X2YNWM/Grub-EN.jp g?imgdl=1

idea #2295

jorgejhms wrote on the 10 Mar 08 at 04:24

I think this is perfect. It would be more friendly for everyone.

dino99 wrote on the 10 Mar 08 at 07:19

GRUB is very powerfull, have plenty unknown and unused options, but is not userfriendly and is naming hardware with his own way: it's very confusing.

Time is coming to give Linux community an up to date friendly tool, not only a simple GUI hiding the actual grub.

wattazoum wrote on the 10 Mar 08 at 08:37

Hello,

I love the Idea. I suggest opening a blueprint for Hardy+1 for this.

sedra wrote on the 10 Mar 08 at 12:35

this sould be done also on the main page of the Installation CD with an option for reparing exixting system
i suggest
1- Run Ubuntu
2- Install on Hard drive
3-upgrade
3 -Repair corrupted installation
4- test memory
5- quit and reboot

Alan Pope (Ubuntu Developer) wrote on the 11 Mar 08 at 09:23

"Ubuntu 7.10, memtest86+ " is misleading because when you boot to memtest you _don't_ actually boot Ubuntu at all, you boot directly into memtest.

elisee wrote on the 11 Mar 08 at 09:53

We truly need a submenu to contain all of the older / "maintenance" entries. They surely need to be easily accessible (aka. not removed) but not shown by default, to unclutter Grub's main menu.

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