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The Ubuntu community has contributed 22700 ideas, 138270 comments, 2629576 votes
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Popular ideas Here are the latest ideas about Ubuntu that have been approved.

GRUB is useless for many users  
Written by cslee-ubuntu the 21 Sep 12 at 18:52. Global category: Usability. New
When the user interface for grub is displayed ther are a few lines which require good eyesight and dexterity to use, let alone the ability to read.
It needs to move with the times.
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Solution #1: Icons and touch screen/mouse support
Written by cslee-ubuntu the 21 Sep 12 at 18:52.
To make the boot process more user friendly when more than one option is available having icons instead of tiny rows of text would make the options more obvious.
Allowing a user to touch the icons or use a mouse would also make the process more easy.
On tablet devices you get to go to the default option more often than is ideal unless you plug in a keyboard.

See the 8 comments or propose a solution >>

GRUB gets overwritten when other operating systems are installed  
Written by rarkenin the 30 Aug 12 at 13:18. Global category: Installation. New
When one installs a new OS alongside Ubuntu, especially Windows(not too uncommon), but a few odd Linux distros, GRUB gets overwritten with a bootloader that either does not support Ubuntu, or does not even support dual-booting in general.
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Solution #1: Use an abstraction layer in GRUB
Written by rarkenin the 30 Aug 12 at 13:18.
In previous operating systems, abstraction layers were used to give access to larger disks, so this can be used here. The user is instructed to use GRUB to load an installation CD, via a new option in the GRUB menu. Before GRUB boots this CD, it loads a disk abstraction layer. When the OS is being installed, it will probably write to the MBR or boot sector. Grub will intercept these changes(via the disk abstraction) and redirect the boot sector to a file accessible to GRUB and add an option to chainload into this boot sector. This alleviates the frustration of users who lose their GRUB to various other OSs' boot sectors.
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Solution #2: Provide Ubuntu Tools for Windows On CD
Written by AndrewLuecke the 1 Sep 12 at 00:53.
We should provide tools on the Windows disk for Windows which includes a Grub repair utility. We could even offer to install the tools into Windows during the Ubuntu process if Windows is already installed.

We probably can't eliminate the problem fully, but we can make the problem easy to solve.
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Solution #3: Make Coreboot usable
Written by AndrewLuecke the 1 Sep 12 at 01:06.
Coreboot is an alternative to the traditional Bios. However, it currently has poor chipset support, and no real backing.

With Coreboot, Auto-detection of operating systems could be added (OSX already does this), and Coreboot could be used to boot Linux partitions, whilst MBR/EFI could be used for 3rd party compatibility. If Ubuntu throws in some support to bring it in line with new hardware, Ubuntu certified hardware would suddenly make serious sense to consumers.

Also, then Windows, PCBSD or Hackintoshes can mess with the Boot loader all they want, and Linux will always be accessible (Coreboot could even help ensure windows is always accessible).

Coreboot can already support EFI and MBR's...

See the 4 comments or propose a solution >>

Make GRUB's menuentry for Windows partitions less geeky  
Written by brm the 9 May 12 at 21:47. Related project: Live CD installer. New
My wish is to simplify the language referring to Windows partitions in /boot/grub/grub.cfg. The current language is in terms that only a Unix geek could love: "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)." This does not contribute to resolution of bug #1.

I am an advanced intermediate user of Linux, so I know exactly what the line means. But a less experienced user of my multi-boot machine might well be confused. I would prefer "compromise" language: for example, "Microsoft Windows 7 (installed on /dev/sda1)."

This way, the *ix user knows which is the Windows partition; the Windows user sees a term that s/he recognizes.

Following an answer to a Launchpad question on this point, I am submitting this idea both to brainstorm and as a wishlist bug.
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Solution #1: Simpler language in GRUB menuentry
Written by brm the 9 May 12 at 21:47.
language such as "Microsoft Windows 7 (installed on /dev/sda1)" would be recognizable to a user more familiar with Windows as well as providing useful information to a more experienced Linux user.
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Solution #2: only an Ubuntu option without any extra string
Written by siddhantone the 11 May 12 at 19:26.
Instead of all three options i.e. Ubuntu, recovery mode and memory test, only an Ubuntu option will be better without any extra string i.e. (installed on /dev/sda1),(installed on /dev/sda2)
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Solution #3: More self explaining language in GRUB menuentry
Written by puxkggn the 13 May 12 at 14:22.
Thus getting something like:
"Microsoft Windows 7 (loader) (installed on /dev/sda1)"
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Solution #4: Add "Advanced options" at the bottom of the list
Written by turbolad the 22 May 12 at 11:14.
To make the GRUB boot options more user friendly and less daunting to new users, who have installed Ubuntu alongside Windows, a simpler GRUB could be implemented and the "technical" stuff available from "Advanced options". GRUB could look simpler by default, like this:
__

Boot options

Ubuntu 12.04
Ubuntu recovery and troubleshooting
Windows 7
Advanced options
__

Behind "Advanced options" could include the memtest86, previous Linux kernels and partition information can be shown, such as showing Windows 7 installed on /dev/sda1 and so on. Newbies don't understand what "/dev/sda1" means!

See the 3 comments or propose a solution >>

Ubuntu needs an better interface than GRUB for dual-boot  
Written by jim0watkins the 24 May 11 at 15:46. Related project: Live CD installer. New
The dual-boot option for Ubuntu is extremely important, it allows people to become used to Ubuntu while still having their original OS to fall back on, or to use for programs that aren't compatible with Linux (i.e., that aren't free).

As easy as it is to install dual-boot, it can sometimes be difficult and complicated (at least for people new to Ubuntu) to get it working right with GRUB, and then the GRUB interface is unappealing and time-consuming. With a better interface than manually booting an OS every time we open a computer, we can better penetrate (pun intended) the competing OS' markets.

This link shows a potential interface for Solution #3: http://goo.gl/BtHkH
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Solution #1: Intuitive GUI for dual-boot
Written by jim0watkins the 24 May 11 at 15:46.
Since the goal of Ubuntu is to become a viable alternative to other operating systems, it should be easy for people to transition from regularly using one to regularly using Ubuntu, and an intuitive GUI for GRUB/dual-boot would be a good way of doing that. This feature can be part of installing Ubuntu as dual-boot (with the option of just using GRUB being available, of course). This would make the transition to Ubuntu much more smooth for people with little experience using Linux.

I'm not sure about how to do this technically, but there are different options for designing it. For example:

Startup => BIOS => Interface with 2 OS options, when you click on one it takes you to that operating system's login screen
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Solution #2: Make Grub More User Friendly
Written by scott-ian the 25 May 11 at 04:02.
I think grub should be make more user friendly, and include built instructions for manual boot. It should be clear how to manually boot an OS. Grub should also have a good GUI configuration tool, but the actual boot loader is fine as a CLI.
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Solution #3: BURG + F8 like functionality
Written by thehosh the 29 May 11 at 14:13.
When having just Ubuntu installed, boot up straight into Ubuntu rather than giving you a list. When a button is pressed (e.g. F8) similar to Windows' F8, you get a list of other things such as memtest etc. (in CLI).

When dual booting, you get all the OSs with a good theme in BURG, again, pressing a button will go to CLI version and give you additional options.
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Solution #4: rEFIt style boot menu
Written by francisdb the 21 Jun 11 at 08:52.
Show large os icons instead of text (are we still in the 80s?), make kernel selection an advanced option!

eEFIt has a nice boot menu
http://refit.sourceforge.net/screen.html
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Solution #5: Single grub for all the installed distro
Written by dino99 the 22 Jun 11 at 13:25.
What is done until now:
- each installed distro put its own grub loader: that mean lot of different grub versions installed sometimes on the same drive (what a mess)
- only a grub is designed as master, so the grub menu is not always up-to-date, since the master grub is run again

Grub should be installed only once to avoid such issues. It might act as an independent bootloader (like GAG does). That way the distro installer only install grub if none is found on the system.
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Solution #6: Make Grub Simple
Written by mail4martynow the 2 Nov 11 at 20:03.
Grub should have ubuntu windows and advanced options
In advanced options should be the memory testing options.

It would make it look simpler and less off putting for users who are not use to computing and would like better - lets face it the memory test are not done regularly infact very rarely.


See the 6 comments or propose a solution >>

Frequently you need to update a BIOS with a windows/DOS executable  
Written by hawthornso23 the 16 Jan 11 at 09:25. Global category: Hardware support. New
Installing a new BIOS is a pain because many manufacturers only provide BIOS updates as windows/DOS executables. To update the BIOS natively from within linux is actually quite easy, but to do it you need a copy of the BIOS in suitable form - for example an hdr file. For that we are totally dependent on the goodwill of the manufacturers. Goodwill which we are not getting.

Manufacturers if anything seem to be making it more difficult to obtain hdr files that would allow native linux BIOS updates. Perhaps they are being threatened. The ideal would be to simply update the BIOS via a repositary. That ideal is not achievable without the cooperation of manufacturers. In the interim we need is a simpler method to flash your BIOS using the windows/DOS executable which is often the only BIOS update format that manufacturers provide.

The usual process is to write the windows/DOS BIOS update file to some sort of bootable media containing a copy of DOS or freeDOS, be it a floppy, CD or USB key. Then reboot and install. I propose a simpler method.
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Solution #1: Provide a FREEDOS boot option by default in GRUB.
Written by hawthornso23 the 16 Jan 11 at 09:25.
With the size of modern disks the space taken up by a copy of DOS is miniscule. So lets simply include a copy of FreeDOS and provide a FreeDOS boot option in grub by default. Rather similar to the existing memtest option, this would allow you to boot into a preinstalled copy of FreeDOS specifically in order to faciltate BIOS updates, so you wouldn't have to muck around making special copies of bootable media. The FreeDOS files could be mounted as /FreeDOS in normal ubuntu operation to make it easy to copy stuff across.

To update your BIOS in this setup

1. sudo cp E6510A06.EXE /FreeDOS
2. reboot and select FreeDOS in GRUB
3. Update ( E6510A06.EXE in our example ).

We can't change the policies of manufacturers or do anything about the anticompetitive threats that are causing them to withdraw linux BIOS update options. But we can make updating your BIOS using a windows/DOS BIOS flash utility a painless procedure.
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Solution #2: Startup Disk Creator should have "upgrade bios" mode.
Written by daniel311 the 10 Feb 11 at 07:51.
So, as Snc wrote in the comments:

"The Startup Disk Creator should have a "upgrade bios" mode, making the USB a Free DOS booting device, with selected files on it (with selected i mean: zip, decompressed or folder, copied)"

See the 10 comments or propose a solution >>

whoops i just went to command line  
Written by tumaru the 31 Dec 10 at 04:54. Related project: Ubuntu mobile edition. New
I just used the recovery console and after I "fixed my packages" I chose to resume boot because I was hoping that had solved my problem. Instead it brought me to a command line interface and told me to use sudo for root access. Although I vaguely know what that means, I don't know how to get from there to anywhere.
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Solution #1: escape option
Written by tumaru the 31 Dec 10 at 04:54.
give the user the option to either continue to the command line interface or start the gui

See the 1 comments or propose a solution >>

support fs-labels in grub config to support changed UUIDs because of HDD damage  
Written by Progressiv the 6 Dec 10 at 12:23. Global category: System. New
Please add support for filesystem labels in grub config.

I do the following to tell the kernel tha root is on a filesystem with a special LABEL:

--- 10_linux.orig 2010-12-06 12:25:58.000000000 +0100
+++ 10_linux 2010-12-06 12:12:51.000000000 +0100
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ if [ "x$GRUB_DEVICE_UUID" = "x" ] || [
else
LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=UUID=$GRUB_DEVICE_UUID
fi
+LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=LABEL=ROOTFS

# add crashkernel option if we have the required tools
if [ -x "/usr/bin/makedumpfile" ] && [ -x "/sbin/kexec" ]; then


This is useful when the root partition changes because of hdd failure and exchange or disk replacement because of size.

This corresponds with a label in /etc/fstab:
LABEL=ROOTFS / ext3 defaults 0 1


Thanks
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Solution #1: add menu entry in partitioning dialog while installing
Written by Progressiv the 6 Dec 10 at 12:23.
There could be a additional menu entry for mounting with LABEL=... in the partition dialog when you set a fs label.

Thanks
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Solution #2: simply change the UUID of the new volume
Written by patrick2901 the 16 Dec 10 at 09:05.
Simply boot a Live CD and change the UUID of the new volume:

tune2fs /dev/sdXY -U

or

tune2fs /dev/hdXY -U

That should be not more complicated than changing the volume label.

Add a comment or propose a solution >>

Seperate Boot Menu for failsafex  
Written by evas80 the 3 Nov 10 at 15:29. Global category: System. New
After installing the recommended nvidia driver, certain system may hang while booting due to graphic driver problem.

While it is easy for a Pro-User to boot into recovery and fix by logging in theu xfix mode, it may not be so for new/avg user.

I just realized this when my nephew who is an avg PC user called up to resolve his PC issue after fresh installation of Ubuntu 10.10 and the recommended nvidia driver.
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Solution #1: Add Graphic Fix boot mode in boot menu
Written by evas80 the 3 Nov 10 at 15:29.
In the boot menu need to add an simple description suggesting user to try xfix mode in case if they have installed/changed video drivers.

Add a comment or propose a solution >>

Easy way to put a password on GRUB  
Written by Vahan Harutyunyan the 9 Oct 10 at 10:13. Global category: System. New
I think it would be good to have a convenient (graphical) way (not using commands in terminal) to put a password on GRUB.
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Solution #1: "Security" section in the StartUp-Manager
Written by Vahan Harutyunyan the 9 Oct 10 at 10:13.
It would be good to add a "Security" section in the StartUp-Manager where we can create a new password for GRUB, delete the old password, change the password, disable this feature if we don't want that every time the GRUB requests from us the password.....etc.

See the 4 comments or propose a solution >>

remember boot parameter (in grub.cfg) when installing / upgrading Ubuntu  
Written by daddo the 2 Aug 10 at 09:01. Global category: Usability. New
I have a Toshiba laptop, wich only works with Ubuntu (10.04), if booting from LiveCD with the acpi=off parameter selected.

But even then, after installing Ubuntu, Ubuntu will not boot, because the grub.cfg does not contain the acpi=off parameter.

If i add that parameter manually, then after first update, where new kernel is configured, the acpi=off parameter will be removed even from the old Grub entry...
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Solution #1: add selected livecd boot parameters automatically into grub.cfg file on install
Written by daddo the 2 Aug 10 at 09:01.
If booted from livecd with special parameters, ask to add them in the grub.cfg too.
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Solution #2: mirror Ubuntu livecd boot parameters in Grub
Written by daddo the 2 Aug 10 at 09:03.
Integrate boot parameters into Grub, making them optional for every entry in grub.cfg.
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Solution #3: Solution #1 + remember boot parameters after each kernel update
Written by JRo the 2 Aug 10 at 11:50.
+ If booted from livecd with special parameters, ask to add them in the grub.cfg too. (Solution #1)
+ On each kernel update, ask if keeping boot parameters is needed. This should not be a "compare" dialog like when your version of a config file differs from package owner one, this should be a specific dialog that keep the boot params if nobody click "keep" nor "remove" after 30s (or 60s, like the shutdown dialog)

side note : I had the same problem with a specific hardware tha needed irqpoll as boot arg, so I understand how painfull it is to re-do again and again the same config modification (or at least file compare).

See the 1 comments or propose a solution >>

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