GRUB system selection menu doesn't show SOLVED!

[bitbanger]

(I have had this problem with several versions of Linux Mint.)

I boot the system but do not get the menu of available systems including the option to select a version of the system in recovery mode. I get a black screen without out even a cursor for companionship. The system takes the timeout and eventually I get the standard release of mint and the login screen.

In mint-10 I was able to play with some of the color depth and resolution settings and SOMETIMES on SOME SYSTEMS it would work. Running Mint under VBox never seems to work at all.

I have scanned the forum for things to try for other grub boot issues to no avail.

{Also, I applaud the decision to make long term support versions of mint. Some of us are not happy with new releases that crop up like unwanted children in the olden days before birth control.}

Thanks for any insight,

bitbanger

[MarkLaw19]

Consider trying Puppy Linux. Puppy Linux contains recovery boot menu called Grub4Dos Bootloader Config. You can get Puppy Linux from the following website:

http://puppylinux.com/download/

Select whatever versions you want. Burn it to CD and boot it. When it finished loading, go to "Menu > Setup > Grub4Dos Bootloader Config". Follow the options given and it will automatically detect every installed Linux distros and windows.

[oboedad55]

(I have had this problem with several versions of Linux Mint.)

I boot the system but do not get the menu of available systems including the option to select a version of the system in recovery mode. I get a black screen without out even a cursor for companionship. The system takes the timeout and eventually I get the standard release of mint and the login screen.

In mint-10 I was able to play with some of the color depth and resolution settings and SOMETIMES on SOME SYSTEMS it would work. Running Mint under VBox never seems to work at all.

I have scanned the forum for things to try for other grub boot issues to no avail.

{Also, I applaud the decision to make long term support versions of mint. Some of us are not happy with new releases that crop up like unwanted children in the olden days before birth control.}

Thanks for any insight,

bitbanger

If I'm not mistaken you won't get a boot menu unless you have other kernels or other OS's installed. Try holding down the shift key if you want the menu.
Have a look here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Hidden

[bitbanger]

Thanks for the link to oboedad55. I tried all the suggestions and still do not get the boot menu. On my Mint-7 system (the last with the old version of grub I get four flavors of mint-7: current, current recovery, previous and previous recovery plus the mostly useless memtest.

I tried shift, escape, several random keys. Nothing. The original notion was that if your system was hosed for some reason you could start up the system from some other configuration and then have the ability to take corrective action. I am reluctant to commit to a release of mint after 7 if I cannot have this feature.

Still looking for insight.

bitbanger

[oobetimer]

If grub2 is a problem, you can install Legacy grub, which works very well with boot menus and multiboots ..

If you install Legacy grub, you need to run update-grub after that (remember to answer Y when asking about menu.lst). You need to re-install grub to MBR also and for the boot menu, you need to put # to the front of hiddenmenu in the /boot/grub/menu.lst. Default timeout is 3 seconds, so you may change it ..

If you have windows, you need to add it to the /boot/grub/menu.lst

An example:

title Windows partition sda1
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
boot

title Windows partition sda2
root (hd0,1)
chainloader +1
boot

[bitbanger]

Thanks to oobetimer for the suggestion. However, I do not know how to install legacy grub. Forget my level 2 rating, I've just posted a lot of questions. I'm really a newbie at Linux. If someone can give me the command sequence to install legacy grub I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

bitbanger

[Adelante]

bitbanger, this may not be the technically proper way, but I can't seem to take in grub instructions very well myself. So a simple way for me is to boot from a live DVD of SalineOs and use Grub Doctor. You will see it listed on the applications menu at system. Instructions are very clear. It takes about a minute. I have SalineOs as my first partition and always select it, but you select the one you want to be at the top of the grub menu. It never fails for me. Good luck.

[bitbanger]

To MarkLaw19 and Adelante my thanks. For lots of reasons I do not want to use other versions of Linux, I have my hands full already.

So I am still looking for the magic to install legacy grub from a Linux Mint 7 Live cd.

bitbanger

[oobetimer]

Thanks to oobetimer for the suggestion. However, I do not know how to install legacy grub. Forget my level 2 rating, I've just posted a lot of questions. I'm really a newbie at Linux. If someone can give me the command sequence to install legacy grub I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

bitbanger

You can install Legacy grub via Synaptic or command line.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install grub
sudo update-grub # remember answer Y when asking about menu.lst
sudo grub-install /dev/sdx # where x= hard drive´s letter (mostly sda) sudo blkid tells
gksudo pluma /boot/grub/menu.lst
... add # to the front of hiddenmenu and increase timeout
... add lines for Windows and others if needed
... save and quit

[barryp]

Hi

I had a similar problem, there's another thread here:
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=102861

In my case grub appeared when I edited

Code: Select all

/etc/default/grub

& uncommented (removed the # mark from the front of) the line which said

Code: Select all

 #gfx640x480

Don't forget that if you edit this file you must run

Code: Select all

sudo update-grub

afterwards. I hope that this helps.

Barry

[bitbanger]

Thanks to oobetimer! Your information worked and I am up and running.