How to set "toram" as default in grub menu

[Gabe2004]

I am trying to modify a Linux Mint distro (20.2 Mate) to have the "toram" flag set by default under the Start Linux Mint boot option.
I have mounted the installation iso and modified the content of 3 files by adding "toram" after "quiet splash" and then made a new iso.
The files are:
/boot/grub/grub.cfg
/boot/grub/loopback.cfg
/isolinux/isolinux.cfg
Nothing happened. I mean Mint did not boot to ram but continued to operate from the usb.
Can someone guide me in the right direction.
Thank you.

[shedyed]

Hmmm, what about /usr/share/grub/default/grub, it has a line there for the defaults e.g. on mine it's

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

and in your case, put the toram between the quotes. See that it gets picked up, because I've been running live sessions using ventoy. This is a nonproduction machine, so I can test things out like running e24 on Mint.

I am not sure if you need to run update grub or some similar utility

[Gabe2004]

Thank you shedyed.
I will try your suggestion.
As far as the rest of your answer, I am not yet proficient enough to what you did but I will look for the information about ventoy, e24 and run upgrade grub.
All of which I am not familiar with but hoping to learn soon.

[Gabe2004]

While trying to save /usr/share/grub/default/grub I am getting the following message:
"You do not have the permissions necessary to save the file".
Any ideas of how to solve this?
Thank you

[zcot]

you would need the update-grub command to rebuild the images, but that doesn't work like that with an iso like that(read-only file system).

Generally you can't just edit the thing and save a new iso, that doesn't work.

There's a method to creating a correct iso like this but it is advanced.

Your best bet is using something like a Ventoy setup or something similar.

[Gabe2004]

Thank you zcot.

[SimonPeter]

I am trying to modify a Linux Mint distro (20.2 Mate) to have the "toram" flag set by default under the Start Linux Mint boot option.
I have mounted the installation iso and modified the content of 3 files by adding "toram" after "quiet splash" and then made a new iso.
The files are:
/boot/grub/grub.cfg
/boot/grub/loopback.cfg
/isolinux/isolinux.cfg
Nothing happened. I mean Mint did not boot to ram but continued to operate from the usb.
Can someone guide me in the right direction.
Thank you.

What about sed'ing the ISO in-place:
sed -i 's/quiet splash/toram splash/g' /path/to/the/ISO/file .
-- do this AT YOUR OWN RISK.

But, AFAIK modifying these files should add it "toram" to the kernel parameters, provided you don't use another bootloader (like a separate GRUB, rEFInd etc.,) to boot it.

The files are:
/boot/grub/grub.cfg
/boot/grub/loopback.cfg
/isolinux/isolinux.cfg

[Gabe2004]

Thank you SimonPeter.
I don't understand what you wrote but I will try and piece it together.

[SimonPeter]

Thank you SimonPeter.
I don't understand what you wrote but I will try and piece it together.

You're welcome.

I was saying that you can use sed (can be used to find and replace inside binary files) to replace all occurrences of "quiet splash" with "toram splash" (note that they are strings with the same length) -- do this AT YOUR OWN RISK.

What you have currently done (modifying /boot/grub/{grub,loopback}.cfg and /isolinux/isolinux.cfg) is fine too -- that must add the kernel parameters correctly for the live system, provided you don't use another bootloader, like another GRUB install (not the one in the live system) and/or use rEFInd (and the like) to boot that live system.

[Hoser Rob]

Thank you SimonPeter.
I don't understand what you wrote but I will try and piece it together.

PLease make damn sure you do a Timeshift system backup before doing all this.

[SimonPeter]

Thank you SimonPeter.
I don't understand what you wrote but I will try and piece it together.

PLease make damn sure you do a Timeshift system backup before doing all this.

I second @Hoser Rob .
It is safe (and highly recommended) to make a good and secure backup of all your data (and your installed system).

BTW we're talking about modifying a LIVE SYSTEM, and NOT about an installed system.

[Gabe2004]

Sorry for the late reply.
Thank you for the advice @Hoser Rob. I am just experimenting with Linux now so no harm will be done in any case.
On my main computer I have 2 backups just to be safe and I alternate the backup medium.

[Gabe2004]

Thank you SimonPeter.
I don't understand what you wrote but I will try and piece it together.

You're welcome.

I was saying that you can use sed (can be used to find and replace inside binary files) to replace all occurrences of "quiet splash" with "toram splash" (note that they are strings with the same length) -- do this AT YOUR OWN RISK.

What you have currently done (modifying /boot/grub/{grub,loopback}.cfg and /isolinux/isolinux.cfg) is fine too -- that must add the kernel parameters correctly for the live system, provided you don't use another bootloader, like another GRUB install (not the one in the live system) and/or use rEFInd (and the like) to boot that live system.

"toram splash" worked but only if I let the 9 second boot delay to expire on it's own.
If I hit TAB and then ENTER my system froze.
I'll have to look into this a bit further but for now I have a Live usb that boots to ram.