Force Grub to open on reboot?

[darkrchaos]

I've just spent the last 4 hours trying to fix my computer. After updating my computer I lost my ability to connect to the internet wirelessly. I believe it was because of the new kernel, so I spent the day trying to open grub to switch to the old one with no success. I eventually got sick of trying and used to timeshift to fix the problem.

Thank god there is timeshift...

Anyway I would still like to know how to get into grub. I tried editing the file, but it still wouldn't open. Is there a way to force it open? Like a "restart and open grub" option?

[deck_luck]

To help with the discussion and if you are command line capable, please post the output from the following command:

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grep -v '^#' /etc/default/grub

The initial grub process can be configured to prompt the user by waiting a predetermined number of seconds. Please provide your Linux Mint version as well.

[arvy]

Anyway I would still like to know how to get into grub. I tried editing the file, but it still wouldn't open. Is there a way to force it open? Like a "restart and open grub" option?

Not clear what file you tried editing. However, as deck_luck suggests, Grub's default behaviour (i.e., unless overridden by subsequent grub.cfg settings) is determined by the settings in the /etc/default/grub file. The default "GRUB_TIMEOUT=10" is generally adequate, but the "GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden" setting means that no Grub boot menu will appear unless the user hits a key (Esc) during those 10 seconds.

In some cases, results may also be affected by a bug in Ubuntu 20.04 (see here) causing Grub to ignore those defaults. In that case, the "workaround" most likely to succeed is to uncomment the "#GRUB_TERMINAL=console" line (i.e., change it to "GRUB_TERMINAL=console") in the /etc/default/grub file.

That bug should get fixed in the forthcoming Ubuntu point release due August 6th and in a LM 20.x point release that should also (one hopes) follow shortly thereafter.

[mr_raider]

There is usually a key to call grub during boot. Try hitting shift or ESC repeatedly.

[arvy]

Exactly as I said above, but that won't overcome the problem if the Ubuntu 20.04 "bug" is involved.

[darkrchaos]

Anyway I would still like to know how to get into grub. I tried editing the file, but it still wouldn't open. Is there a way to force it open? Like a "restart and open grub" option?

Not clear what file you tried editing. However, as deck_luck suggests, Grub's default behaviour (i.e., unless overridden by subsequent grub.cfg settings) is determined by the settings in the /etc/default/grub file. The default "GRUB_TIMEOUT=10" is generally adequate, but the "GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden" setting means that no Grub boot menu will appear unless the user hits a key (Esc) during those 10 seconds.

In some cases, results may also be affected by a bug in Ubuntu 20.04 (see here) causing Grub to ignore those defaults. In that case, the "workaround" most likely to succeed is to uncomment the "#GRUB_TERMINAL=console" line (i.e., change it to "GRUB_TERMINAL=console") in the /etc/default/grub file.

That bug should get fixed in the forthcoming Ubuntu point release due August 6th and in a LM 20.x point release that should also (one hopes) follow shortly thereafter.

That's what I was editing. I changed GRUB_TIMEOUT=0 to GRUB_TIMEOUT=10, but it still didn't work. I'm pretty sure it also had GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden. What would I change that to so it would open instead of being hidden.

[arvy]

Change it to "GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=menu" and run sudo update-grub. If that doesn't work, try uncommenting the "#GRUB_TERMINAL=console" line.

[darkrchaos]

I heard a few places say to update grub2. So just to be clear I update grub not grub2?

[arvy]

The command is exactly as posted with a hyphen. Copy/paste as follows:

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sudo update-grub

[deck_luck]

I heard a few places say to update grub2. So just to be clear I update grub not grub2?

The update-grub2 is a symbolic link to update-grub. Either one works. (Now, if I could just eliminate my typos.)

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$ ls -l /usr/sbin/update-grub{,2}
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 64 Mar 11 15:57 /usr/sbin/update-grub
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 11 Mar 11 15:57 /usr/sbin/update-grub2 -> update-grub
$

[darkrchaos]

Thank you GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=menu worked. Now if I ever need to change kernels, I have a easy way of accessing that.

[arvy]

Good. Actually, I'm surprised that the default "GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden" setting hasn't caught more people unaware. It used to be handled by an override in /etc/grub.d/40_custom that they removed from LM 20 for some strange and unknown (to me) reason. I put it back for myself and you can do likewise if you want to ensure that a Grub boot menu will always be visible on start-up. Just add back the following into your /etc/grub.s/40_custom file:

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set timeout_style=menu
if [ "${timeout}" = 0 ]; then
  set timeout=10
fi

[ajgreeny]

I am very happy to hear that this is now solved for you, but simply as an addendum to this thread I show below the important content from my /etc/default/grub file that I have used ever since I started using UEFI, several years ago, when bringing up the grub menu by tapping Esc never seemed to work as it should.
This gives me a grub menu for 2 seconds only, giving me time, as long as I'm at the computer, to choose another kernel if I ever need to. It has saved a lot of trouble once or twice since when a new kernel has caused boot problems so I keep this configuration in every machine I have.

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GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#Next line will make the countdown time show the menu
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=menu
#Next line changed from 0 to 2 for 2 second delay
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=2
GRUB_TIMEOUT=2
#Next line changed from true to false to allow delay countdown to show
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=false
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="Xubuntu-20.04"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

[arvy]

More precise and authoritative explanations are provided in the Grub manual here for each Grub /etc/default/grub setting which, in turn, control the operation of grub-mkconfig. As also explained there, customization can be done by editing /etc/grub.d/40_custom or by creating /boot/grub/custom.cfg. In extreme cases (seldom necessary) automatic running of grub-mkconfig itself can be disabled and grub.cfg is then edited directly instead.

[Seff]

What if you can't boot from your hard drive? "Sorry, but that drive isn't in /etc/fstab."

[arvy]

Different problem. Start your own thread if you want help with that.