SOLVED new install 17.1 how to access the bootloader menu?

[drlao]

new install 17.1 mate rc
on new box with total erasure of wondows
boots great runs great but I would like to access the boot loader on restart
how do you do this? shift does not work and neither does escape
delete will bring me into the bios setup which is not what I want
so what is the trick
I appologize for the newbieness of this question
TIA

[WharfRat]

drlao,

The 'menu' is a text file. It's /boot/grub/grub.cfg

You can view it with

Code: Select all

cat  /boot/grub/grub.cfg

[richyrich]

As soon as the BIOS is passed, I hold down the Shift key until the menu appears.

[drlao]

drlao,

The 'menu' is a text file. It's /boot/grub/grub.cfg

You can view it with

Code: Select all

cat  /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Thanks for replying WharfRat, the idea is to access grub live on the fly at boot to, for example, run memtest or choose a different kernel etc

[drlao]

As soon as the BIOS is passed, I hold down the Shift key until the menu appears.

Yup and this is exactly what is not working!

[WharfRat]

Thanks for replying WharfRat, the idea is to access grub live on the fly at boot to, for example, run memtest or choose a different kernel etc

Yea, stupid me

Are you holding down the right-shift key

[drlao]

Are you holding down the right-shift key

just tested again: both right and left shift lead to same no go.

[Mik3e]

On my Mint 17 holding down the shift continuously doesn't work. Either shift key or Esc must pressed at the correct time during boot. Knowing the correct time is difficult so I press the key about every 2 seconds after GRUB beeps. If the countdown timer is displayed, that's the time.

[drlao]

On my Mint 17 holding down the shift continuously doesn't work. Either shift key or Esc must pressed at the correct time during boot. Knowing the correct time is difficult so I press the key about every 2 seconds after GRUB beeps. If the countdown timer is displayed, that's the time.

No amount or timing of shift will work.
But tapping Esc does work - You just have to keep at it.
So that's it: Mik3e's tapping technique on escape is the workaround.
Thank You Mik3e!
Note to developers: this feels like a bug rather than a feature.

[WharfRat]

There is another way I just tried on a computer that only has mint installed and doesn't show a menu.

Open the file /etc/default/grub and add GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE="menu", save it then run

Code: Select all

sudo update-grub

It should default to showing the menu when not set, but it does appear to be a little buggy.

You can get more info with

Code: Select all

info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

Good luck

[drlao]

There is another way I just tried on a computer that only has mint installed and doesn't show a menu. :

Yes This is exactly a verification of the problem. Thank you WharfRat.
Will now test proposed solution.

[drlao]

There is another way I just tried on a computer that only has mint installed and doesn't show a menu.

Open the file /etc/default/grub and add GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE="menu", save it then run

Code: Select all

sudo update-grub

It should default to showing the menu when not set, but it does appear to be a little buggy.

You can get more info with

Code: Select all

info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

Good luck

Adding GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE="menu" works!
Thank you WharfRat and all.

[Neil Edmond]

I figure Mint is made this way by design, to hide all the choices and such from new users, and to make the boot "more like Windows" so the noob won't freak out. Same reason we have a quite boot with only a splash visible. Don't want those noobs knowing what going on during boot.