GRUB2 Menu Mode

Edited Saturday, December 26 2009

This web-page is part of a larger site giving examples of how to install Windows+Ubuntu Linux operating systems 'dual boot' in a computer. Illustrated Dual Boot HomePage

GRUB's Menu is very simple to use, and it can also be very pleasing to look at if you have a beautiful splashimage set for it.

WARNING: GRUB2 is a work in progress and the information in this website is incomplete and may be wrong and/or out of date.

GNU GRUB version 1.96

Ubuntu 9.10, linux 2.6.30-8-generic
Ubuntu 9.10, linux 2.6.30-8-generic (single-user mode)
Ubuntu 9.10, memtest86+
Other operating systems:

Use the up or down arrow keys to select which entry is highlighted. Press enter to boot the selected OS, 'e' to edit the commands before booting, or 'c' for a command-line.

GRUB Menu

Your computer should automatically boot into menu mode if you have GRUB installed and when there is a /boot/grub/grub.cfg file present. The /boot/grub/grub.cfg is the configuration file and it contains the settings which determine the appearance and behaviour of the GRUB Menu.

In Menu Mode:

If you do nothing, GRUB will boot the highlighted entry when the count-down timer reaches zero.
You may press any key during the count-down to pause at the GRUB menu for as long as you like, or bypass the timer and boot the selected entry immediately by pressing your 'enter' key.
Use your up or down arrow keys while in Menu Mode to select a line (title) representing a boot entry you want to boot.
Press your 'enter' key from a GRUB menu to boot the selected entry.

GRUB2 has the ability to display much better quality splashimages (backgrounds) than GRUB Legacy can. If you want to install a nice splashimage or even make your very own personal splashimage, see: GRUB2 Splashimages.

Keyboard Shortcuts

'enter'	(from the GRUB menu) = boot the selected entry immediately
'ctrl' + 'alt' + 'del'	reboot immediately
'c'	(from the GRUB menu) = change into CLI mode
'tab'	- works in CLI mode or edit mode - try to guess what the user is trying to type and autocomplete the word - extremely useful
'tab','tab'	- works in CLI mode or edit mode - try to guess what the user is trying to type and offer a list of possibilities - extremely useful
'esc'	(from CLI or edit mode) = change to menu mode (main menu)
down arrow	(in menu mode) = move the cursor down a line
up arrow	(in menu mode) = move the cursor up a line
'e'	(from the GRUB menu) = enter edit mode (edit the selected entry)
left or right arrow	(in edit mode) = move the cursor left or right - to select what to edit
'ctrl' + 'x'	(from edit mode) = boot the selected entry
'ctrl' + 'c'	(from edit mode) = switch to CLI mode
'Print Screen SysRq'	make the BIOS beep