How to : Install GFX Grub In Ubuntu !

[Dark Star]

http://www.imgx.org/pfiles/4638/GNU.pngGNU Graphics Grub is the new Grub boot screen which adds to Visual appeal of Boot Screen .. Unlike older grub GFX Grub has now much better themes and customization options.. So lets take a quick look at How To Install GFX Boot..

To install GFX Grub we have to remove older grub so that it should cause any dependencies problem.. To remove Grub Open Terminal . .Main Menu -> Accessories -> Terminal Now type the following code in Terminal

sudo apt-get remove grubDownload GFX Grub debian installer from here and install it by double clicking it Download : GFX Grub (http://quasarfreak.googlepages.com/grub-gfxboot_0.97-5_i386.deb)

Before we get started take backup of you Menu.lst file so that you can use it in mishap ..
To take backup of Menu.lst file Navigate to /boot/grub and save it ..

Now Download some additional themes for GFX Grub Menu Click Here (http://www.mediafire.com/?02wjst9fkdy)

Now unzip the files and move it to /boot/grub .. Since it comes under root file system you need to gain root privileged to do that .. Type the following in Terminal

sudo su rootEnter password and then type this nautilus this will open a new Nautilus Window. .Navigate to /boot/grub through root nautilus window.. Copy all the message.xyz file to /boot/grub

Now since you have added theme .. Lets do final settings to make this GFX Grub work.. Open terminal and type this

sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lstAdd this line at the top of the Menu.lst file

gfxmenu /boot/grub/message.xyz # the xyz should be replaced with the theme name that you are going to useSince you have removed you older grub you need to restore GFX Grub so that you boot through OS without any problem.. Open Terminal and do these

Type
sudo grubThen
find /boot/grub/stage1You will get a output like (hd0,4) or something different depending upon you Hard Disk Partition ;)

Then type this
root (hdx,x)To install grub type this
setup (hdx)Where "x" represent the value of hdd sector in which you have installed grub ;)

The last thing you have to do is to install Grub MBR .

sudo fdisk -lYou will get an output like this

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0dd6c6bd

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 3187 25599546 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 3188 8287 40965750 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3 8288 9607 10602900 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 9608 9729 979965 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda5 3188 5737 20482843+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 5738 8287 20482843+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
Look for the bold Entry and finally install MBR in Filesystem

sudo grub-install /dev/sdaXWhere X represent the number of you Hard Disk sector in which you have installed Grub...

Here is what My GFX looks like ...

http://www.imgx.org/pthumbs/large/4637/GFX%20Grub.png (http://www.imgx.org/public/view/full/4637)

Thats it reboot and see the magic :D A new refreshing Grub Menu welcomes you :P
Regards

[rahimveron]

Thanks for the info and the menu looks Professional.
But i am a little hesitant to try it and will wait till big boys here give some feedback :)

[baccilus]

Getting the following orders. Already half way through, so i really need a solution

grub> root (hd0,1)
Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

grub> setup (hd1)
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes
Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd1)"... failed (this is not fatal)
Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd0,1)"... failed (this is not fatal)
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 d (hd1) /boot/grub/stage2 p /boot/grub/menu
.lst "... failed

Error 21: Selected disk does not exist


I get the same error with setup (hd2)

[Dark Star]

^^ IT should be setup (hd0) not (hd1)

[rahimveron]

The numbering starts from "0", so do as Dark Star says and type hd0
BTW what is your o/p of find /boot/grub/stage1

[baccilus]

Thanks. Rebooting now( After backing up my assignments :-) )

[phreak0ut]

Nice tut dude! ;)

[baccilus]

Didn't work. But thankfully my system booted ( after showing some error messages which I couldn't read since they vanished soon.
@Rahim: It was
(hd0,1)

[rahimveron]

^^ aaww :(
Are you sure you followed it correctly?

[baccilus]

Yup I did. One more thing..... My grub always boots into stage 1.5( and takes a long time). Is this important?

[Dark Star]

^^ Post you menu.lst/fdisk -l output under code tags :) Have you done this sudo grub-install /dev/sdaX

[code]sudo apt-get install startupmanager[code] use this to decrease the time limit :)

[baccilus]

Here it is:

gfxmenu /boot/grub/message.snow # the xyz should be replaced with the theme name that you are going to use
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 00

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=e0b6f192-efa1-4a5c-b7b9-f668741111e8 ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,1)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Linux Mint, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=UUID=e0b6f192-efa1-4a5c-b7b9-f668741111e8 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic
quiet
savedefault

title Linux Mint, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=UUID=e0b6f192-efa1-4a5c-b7b9-f668741111e8 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic

title Linux Mint, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=e0b6f192-efa1-4a5c-b7b9-f668741111e8 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
quiet
savedefault

title Linux Mint, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=e0b6f192-efa1-4a5c-b7b9-f668741111e8 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic

title Linux Mint, memtest86+
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1


Time out time is 0 seconds on purpose. I pressed escape to go into grub menu which was still the old boring one.

[Dark Star]

# the xyz should be replaced with the theme name that you are going to use
Remove this and post sudo fdisk -l output :)

[baccilus]

There is a # sign before it. Shouldn't that nullify it's presence?

That fdisk command showing no output. Rebooting now.

[Dark Star]

Its sudo fdisk -l
Yes # do nulll its presence :p

[baccilus]

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 7012 56323858+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 7013 9079 16603177+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 9080 9243 1317330 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 9244 9729 3903795 b W95 FAT32


Wasn't showing earlier because I wasn't in root.

[Dark Star]

sudo grub-install /dev/sda2 do this and reboot after that ;:) ? Btw have you done this or not /

[rahimveron]

The output seems fine.
Install new Grub in sda2 where Linux is installed.

[baccilus]

Ya had done this earlier too but it has given this report each time:
Due to a bug in xfs_freeze, the following command might produce a segmentation
fault when /boot/grub is not in an XFS filesystem. This error is harmless and
can be ignored.
xfs_freeze: specified file ["/boot/grub"] is not on an XFS filesystem
Installation finished. No error reported.
This is the contents of the device map /boot/grub/device.map.
Check if this is correct or not. If any of the lines is incorrect,
fix it and re-run the script `grub-install'.


Come back guys. Don't leave me hanging.

[coolpcguy]

^^ You can ignore this

[blueshift]

This rocks!

[rahimveron]

^^Have you installed it successfully?

[ankitsagwekar]

setup (hdx) Where "x" represent the value of hdd sector in which you have installed grub

The last thing you have to do is to install Grub MBR . how to install it to boot partition ?

[rahimveron]

^^ just do setup (hd0) to install in the MBR.

[praka123]

already,Im having a good grub splash in Debian :) What am waiting for is,
GRUB-2 (http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/grub-2.en.html) :cool:

[adi007]

^^Thanks darkstar will try it soon..
Does the package have any dependencies...
and will it work for grub for dos which i am currently using....