Boot manager configuration question

ewilcox

I used Fedora-KDE until I found Solus-KDE. In Fedora, I could edit a configuration file to make the Grub2 boot manager remember/select the current/most recent OS following a reboot/cold-boot, making it the selected option. The result was that if I rebooted from Windows 11, when the boot menu appeared it would be selected and when I rebooted from Fedora, it would be selected.

I have tried to find documentation describing how to accomplish this with clr-boot-manager to no avail. Either I don't know the correct terminology for my search, or that configuration is unavailable. If there is a way to get clr-boot-manager to select the most recent OS (as described above), please direct me to the appropriate documentation (or tell me how to configure it).

Thank you for any help in advance,

Ernie

WetGeek

ewilcox The result was that if I rebooted from Windows 11, when the boot menu appeared it would be selected and when I rebooted from Fedora, it would be selected.

Are you sure it's not your BIOS being that smart? The same thing happens with my DELL computers, but the Windows boot manager an the Solus Linux boot manager are among the choices in the list. I'm talking about using F12 to invoke the list of bootable drives. Perhaps you're talking about something else?

[deleted]

I don't know if it can be accomplished with clr-boot-manager, but you can edit loader.conf on your EFI partition to have default @saved which should make systemd-boot default to the latest choice.

ewilcox

[deleted],

Thank you for replying. I'll check that out soon. 🙂

Ernie

ewilcox

[deleted],

I tried a variation on your suggestion. Here is what I have learned (for others who may be interested).

First, I installed the Nemo file manager (for Cinnamon) so I can open a file manager window as root.

Next I mounted my EFI partition at /boot in the Terminal app (so I can see the content of the /boot directory).

In Nemo, I navigated to the /boot directory, then opened a root instance of Nemo there. It now contains directories named EFI, loader, and System Volume Information as well as a file named solus-enroll-me.cer (I presume this is the signing key for MOK registration).

In the loader directory, I found a sub-directory named entries, and the loader.conf file you mentioned in your reply. I've been keeping notes on my investigations (I named it SolusNotes.txt), so I stored the content of loader.conf (just in case) there. It contains two lines of text, "timeout 5", and "default Solus-current-6.3.12-241.conf".

In my administrative instance of Nemo, I opened the loader.conf file (as root) in Kate, then changed the second line (as you suggested) to be "default @saved", and saved my change.

I closed all my opened windows and rebooted back into Solus to make sure that works. It does.

Next I rebooted to Windows to see if that works. It does (I can still boot to Windows O.K.)

Finally. I rebooted (one more time) to Solus, successfully.

The clr-boot-manager's boot menu now has the Windows entry selected (exactly as I want!, so I can reboot to the OS I am using following updates, etc. more easily).

One last question: Where can I find documentation/information on systemd-boot?

It's amazing how effective one small reply can be! I am genuinely grateful, and I can't thank you enough. Now I have my new Solus installation working exactly as I want it to. I am nor confident that I'll be a happy Solus user for many years to come (as well as - hopefully - a good community member)!

I know this reply has grown to be very long, but I hope it helps others who follow,

Ernie

ewilcox

Thank you for replying,

WetGeek Perhaps you're talking about something else?

I am. I wasn't asking about the boot device menu that I can load when I press the F-12/F-8 key, I'm asking how to customize the boot manager's menu (where I select which OS I want to boot). When I start or re-start my computer, Solus is the default selected OS on the boot manager's menu regardless which OS I used last. What I want is to learn how to make the last OS I used be the selected OS in the boot manager's menu when I start or reboot my computer.

ewilcox

Now, all I have to learn is how to mark a question/support post as "Solved"! 🙂

Ernie

SOLUSfiddler

ewilcox
Only the admins can do that (as you noticed, I'm sure).

ewilcox

SOLUSfiddler,

Now, hat's something I didn't know, thank you for telling me (my newbieness is showing, isn't it). It seems to me that it would be easier for the moderators/administrators of the forums if the OP (original poster) were responsible for marking their thread(s) as "SOLVED" when appropriate, but that's just how I look at things (I like to take responsibility for what I create/originate) 🙂,

Ernie

WetGeek

ewilcox it would be easier for the moderators/administrators of the forums if the OP (original poster) were responsible for marking their thread(s) as "SOLVED" when appropriate

That makes entirely too much sense. And speaking of too much sense, it would make it far easier to correct typos we notice after posting a message if we were allowed to edit them. So much of the time we're not. I believe sometimes it's because someone has replied, but not always.

EbonJaeger

ewilcox There isn't a permission to just edit the tags on your own threads; it's all threads or nothing. So for better or worse, that isn't going to happen.

ewilcox

WetGeek,

That's the main reason that when I compose a post, I do it in LibreOffice Writer or a text editor, depending on my objective - if I want to include graphics, or specific text formatting, Writer is my friend. When I think I'm satisfied, I read the 'finished' document, looking for continuity and flow, fixing what I don't like and re-reading it until I'm satisfied. If I'm using a text editor, I copy/paste the 'reviewed version' of what I'm trying to write into LibreOffice Writer to look for typos and fixing them. When I'm satisfied with the flow, structure, and absence of typos, I copy/paste my final version back into the text editor again to eradicate any formatting that the word processor may have introduced. My last step is to copy/paste it into whatever web page I'm posting to. While I did all that on the original post to this thread, I didn't know what the correct terminology is, or even if there is a 'correct terminology' for what I now know is the boot manager timeout setting, so that is why my initial question was a bit ambiguous.

Ernie

penny-farthing

When I was a child, after the dictation, we had time to reread it and correct any spelling mistakes. This is something that is being lost today, especially with spell checkers inserted into word processing applications.
And I must admit that sometimes, while wanting to go a little quickly, it happens to me to forget to correct certain errors in a message.
Anyway, what should also be remembered from this exchange is that it's necessary to proofread before publishing a post. 😉

ewilcox

penny-farthing,

Well said, and to the point! Typographical errors or a disjointed commentary tend to make a post difficult to understand and therefore less useful or incorrect. Why take the time to submit a post if you don't also take the time to consider the reader? . . . just sayin' . . . 🙂

Ernie

penny-farthing

ewilcox
Thank's for your reaction! You know, nowdays, we tend to rely on technology for everyday tasks, and that's often a good thing. But finally, it's us to have the last word.