Thanks Doc
, no it was the memtest lines I needed in particular, because we have a numbering system on lines.
Linux, in Grub, numbers the lines from 0 (zero), GNU Grub entry is simply the header on the Grub Menu "Page", so what we have is
0 Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon 64-bit
1 Advanced Options for Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon 64-bit
2 Memory Test (memtest 86+)
3 Memory Test 86+, serial console 115200
4 Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia (18.3) (on /dev/sdb1)
5 Advanced Options for Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia (18.3) (on /dev/sdb1)
What happens with multibooting Linuxes is that the Distro that takes on Primary Partition (numero uno), in its Grub Menu entry, loses the codename (Serena, here) and partition description (/dev/sda1 for your Serena), but on the other hand it picks up on and adds the DE (Desktop Environment) which is Cinnamon, and the architecture of the Distro which is 64-bit. Go figure why
PREFERRED GOAL
Is to have Sylvia at number one spot on the Grub Menu.
This can be effected in a number of ways.
- By installation of and use of, an outside product called Grub Customizer. I do not advocate that for reasons I can detail later or elsewhere.
- By booting into Sylvia, using GParted to blow away Serena, and then, while still in the same session, using Timeshift to restore Sylvia, back to its own /dev/sdb1. Near the end of the Timeshift Restore, it will run an update of Grub, find no Serena, and restore Sylvia as sole Distro. Your Grub Menu may vanish, but can be made visible again easily enough.
- Wait. Stop running updates on Serena, keep running updates on Sylvia, keep Timeshift scheduled for Sylvia. In an indeterminate period of time, a combination of updates will come along for Sylvia which may include - new kernel, firmware upgrade, and upgrade of grub/grub-signed, which, when completed and rebooted will move Sylvia to top spot.
If you wish to do achieve that Preferred Goal asap, I would advocate Option 3.
Viewers and Helpers should note that while Dick has a Unetbootin stick with Linux Mint 18.3 'Sylvia' Cinnamon and Persistence on it, burned - he has so far been unable to sidestep his BIOS to get it to boot from the stick ahead of the HDD or SSD.
So no stick ability, no fresh install, nor Timeshift restore, if Serena is blown away.
GOAL WORKAROUND
For now, I would describe this as follows:
If Dick wants to have the laptop boot into Sylvia by default, there are at least two (2) options available, both of them involve modifying an existing line in /etc/default/grub, and one adds an additional line to that file. Under either option, they are performed
through Serena, not Sylvia.
I will have a 400 km road trip tomorrow, so Dick you may want to try one of these in the meantime and report back on how you find them.
OPTION ONE
In
Serena, open /etc/default/grub
Code:
sudo xed /etc/default/grub
About 4 or 5 lines down, past the #'ed (commented) lines, will be your first command line, saying
That tells the Toshiba Satellite to choose Serena by default, because it is at Line 0 (zero) as we saw above.
Change that line to end in a 4, not 0, so it reads
Save changes and exit. If Terminal is still in view, and "hung" from the use of xed, Press Ctrl-c to end it and return you to the prompt.
Then
When that finishes, exit Terminal with "exit", reboot the computer, and it should boot into
Sylvia.
OPTION TWO
... involves you deciding that you might like to do a little work in Serena (not likely) as well as Sylvia, and want to set it up so that each time you reboot the computer, it boots to the Distro
last used.
Into /etc/default/grub again using xed command, and change that first command line to
Then while still in there, either Enter to create a new line, or go to the bottom of the file and Enter to create a new line (one or the other) which will say
Save changes and exit, and then
When that is finished reboot the computer and go in and out of each of Serena and Sylvia to see that the changes take effect.
I use Option One all the time, and each and every one of my 40 Distros on this rig has its /etc/default/grub set up that way. Works for me
That's all from me for now, and
@Vrai , Mate if you have some ideas by all means voice them, and Dick can consider them.
@Peer nothing wrong with your idea, but Dick has some problems from time to time with navigating between (say) F2 and F12 for one-time boot and full Setup and Save options, so I have opted for an in-Distro solution. I actually used a version of your idea today, when an incomplete installation of Antergos Budgie left me at a black screen with Grub prompt, rebooted, chose Manjaro Xfce and fixed it easy-peasy from there with an "update-grub" command, which in Manjaro is also "update-grub", but for other Arch is
Code:
# grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
Wiz over and out