menu-entry edit?

[Scott]

I need a simple way to update my boot menu entry, not real good at the cml, please keep it as simple as possible.
I have a number of old kernels I need to get rid of/ make my boot screen shorter.
Thanks

[Snowhog]

Re: menu-entry edit?

Just use Synaptic Package Manager to mark for removal, the kernels you no longer want. Just search on 2.6.xx-xx-generic where xx-xx is the kernel version you want to remove. Check the entry and select Mark for complete removal. Then click on Apply.

After the kernel is removed, the update-grub is run automatically to update your menu.

[dibl]

Re: menu-entry edit?

Right -- Snowhog's advice is right for removing old kernels.

If you need to go further with your boot menu adventures, then you'll need this:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3106368.0

[Scott]

Re: menu-entry edit?

This appears to be way over my head. I only understand a little of it. I guess I'll leave things the way they are with a messy boot menu.

[Snowhog]

Re: menu-entry edit?

You have to step out of the wading pool some time.

This is not difficult. First check to see if you have Synaptic installed. Click on the K Menu button (lower left corner) and then mouse on System. If you see Synaptic Package Manager, click on it. If you don't see it, then you need to install it.

If you need to install Synaptic, open a console. Easy/quick way is to press Alt+F2 and type konsole and press enter. Then type:

sudo apt-get update

(this updates the package cache)

sudo apt-get install synaptic

(this will download and install the program)
When the process is completed, close the console - type exit and press return.

Now, click on the K Menu and mouse-over System and click on Synaptic Package Manager. Type your password. When Synaptic is loaded, in the search window type 2.6.xx-xx-generic where xx-xx is the kernel version you want to remove. Just write down what those numbers are while you are on the Boot Menu screen when you first boot your PC and before making a selection. Check the entry and select Mark for complete removal. Then click on Apply.

After the kernel is removed, the update-grub is run automatically to update your menu.

[Scott]

Re: menu-entry edit?

I've done that. What I want to get rid of is linux-kernel from other OS's that I have and some that aren't installed anymore but are still showing up. Some of this is my bad as I did't delete an install before installing another on the same partition, would happen again.

In grub lecacy all I had to do was open menu.lst as root and then delete the junk. Pretty easy.

[Snowhog]

Re: menu-entry edit?

If they are continuing to appear in your Grub boot menu, it's because the kernels still exist on your system. The file /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober is responsible for finding other installed OS's and adding them to the Grub boot menu.

You, as we all have/done, should begin to become at least somewhat familiar with how your system works. That's not a dig, just a statement of truth. As to Grub 2, you should start familiarizing yourself with The Grub 2 Guide. Very will written and not at all difficult to follow.

[Scott]

Re: menu-entry edit?

I wasn't sure how to reply to your post.
I've been able to do want I have wanted with out much trouble, the only thing that I haven/t been able to get a handle on is grub2. The main thing I want to do is delete some OS's that are no longer on my system, ie Peasy and a couple of Ubuntu experimental installs. I've read the info on the link you posted several time and tried a lot of the ideas with no luck. As I mentioned in my first post I'm not a real good hacker but can get the job done most of the time.

[askrieger]

Re: menu-entry edit?

The main thing I want to do is delete some OS's that are no longer on my system, ie Peasy and a couple of Ubuntu experimental installs.

Are these remnants in separate partitions on your hard drive? What happens when you click on the grub entries for these things? Can you (Have you) delete the partitions in which these remnants reside? Am I totally confused about what you've got and what you want to do?

[oshunluvr]

Re: menu-entry edit?

The main thing I want to do is delete some OS's that are no longer on my system,

Yeah, this is a bit confusing - I think I get what you mean but it sounds like you want to delete deleted OS's...

So you've got some kernels left over in various locations on your hard drive(s) that are remnants of older - but no longer used installs? And you want these out of your grub menu? Do I have it right?

First step: Locate and delete these abandoned files. Since it seems you're primarily debian based, look for files located in /boot subdirectories named vmlinux-... and initrd-...

IF these files are located in totally abandoned partitions - just reformat the entire partition. IF you are no longer using the install at all - delete or reformat the entire partition. IF you want rid of older kernels in installs you still use - boot to that OS and remove the files properly (using apt-get or synaptic or whatever software tool that distro uses).

Once you have your hard drive and partitions cleaned up, running sudo update-grub will remove them from your grub menu.

IF you wish to have NO other installs listed in your grub menu but you don't want to delete them just yet - open a terminal and do these commands:

cd /etc/grub.d
sudo chmod a-x 30_os-prober
sudo update-grub
exit

This will turn off grub's ability to find other linux or windows installs. To restore this ability do the above again and change the - to a +. You can remove memtest from your menu the same way as above. Just insert this command before sudo update-grub

sudo chmod a-x 20_memtest86+

[Scott]

Re: menu-entry edit?

I did most of the things you mentioned. I removed all the unused linux-headers in various OS's, also edit there menu.lst if they use legacy grub. I then ran update grub again with no effect, so I then deleted one partition that I couldn't boot into. Then found I could boot into anything because the partition numbers had changed. Tried to use Super Grub to recover but it didn't boot either, finally I installed Mepis in the vacant partition, I now have everything as it should be.
I think it would be good if some kind of easy grub 2 editor was built for us general users. I'm a graphic guy so some of this gets over my head in a hurry.
Thanks for the replies.

[oshunluvr]

Re: menu-entry edit?

I agree - grub-legacy was never easy and grub-pc isn't much better. Hopfully, we'll have some more tools soon.