What's the easiest way to configure GRUB in a more user friendly way?

Question

Here is something I'd like for it to do that it does not do by default, and which seem to require (somehow) a bit of research to configure.

What I want is simple. Select the OS that I chose the last time.

Note: I am running 11.10 now which I believe is GRUB 2 but I don't know what version (1.99?)

Answer 1

Last selected entry

To configure grub2 to remember the last selected entry, put these parameters in /etc/default/grub :

GRUB_DEFAULT=saved
GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=true

and save this configuration using the command :

update-grub

Specific entry

If you want to select a specific entry and don't want it to change if a new kernel is installed, you have to use the name of this entry instead of its index number. You took the name in the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg :

menuentry 'Ubuntu, avec Linux 3.2.0-30-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
    recordfail
    savedefault
    gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
    insmod gzio
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 35b16ba3-50a4-4832-bd60-644db6670637
    linux   /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-30-generic root=UUID=35b16ba3-50a4-4832-bd60-644db6670637 ro   quiet splash $vt_handoff
    initrd  /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-30-generic
}

And use it in the file /etc/default/grub :

GRUB_DEFAULT='Ubuntu, avec Linux 3.2.0-30-generic'

Save configuration with :

update-grub

Answer 2

For me , the quickest, safest, easiest way is getting grub-customizer which customizes your Grub.

Giving it a try is an option.

grub-customizer

grub-customizer