systemd-boot default entry in loader.conf doesn't work as expected

regid · 2019-03-02 03:29:04

My understanding of the wiki explaining default entry for systemd-boot is that whatever default is stated in systemd-boot loader configuration loader.conf will act as the default entry.
I tried to change my default entry by changing the entry pointed by loader.conf. It didn't work as expected. It still default to the previous entry. Only

bootctl set-default new-default

, where new-default was consistent with the one in loader.conf, persuade it to use the desired default.
Does my understanding of the wiki wrong?

Ropid · 2019-03-02 04:40:52

Did you perhaps press the "d" key on the keyboard while using the menu at boot? If you do that, it will set a new default. This will get saved in the motherboard and will override the loader.conf setting. You can see that this happened while in the menu if there is a "=>" text next to one of the menu entries.

Last edited by Ropid (2019-03-02 04:41:28)

regid · 2019-03-02 10:42:44

I didn't press anything at boot. What happened was:
While I was logging in to the system, I changed the default by editing loader.conf. Some time later, I rebooted the machine. I expected to see the new default, marked with the arrow sign you mentioned. I didn't. The old default was marked. After the machine rebooted I tried with

bootctl set-default

That way I managed to get the desired outcome.
As you know,

bootctl list

marks the default entry. I think that prior to my usage of bootctl set-default, but after I edited loader.conf, it also marked the old default. I wonder what happens when other users change the default only by editing loader.conf, and than inspecting bootctl list output.

V1del · 2019-03-02 11:29:22

If you change the default in loader.conf the default changes, you can override that loader conf by pressing d or using set-default you override the default in loader.conf as indicated by the arrow. I very much doubt that using bootctl list sets that default flag.

regid · 2019-03-02 13:08:31

I guess my poor English manifested once again.
I wasn't trying to imply bootctl list changes the default. I did try to say that, among other things, one can see what is the default with bootctl list. And that bootctl list indication of the default, and what actually happen after boot, is consistent according to my experience.
Can someone change his default by editing loader.conf, and afterwards see if bootctl list output is consistent with his editing?

fromagegb · 2020-03-14 11:17:07

A year later - I found that my normal default of os1 (having worked for many months) was being ignored, and the selection bar was on os2 , booting into os2 if untouched. Checking all loader files by eyeball as well as bootctl list showed that it was still supposed to default to os1, but didn't. My boot menu had no arrows (=>) on it anywhere. Until I found this topic I did not know of the "pressing d", so I did this after moving the selection bar back to os1, and it now boots correctly, but has that arrow against it.

WorMzy · 2020-03-14 11:20:02

Please do not necrobump.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Co … bumping%22

Closing.

Arch Linux

#1 2019-03-02 03:29:04

systemd-boot default entry in loader.conf doesn't work as expected

#2 2019-03-02 04:40:52

Re: systemd-boot default entry in loader.conf doesn't work as expected

#3 2019-03-02 10:42:44

Re: systemd-boot default entry in loader.conf doesn't work as expected

#4 2019-03-02 11:29:22

Re: systemd-boot default entry in loader.conf doesn't work as expected

#5 2019-03-02 13:08:31

Re: systemd-boot default entry in loader.conf doesn't work as expected

#6 2020-03-14 11:17:07

Re: systemd-boot default entry in loader.conf doesn't work as expected

#7 2020-03-14 11:20:02

Re: systemd-boot default entry in loader.conf doesn't work as expected

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