CTRL not working in Grub-uefi on MacBook Air

MisterAnderson · 2013-05-13 09:01:43

Hey guys, just wondering if anyone knows how to get the ctrl key to work in grub. I'm on the first 11" macbook air model. At the moment I can't edit grub options then boot because annoying grub 2 requires CTRL-X or F10 to executed a modified boot entry, but neither combo works in grub on this keyboard. They couldn't just let you use Enter or Shift-Enter, which I would have thought would be more logical...

Anyways, at the moment if my grub entry doesn't work I'm booting up a live usb to edit it, but if anyone knows a solution I'd be thankful.

srs5694 · 2013-05-13 14:15:43

I don't know the solution within GRUB 2, but have you considered using another boot manager? On a Mac in EFI mode, both gummiboot and rEFInd offer the ability to edit boot options at boot time. I don't recall what gummiboot uses as a keystroke, but with rEFInd, it's F2, Insert, or +, none with modifiers, so it's almost certain you can find something that will work.

WonderWoofy · 2013-05-13 14:40:34

@srs5694, I am pretty sure it is 'e' for gummiboot. When you are done, a simple 'enter' will continue the boot process I think. I use this all the time, so you would think I might be a bit more sure about it. I just know that it is nothing crazy, and I am 93.2194% sure it is 'e'... no more, no less.

MisterAnderson · 2013-05-14 09:11:01

I've never used EFI before other than my desktop's dodgy hybrid efi on its gigabyte board, using efistub, so I really have no idea what I'm doing with it. I'll look into using rEFInd this time (I had to use it on the boot usb because gummiboot was giving a blank screen). I'm up for a reinstall anyway because my btrfs has died and btrfsck is throwing out a corrupt double-linked list error I'll post back what I use in the end.

Trilby · 2013-05-14 11:03:50

Could this be a mac-keyboard thing? Ctrl and that other key (option?) are swapped, and Fn keys are often toggled by default to their alternate media-key use unless pressed with a function-key-toggle.

MisterAnderson · 2013-05-14 16:05:40

Well, yes, it is a mac keyboard thing, but grub 2 doesn't support the function key toggle, or any possible way to input ctrl-x I could think of.

I've worked around it by now using rEFInd. Still not sure how to finish setting it up, but I'll figure it out.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-05-13 09:01:43

CTRL not working in Grub-uefi on MacBook Air

#2 2013-05-13 14:15:43

Re: CTRL not working in Grub-uefi on MacBook Air

#3 2013-05-13 14:40:34

Re: CTRL not working in Grub-uefi on MacBook Air

#4 2013-05-14 09:11:01

Re: CTRL not working in Grub-uefi on MacBook Air

#5 2013-05-14 11:03:50

Re: CTRL not working in Grub-uefi on MacBook Air

#6 2013-05-14 16:05:40

Re: CTRL not working in Grub-uefi on MacBook Air

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