[SOLVED] Which bootloader do I have?

glenn69 · 2017-06-09 18:50:28

I am interested in changing my kernel to LTS however I am not certain which bootloader I am using.

How do I determine my bootloader?

Last edited by glenn69 (2017-06-09 22:15:22)

Slithery · 2017-06-09 19:01:24

What are the contents of your /boot folder/partition?

glenn69 · 2017-06-09 19:02:27

/boot/ contents:
EFI initramfs-linux-fallback.img initramfs-linux.img initramfs-linux-lts-fallback.img initramfs-linux-lts.img loader syslinux vmlinuz-linux vmlinuz-linux-lts

in /boot/EFI
Boot gummiboot

Last edited by glenn69 (2017-06-09 19:15:53)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-06-09 19:53:32

Can we see the output of:

# efibootmgr -v

You're probably using gummiboot (now called systemd-boot) but that command will show for sure.

Ropid · 2017-06-09 20:23:47

glenn69 wrote:

/boot/ contents:
EFI initramfs-linux-fallback.img initramfs-linux.img initramfs-linux-lts-fallback.img initramfs-linux-lts.img loader syslinux vmlinuz-linux vmlinuz-linux-lts
in /boot/EFI
Boot gummiboot

I assume Head_on_a_Stick is right and you are using gummiboot.

You will find a text file for your current kernel in /boot/loader/entries/. To add a second menu entry for the LTS kernel, you make a copy of that file, then edit that copy changing the file names used inside it and changing the title. The file-names you get by looking at the contents of /boot after installing the linux-lts package.

Then later, hold down space-bar on the next boot. Gummiboot will then show its menu. You can then select the entry you created for the LTS kernel in that menu. You can press "d" to change the default entry to your current selection in that menu.

That gummiboot loader you are using was added to systemd and was renamed to systemd-boot. I guess you still have the a gummiboot package installed? If you wanted to, you could remove it and change the loader to systemd-boot. To make systemd-boot write its boot loader file into /boot, you run "sudo bootctl install". It is a very simple bootloader and I guess there's no need to replace it as probably nothing important changed between gummiboot and systemd-boot, so you could just keep everything like it is right now.

Last edited by Ropid (2017-06-09 20:24:25)

glenn69 · 2017-06-09 22:16:40

Ropid wrote:

I assume Head_on_a_Stick is right and you are using gummiboot.
You will find a text file for your current kernel in /boot/loader/entries/. To add a second menu entry for the LTS kernel, you make a copy of that file, then edit that copy changing the file names used inside it and changing the title. The file-names you get by looking at the contents of /boot after installing the linux-lts package.
Then later, hold down space-bar on the next boot. Gummiboot will then show its menu. You can then select the entry you created for the LTS kernel in that menu. You can press "d" to change the default entry to your current selection in that menu.
That gummiboot loader you are using was added to systemd and was renamed to systemd-boot. I guess you still have the a gummiboot package installed? If you wanted to, you could remove it and change the loader to systemd-boot. To make systemd-boot write its boot loader file into /boot, you run "sudo bootctl install". It is a very simple bootloader and I guess there's no need to replace it as probably nothing important changed between gummiboot and systemd-boot, so you could just keep everything like it is right now.

This solution worked perfectly. Thanks!

Arch Linux

#1 2017-06-09 18:50:28

[SOLVED] Which bootloader do I have?

#2 2017-06-09 19:01:24

Re: [SOLVED] Which bootloader do I have?

#3 2017-06-09 19:02:27

Re: [SOLVED] Which bootloader do I have?

#4 2017-06-09 19:53:32

Re: [SOLVED] Which bootloader do I have?

#5 2017-06-09 20:23:47

Re: [SOLVED] Which bootloader do I have?

#6 2017-06-09 22:16:40

Re: [SOLVED] Which bootloader do I have?

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