[SOLVED] Configuring grub2 -- there's a missing link somewhere

[ubersoft]

I'm coming over from (K)ubuntu, and over there we need to edit a number of files in /etc and then run grub-update (or update-grub, I can't remember which) which in turn updates the grub.cfg file in the /boot directory.

I'm reading that over here on the Fedora side of things that's not necessary, that you can directly edit the /boot/grub2/grub.cfg file. But most of the howtos and grub configuration articles I've seen out there still recommend you edit /etc/default/grub, then run grub2-mkconfig.

The problem is that grub2-mkconfig doesn't seem to be writing all the changes to /boot/grub2/grub.cfg.

I wanted to a) increase the resolution on the grub2 screen, b) maintain that resolution in the terminal view, and c) add the verne bootsplash. So I added these entries in /etc/default/grub:

GRUB_GFXMODE=1920x1080x16
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep
GRUB_BACKGROUND=/home/wrightc/Pictures/vernesplash.png

I then ran

sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

And upon reboot I saw that none of these changes were actually made. However, the set timeout=-1 change I made to grub WAS accepted.

So I wandered over to /boot/grub2/grub.cfg and took a look at what was in there. set timeout=-1 was there, and set gfxpayload=keep was in each boot entry, but there was no entry for my desired resolution, and no entry for the background.

Unfortunately, the layout of the grub.cfg file in /boot/grub2 was also... very different from the configuration file, so I had no idea where to put those entries on my own.

Any guidance? Is grub2-mkconfig broken in some way, and is editing the /boot/grub2/grub.cfg file the recommended way of doing it? If so, is there a howto or readme somewhere that documents where everything needs to go?

[SteveGYBE]

Try enclosing your non-numeric entries in quotes

GRUB_GFXMODE="1920x1080x16"
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX="keep"
GRUB_BACKGROUND="/home/wrightc/Pictures/vernesplash.png"

The following is numeric so quotes are not needed and Grub2 accepted the value

GRUB_TIMEOUT=-1

Grub2 will be nice when it's finished ...

... maybe ...

[ubersoft]

Just tried to quotes. Unfortunately, no dice.

It's very odd. It's as if the update tool is just skipping over those entries entirely...

[David Batson]

Here are some entries in my /etc/default/grub file from arch linux.

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
GRUB_GFXMODE=auto

# Uncomment to allow the kernel use the same resolution used by grub
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep

# Uncomment one of them for the gfx desired, a image background or a gfxtheme
#GRUB_BACKGROUND="/path/to/wallpaper"
#GRUB_THEME="/path/to/gfxtheme"

See also...
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php...fer_resolution

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php...d_bitmap_fonts

[ubersoft]

Argh, so frustrating. I know the resolution and bootsplash commands work on my computer because I was able to configure them under Kubuntu, but I guess there's a difference between the Kubuntu and Fedora 16 implementation that keeps the "pretty commands" from working. Maybe in a future update...

[David Batson]

This any help?

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=722363

[ubersoft]

I'm not sure. The patch is only for F14 and F15, I'm running F16 at the moment. And the comments list all the commands I've already tried, except for building the fonts file (since I'm not trying to use custom fonts).

Also looking at the patch, I see it's for Grub 1.98, and I'm running 1.99. Would that make a difference?

[DBelton]

I believe there was an issue and to change some of the video modes, etc, you have to create a grub2 font file with grub2-mkfont.

I forget the specifics of it, but changing the video modes or setting a background wouldn't work until you had a font file generated.

[ubersoft]

Interesting. Well, I'll creat a font file and see what happens. It wouldn't be the first time I had to do something I didn't understand in order to accomplish something else I only semi-understand. :-)

---------- Post added at 10:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 PM ----------

Yep, that did the trick. I fell for the classic "that looks like a procedure for a feature I don't care about so I'll just skip it and assume there will be no consequences" mistake. Resolution and bootsplash fixed.

Thanks to you both!