Learn how to install grub2 bootloader on GNU/Linux and what are its features, advantages, and challenges compared to other bootloaders.

GRUB2 offers extensive customization options, allowing users to modify the boot menu, set up multiple boot entries, and configure kernel parameters. This flexibility makes GRUB2 an essential tool for advanced users who need to manage complex boot scenarios, such as dual-booting multiple operating systems or troubleshooting boot issues.

Last updated on Jul 31, 2024

What are the benefits and drawbacks of using grub2 bootloader over other bootloaders?

If you use GNU/Linux, you may have encountered grub2, a popular bootloader that allows you to boot multiple operating systems on your computer. But what are the benefits and drawbacks of using grub2 over other bootloaders, such as LILO, SYSLINUX, or systemd-boot? In this article, we will explore some of the features, advantages, and challenges of grub2, and how to install it on your GNU/Linux system.

1 What is a bootloader?

A bootloader is a program that runs when you turn on your computer and loads the operating system kernel and other essential files into memory. Without a bootloader, your computer would not know how to start the operating system. A bootloader can also present a menu of options to choose which operating system or configuration to boot, such as recovery mode, single-user mode, or different kernels.

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Sourav Saha ✔️

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A bootloader is a program that runs when you turn on your computer and loads the operating system kernel and essential files into memory. Without it, your computer wouldn't know how to start the operating system. A bootloader can also present a menu to choose which OS or configuration to boot, like recovery mode, single-user mode, or different kernels.

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Dafetite Ogaga

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Benefits: 1. It supports a wide range of platforms and their versions such as Linux, BSD, and other operating systems. 2. Offers features such as support for graphical boot menus, customizable themes, password protection, network booting, etc. 3. It Provides flexibility in booting kernel versions, recovery modes, and custom boot entries. 4. Community Support Drawbacks: 1. Due to its scripting language, beginners may find it hard to configure and customize. 2. It may have compatibility issues with certain hardware configurations or firmware types (such as UEFI vs. BIOS). 3. Vulnerabilities have been discovered in the past, which could potentially allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to the system.

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2 What is grub2?

Grub2 is the second generation of the GNU GRand Unified Bootloader, a bootloader that supports a wide range of operating systems, file systems, and hardware architectures. Grub2 is the default bootloader for many GNU/Linux distributions, such as Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux. Grub2 can also boot other operating systems, such as Windows, BSD, and macOS, by chainloading their native bootloaders.

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Hai Dang Nguyen

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GRUB2 offers extensive customization options, allowing users to modify the boot menu, set up multiple boot entries, and configure kernel parameters. This flexibility makes GRUB2 an essential tool for advanced users who need to manage complex boot scenarios, such as dual-booting multiple operating systems or troubleshooting boot issues.

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3 What are the benefits of grub2?

Grub2 offers several advantages compared to other bootloaders. It is highly configurable and customizable, allowing you to alter the menu appearance, theme, font, resolution, timeout, default entry and more. It also supports scripting and modules, enabling you to add new features such as encryption, RAID, LVM, network booting and more. Additionally, it can detect and update boot entries automatically when you install or update a new operating system or kernel using the os-prober and update-grub tools. Furthermore, Grub2 can boot from various sources such as hard disks, USB drives, optical discs, network servers and more. Lastly, it can repair and restore the boot process if it is corrupted or damaged using the grub-install and grub-rescue commands.

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4 What are the drawbacks of grub2?

Grub2 has some drawbacks compared to other bootloaders, such as its complexity and difficulty to learn, its incompatibility with certain hardware or firmware, its potential to be overwritten or removed by other operating systems, and its slower performance than other bootloaders. Understanding Grub2's syntax, commands, configuration files, and directory structure is necessary to use it. It can also cause boot errors or failures when used with UEFI, Secure Boot, or RAID controllers. It is vulnerable to being overwritten or removed by Windows or LILO, requiring manual reinstallation or restoration. Additionally, it is less efficient than systemd-boot which uses the native UEFI boot manager and does not need to load modules or scripts.

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5 How to install grub2?

In order to install grub2 on your GNU/Linux system, you must first identify the device name of your boot partition with the fdisk -l or lsblk commands. Then, mount the boot partition to a temporary directory with the mount command. After that, install the grub2 package from your distribution's repository with the apt, yum, pacman, or zypper commands. Next, use the grub-install command to install the grub2 bootloader to your boot device. Finally, generate the grub2 configuration file in /boot/grub/grub.cfg with either the grub-mkconfig or update-grub commands. Once you have completed these steps, reboot your system and verify that grub2 is working properly.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are the benefits and drawbacks of using grub2 bootloader over other bootloaders?

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1 What is a bootloader?

2 What is grub2?

3 What are the benefits of grub2?

4 What are the drawbacks of grub2?

5 How to install grub2?

6 Here’s what else to consider

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