How to Change a Grub Boot Order

If you are booting multiple operating systems from the same system, you may want to change which OS boots automatically. For Linux installations, the boot order will be handled by Grub. Read on to learn how to change a Grub boot order in Linux.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ubuntu
• Root Access

Back up your Grub settings.

1. Open Terminal. Click "Applications" and choose "Accessories." Click on "Terminal."

2. Type "sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst_backup" into the command line and hit Enter.

3. Enter your password, if prompted.

Edit Menus.lst

4. Type "gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst" into the Terminal, if you are using Ubuntu. For Kubuntu, type "kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst." For Xubuntu, type "gksudo mousepad /boot/grub/menu.lst."

5. Locate the proper line to edit. It will be preceded by a commented section (lines beginning with "#") that reads: "## default num." Look for a line that reads: "default 0."

6. Locate the operating system you would like to boot first. Your options will be listed in a section with items beginning with "title." For example: "title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-27-amd64-generic". Each line corresponds to a number, with the first item in the list being 0 (zero).

7. Change " default 0" to the number corresponding to the operating system you wish to boot in the aforementioned list. Save the file and close the editor.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also replace the number after default with the word "saved." This will change the default to whichever OS was last used. To restore your backed up copy, type: "sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst_backup /boot/grub/menu.lst " into Terminal. This should undo any changes you've made.
• Incorrectly editing your system configuration can render it unusable. Proceed with caution. Do not use the "saved" method if you are running dmraid. This will render your system unbootable.

References

• Official Ubuntu Documentation
• Ubuntu Community Help

Resources

• Ubuntu Forums