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I've had a Windows 10 and Ubuntu 18.04 dual boot for a year. Both OSs work fine. My computer loads Windows by default on start-up, but I'd prefer on start-up to select either OS from the GRUB boot menu option or start Ubuntu at least. I went into the boot menu where Ubuntu is listed and then into the boot order setup, but in the boot order Ubuntu was not listed (see images).

Did I install Ubuntu wrong or is it because I have both Windows and Ubuntu on SSDPEKKW512GB (see images). I don't understand sysadmin and hardware stuff.

Is there a workaround that lets me have on start-up the boot screen or that loads straight into Ubuntu?

Sometimes I need multiple restarts followed by pressing Fn+F7 to get into the boot screen. Somehow they get ignored and Windows starts straightaway. Is this connected to the previous issues?

This thread doesn't solve my issue, I have already tried GRUB_DEFAULT=0 and Ubuntu in the /etc/default/grub file without success.

Just in case I attached my grub screen too.

Please select boot device

BIOS boot options

GRUB

NeStack
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4 Answers4

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Running this in Windows points the PC to boot into GRUB instead:

bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi
K7AAY
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On startup, enter Ubuntu. When Ubuntu starts up, enter either the terminal. Enter the following commands:

gksudo gedit /etc/default/grub

When that command opens, chnage GRUB_DEFAULT=0 to GRUB_DEFAULT=saved and then enter. Update GRUB with the command

sudo update-grub

Finally, set default OS with sudo grub-set-default NUMBER. NUMBER is the number of the OS that you want to set to default.

OR

install GRUB-customizer with the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install grub-customizer

Cited from: https://tipsonubuntu.com/2016/07/20/grub2-boot-order-ubuntu-16-04/

This may provide more detailed information on what you are looking for. I hope this helps.

Logan
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I found the problem and a workaround. The comment by @karel is insightful, but I don't have the knowledge to try it out. Instead, I found another way to choose the OS on start-up.

The problem: In the UEFI [Boot-Options] tab, as you see in the screenshot in the question, the setup prompt timeout was by default 1 sec.

The fix: I set it to a slightly larger value, 3 sec! I guess the 1 sec was too short so that on start it wouldn't get me every time into the UEFI boot screen by pressing Fn+F7. Now, on every start without pressing Fn+F7, I get straight into the GRUB menu, where I have set Ubuntu as the default booting OS (here how to set the default OS)

To be fair, I tried a few other things on the way to solving this problem, that might have also contributed to solving it, like the advice above by @K7AAY

Community
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NeStack
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I had a nearly identical problem with a different fix

I tried all the fixes here (and fixes elsewhere)

My laptop was LG Gram (16T90R-K) and it had a very limited BIOS (No Timeout set like the other answer asks to change, and LG Support said not way to change BIOS)

I did however have the option in my hardware to add a 2nd Disk

SO that was the fix that worked

I opened up the laptop, added a 2nd NVMe Hard Disk, installed Ubuntu on that, put a manual UEFI partition at the start of the disk and it just worked.

Note: I probably could have survived without the fix, I just would have had to press F10 on boot every time to Select Ubuntu OR go into windows, Shift + Reboot and in that screen "Other Devices -> Ubuntu"

Ultimately like the OP my issue was Linux installed fine, and I could even boot via F10 at start-up, but it clearly didn't get the UEFI component correct OR the BIOS simply couldn't read it (LG Gram Bios was VERY LIMITED, I tried various options to find BIOS Updates but LG Support said it wasn't possible)

I also wondered if it was a size issue, my UEFI partition was about 260 MB, and other forums mentioned 100 MB being too small, but most said 260 MB was minimum, I made it 1 GB and installed Ubuntu again it still didn't work. I also tried POP OS just to see if this was Ubuntu specific.

The Windows UEFI did list Ubuntu, but the Timeout was 0 (or maybe it was 1), and the boot order was Windows, Ubuntu. I changed the order within linux using tools recommended in articles and then looking at my settings after this they updated, but upon reset it seems my changes were wiped out, so it seems the Windows Bootloader/UEFI was aware of both, but just wouldn't put Ubuntu as the priority and I just couldn't see how to edit this to fix the setting.

So since my laptop allows a 2nd HDD, I ordered one, and for ~$150 I was able to install on that, and put a UEFI partition at the beginning of the 2nd Drive, and it worked.

Michael Smith
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