grub2 has no timer

[Bernhard]

Binary package hint: grub2

grub2 has no timer for me at the moment. Whatever value I set in the "Startup Manager", it never picks the default option, it just sits and waits for me to hit ENTER. This might have happened in one of the recent updates.

[Felix Zielcke (fzielcke)]

Am Donnerstag, den 27.08.2009, 17:41 +0000 schrieb Bernhard:
> Public bug reported:
>
> Binary package hint: grub2
>
> grub2 has no timer for me at the moment. Whatever value I set in the
> "Startup Manager", it never picks the default option, it just sits and
> waits for me to hit ENTER. This might have happened in one of the recent
> updates.

Startup Manager AFAICS doestn't support grub2 at all.
Try to change the values in /etc/default/grub and run update-grub.

--
Felix Zielcke
Proud Debian Maintainer

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

The Startup Manager does work for grub2 in Ubuntu. I can change the settings there and they are properly reflected in grub.cfg and such. It's just that the timer has completely disappeared from my grub2 menu (the one I see right after startup).

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

Just wondering if somebody removed the timer temporarily and on purpose because of the 2.6.31-7 bug 418509 ?

[Felix Zielcke (fzielcke)]

Am Donnerstag, den 27.08.2009, 18:42 +0000 schrieb Bernhard:
> The Startup Manager does work for grub2 in Ubuntu. I can change the
> settings there and they are properly reflected in grub.cfg and such.
> It's just that the timer has completely disappeared from my grub2 menu
> (the one I see right after startup).
>

Then please check if the values in /etc/default/grub are changed for the
timeout.
If not then this is a bug in Startup Manager and not grub2.

--
Felix Zielcke
Proud Debian Maintainer

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

No that works fine, changes in /etc/default/grub are reflected in the Startup Manager and vice versa.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Almost certainly fixed by this:

grub2 (1.96+20090826-3ubuntu3) karmic; urgency=low

  * 951_quick_boot.diff: Always initialise timeout from GRUB_TIMEOUT,
    otherwise there'll be no timeout when other operating systems are
    installed.

 -- Colin Watson <email address hidden> Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:13:03 +0100

If not, let me know.

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

No, it's not working with that package either. (Actually, should I have "grub2" installed or not? Aptitude calls it a "transitional package", but it had the version number you mentioned.)

Timer doesn't come up anymore since yesterday or something, I only have Karmic installed on this machine, so there is no other OS here.

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/zsh
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-6-generic i686
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

And here's my /etc/default/grub if you need it:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# 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=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entrys
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=" splash"

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

You should have grub-pc installed with the version I quoted. You don't need grub2, although it doesn't hurt.

Could you attach /boot/grub/grub.cfg too?

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

Yes, I have grub-pc installed. Everything worked a couple of days ago. Here's my grub.cfg:

[starslights (starslights)]

hello,

Now after a few updated, certainly Grub, i am asked every start to choose what version of Kernel i will run.

i have wait to the kernel fix to signal this one, while are no change with last update.

So it seem a new bug on kubuntu karmic alpha4 x86 64

grub 0.97-29 ubuntu3 64 bits

kernel : 2.6.31-8

[Jonathan Lumb (jonolumb)]

I am also experiencing the same problem on my laptop - I thought that this may have been an issue that I caused myself but it is now clear that I am not the only one with this problem. Please let me know how I can help fix the issue.

Kernel: 2.6.31-8-generic
Grub 1.96 karmic
Architecture: i686

Thanks

[Jonathan Lumb (jonolumb)]

This bug's status is "Fix Released". Is this now working for everyone? My GRUB is still having this problem every time I start up...

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

I think Colin originally thought that it was a different problem that is fixed by now and set it to "Fix Released", but the problem isn't fixed for me either. I will set to "Confirmed", unless anybody minds?

[starslights (starslights)]

yes , for me that's have fixed my Grub and work well

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Jonathan, please attach your /etc/default/grub and /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

Also, as a general rule, please make sure that you've run grub-install
on the right devices since the last upgrade. Run this command to see
what's done automatically:

  sudo debconf-show grub-pc | grep install_devices

If this doesn't match the drive(s) you're booting GRUB from, then you
need to run 'sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc' to change it.

[starslights (starslights)]

yes , for me that's have fixed my Grub and work well

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

OK, running the following command fixed it for me:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Didn't know you have to do that, thought that installation would be part of the upgrade?

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

Small correction, the new version is different in that it automatically picks the latest kernel without prompting for a kernel. But the timer is still not working as far as I can see: Even though I have

set timeout=10

in my grub.cfg, it picks the default kernel immediately. I thought it should then wait 10sec for it to pick the default kernel. I never had any such timer since upgrading to karmic.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

It's supposed to be done by default, but unfortunately we sometimes
don't keep track of disk names properly, and there were some installer
bugs that caused it not to happen at all even after upgrades (there's a
separate bug about all of this, which I do plan to fix for Karmic). To
arrange for it to be done by default in future, run 'sudo
dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc' and enter "/dev/sda" at the "GRUB install
devices:" prompt.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Bernhard, please attach your current /etc/default/grub and
/boot/grub/grub.cfg, or if applicable point me to where they're already
attached and confirm that those versions are still current.

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

OK, I will attach both files. I attached them before, they might have been only slightly altered.

[Jonathan Lumb (jonolumb)]

Colin, here are the two files as you requested... I would appreciate any help.

[Jonathan Lumb (jonolumb)]

Hi Colin, the "sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc" worked great for me, I am no longer having to manually select a kernel at bootup. It would seem that his bug is indeed fixed - but it would be good if the fix could be done automatically rather than requiring users to force the "sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc" - although I guess this is only Alpha stuff so it's not that important... thanks for the help!

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

Jonathan: do you actually have a timer or is it just picking the default kernel immediately?
I have a timer of 10 secs in my config files, but it picks immediately!

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Yes indeed - fixing this properly is high on my list for 9.10.

[Jonathan Lumb (jonolumb)]

Bernard: I too am having the same problem - the latest kernel is picked
immediately and I don't have any time to choose alternative kernels. It
seems that Colin is already working on this.

On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 9:40 PM, Colin Watson <email address hidden>wrote:

> Yes indeed - fixing this properly is high on my list for 9.10.
>
> --
> grub2 has no timer
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/420077
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Jonathan Lumb (jonolumb)]

Bernard: I too am having the same problem - the latest kernel is picked immediately and I don't have any time to choose alternative kernels. It seems that Colin is already working on this.

[Hellsgator (hellsgate)]

same problem here. no option to chose, just starts up.

[westdene (westdene72)]

Same problem over here. When I start up my box it runs by default using my last kernel (31-11). No grub screen for selecting safe mode or previous kernels.
However, Ive managed to play with the settings in the grub file (/etc/defaults/grub) and got a splash screen with a time out (setted to 10secs). That gives me a screen in blue (debian logo) with a countdown 10-0 in the right top corner, no other text in that blue screen. If I hit ESC I get my grub startup with all my kernels to choose from.
After running sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc my grub file gets updated and all comes back to the default (second sentence of this post)
Here is my grub file after running sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT="10"
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="splash"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# 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=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entrys
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

Hope Im clear

[cmcginty (casey-mcginty)]

[SOLVED] If you are having this bug, try running the command in the console to unset the "recordfail" value:

grub-editenv /boot/grub/grubenv unset recordfail

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

I still have this bug with the current lucid builds. Maybe it should be fixed on the live CDs?

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

cmcginty's solution is working for me.

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

cmcginty, Adam: are you running karmic? This didn't help for me in lucid. I tried pressing Esc during boot to get a boot menu but all I got was a "mountall: cannot connect to plymouth". It resumed to boot correctly though.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

Yes, I'm running Karmic.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

After another boot I'm back having this issue. The first line in /boot/grub/grubenv is recordfail=1 again.

[starslights (starslights)]

after the last update for the new kubuntu kernel, i get a new message:

2010-04-02 15:49:31 KDELucidTest kernel [ 145.067797] Clocksource tsc unstable (delta = 75683645 ns)
2010-04-02 15:49:31 KDELucidTest kernel [ 145.270319] Switching to clocksource acpi_pm

Linux KDELucidTest 2.6.32-19-generic #28-Ubuntu SMP Thu Apr 1 10:39:41 UTC 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[starslights (starslights)]

oups sorry, wrong message, i apologize . [ 20.548896] hrtimer: interrupt too slow, forcing clock min delta to 210134211 ns

[starslights (starslights)]

Bug still on kubuntu lucid beta2 :/

[Sonny (aadityabhatia)]

I faced this issue on a karmic-server yesterday, upon rebooting after 4 months of uptime and around 2-3 kernel updates in the meantime.

Apparently it was the "recordfail" as mentioned in the comments above and in this post: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=8086168&postcount=6

Something went wrong in the first reboot. I was able to ping the box by IP but not by mDNS hostname, and was unable to access it over SSH. After hard reset, the box kept getting stuck on grub menu until I plugged in a monitor and a keyboard, hit enter to continue, booted normally and then rebooted.

There was nothing interesting in syslog. I can provide the logs as necessary.

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

For me, the timer shows up when I have two different operating systems, but not when I have 2-3 different kernels for the same operating system.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

I don't have this issue anymore. Looks like it was fixed. Can anyone confirm?

[Bernhard (b.a.koenig)]

Adam: as I said above, it works when I have two operating systems, but I get no grub2 timer when I have more than one kernel of the same OS. Maybe one of the devs could confirm what the intended behavior of grub2 is.

[Alver (nekerev)]

After a succesfull upgrade from 10.04 to 10.10 I'm having this issue - no timeout line - also. GRUB2 displays in all its glory but will probably sit there untill Judgment Day. One has to choose an OS (I have a dual boot W7/U10.10 64b) and manually "Enter", after that the chosen OS boots just fine. Is there any permanent fix available or do I have to wait until 11.04 comes around?

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for grub2 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]