Re: Debian live-build: Specifiying grub menu label for grub-efi

Yes, and those menu labels ultimately come from these bootloader configs in the final live image.

live-build, during the bootloader phases of the build process, coping the relevant bootloader configs from the /usr/share/live/build/bootloaders, then if you have any of those directories in your config bootloader directory, copies your files over the top. With a complete set of config files it then replaces various placeholders they contain to fill in various labels and boot parameters and all sorts, derived from all of your config options.

So, if you want to change the menu entries like the labels, unless you spot a config option that does exactly what you need, you need to take a look at those bootloader templates, and either directly stick your modifications into it, or see whether you can trace back the source of placeholder text to one or more config options that you could use instead.

It's been a good long while since I last did any proper work on this project myself, so I'm a little vague on some of the details, but I think actually providing a good means for customisation of labels, as in putting your own distro name rather than Debian, is something that remains on the project to-do list I'm affraid. If I'm remember correctly, then you'll certainly be having to look at editing these templates to hard code it, rather than look for a config option.

I'm very busy though, so I can;t really help you much more than this I'm affraid, sorry.

On Tue, 2021-12-14 at 07:29 +0000, Anindya Chaudhuri wrote:

Hi... I should have mentioned that I do have customized configs for syslinux (syslinux + syslinux_common) and grub-pc in /bootloaders. This way I have, for instance, customized boot and grub splashes. It's only the grub menu labels, that too only for uefi installs, that doesn't seem to be working.

From: Lyndon Brown <jnqnfe@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2021 12:31 PM
To: Anindya Chaudhuri <anindyach@hotmail.com>; debian-live@lists.debian.org <debian-live@lists.debian.org>
Subject: Re: Debian live-build: Specifiying grub menu label for grub-efi

There's only so much customisation that you can get done with the configuration options alone, as you have surmised, however this is completely the wrong file to edit to achieve your goal.

The menus are created from templates kept in /usr/share/live/build/bootloaders.

You are supposed to copy stuff from this into the bootloaders directory of your config and then modify it as necessary. Note that there are various placeholders within the template files that get filled in during the build process.

So, copy the template directories for any applicable bootloaders into your config bootloader directory, determine which files you wish to customise and then customise them. You can remove from your config any that you're not modifying.

On Tue, 2021-12-14 at 05:57 +0000, Anindya Chaudhuri wrote:

My /auto/config has the line: "--bootloaders "syslinux, grub-efi". This generates an image which can be installed both on bios and uefi machines without any problem (i.e. grub-pc is installed for bios, and grub-efi-amd64 is installed for uefi, both tested in virtualbox). For changing the grub menu label entries, I have included the following /etc/default/grub file:

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT=5

GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR='MyLinux'

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="initrd=/install/initrd.gz"

GRUB_ENABLE_CRYPTODISK=y

During installation I am receiving a messaged that the /etc/default/grub file has been changed, and whether I want to use the package maintainer's version. For bios, if I choose "keep the version currently installed", the grub boot menu shows "MyLinux" and "Advanced Options for MyLinux" as expected. However, for uefi, this fails - if I choose "keep current version", I just get a grub terminal during the post-install boot. If I choose to install the package maintainer's version, it of course overwrites the /etc/default/grub. Post-install grub loads without a problem, but the menu entries are the regular "Debian GNU/Linux" etc. Can somebody please help me understand how the grub menu labels are generated with grub-efi - what settings do I need to change so that the menu label shows "MyLinux" etc.?

Thanks.