Re: Tripple boot Debian 12, Debian 13, Opensuse EFI
Richmond composed on 2025-11-09 22:00 (UTC):
> Felix Miata writes:
>> Examine /etc/default/grub for value of GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=.
> On 12 I have this:
> GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
> On 13 I have this:
>
> #GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`( . /etc/os-release && echo ${NAME} )`
> GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=Debian13
>>If 12 matches 13, and
>> you are UEFI booting, there is a fix.
> I am UEFI booting, but they don't match.
I wasn't aware 13 changed the script. I only enable one Grub per computer,
Tumbleweed's, not Debian's. Visit
<https://forums.opensuse.org/t/how-to-have-a-custom-uefi-grub-menu-for-a-multiboot-system/133541>
to see some detail about how just one Grub can work.
Both 12 & 13 produce /boot/efi/EFI/debian unless you change it.
>> With UEFI, you can mismatch those values to keep them from usurping
>> each other. The resulting value there, whether by script or any
>> string value you please to within "" place there, e.g. "debian13",
>> determines the name of the directory on the ESP partition from which
>> they boot, both of which by default use directory debian via script.
> At the moment I have this. I think 'debian' should go and leave debian12
> and debian13. But debian and debian12 are identical.
Your /boot/efi/EFI/debian has apparently now been superceded and can be removed.
> /boot/efi/EFI# ls -l
> total 24
> drwx------ 2 root root 4096 Oct 31 2014 Boot
> drwx------ 2 root root 4096 Dec 28 2023 debian
> drwx------ 2 root root 4096 Sep 17 18:13 debian12
> drwx------ 2 root root 4096 Nov 9 09:13 debian13
> drwx------ 3 root root 4096 Jul 6 2014 Dell
> drwx------ 4 root root 4096 Oct 31 2014 Microsoft
>> You'll still need to use the UEFI BIOS BBS hotkey, or use BIOS setup to
>> change the default, or use efibootmgr to change priority prior to
>> shutdown or reboot, any time you wish to boot using a different
>> bootloader than the last used.
> What I don't understand is why grub can't get all the information at
> boot time about the OS it is about to boot. It has access to the file
> system, so if it is going to boot an 'other' debian, it could pick up
> the necessary configurations from the 'other' partition, where it is
> more likely to be correct.
Now that you have what you have in /boot/efi/EFI/, I'm not sure what you may be
missing. /etc/fstab should have all the mounting info OS needs that isn't on the
linu line of the Grub stanza booted from. Grub should not affect swapspace other
than the impact of the resume= or noresume parameters. If resume= needs to be
different in grub.cfg, that change needs to be made in /etc/default/grub's
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=, but will only be applied for the grub.cfg of the
installation where the edit was made.
> I've changed the timeout below from zero to 5 to see if that helps.
Gives you more time to strike some key at the Grub menu before it proceeds with
whatever default. :)
> # efibootmgr
> BootCurrent: 0008
> Timeout: 0 seconds
> BootOrder: 0008,0005,0006,0007,0003,2001,0002,2003,2002
> Boot0000* UEFI Onboard LAN IPv4
> Boot0001* UEFI Onboard LAN IPv6
> Boot0002* HDD1-1 (ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB)
> Boot0003* Windows Boot Manager
> Boot0004* USB
> Boot0005* debian
> Boot0006* opensuse-secureboot
> Boot0007* debian12
> Boot0008* debian13
> Boot2001* EFI USB Device
> Boot2002* EFI DVD/CDROM
> Boot2003* EFI Network
This should be OK if you avoid a BBS hotkey menu selection of "debian", unless 12
/is/ your desire. Once /boot/efi/EFI/debian is removed it should go away, but may
be manually removed with efibootmgr if that doesn't happen. If you reinstall
afresh, or install Sid or Forky, it will get created anew, and the new
/etc/default/grub would best have you change it as well.
There is quite a bit of art in maintaining and configuring multiboot, quite more
than one way with its various elements, such as upstream's pair
/etc/grub.d/40_custom and /etc/grub.d/41_custom, where I use 41_custom renamed to
07_custom to put TW's /boot/grub2/custom.cfg stanzas I maintain, and Grub only
ever reads, at the top of Grub's boot menu.
--
Evolution as taught in public schools is, like religion,
based on faith, not based on science.
Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!
Felix Miata
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