Re: Tripple boot Debian 12, Debian 13, Opensuse EFI
Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> writes:
> 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 Your /boot/efi/EFI/debian has apparently now been superceded and can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.
I've switched to using systemd-boot for the time being. I installed it
from both systems and it has created a menu with both systems on. I am
not sure what will happen when a new kernel is released, according to
Gemini the new version will appear on the menu automatically.
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