Grub cluttered

[Quackers]

There used to be a utility called ubuntu-tweak that did that with a GUI. I think it's still around.

[Dennis N]

This will create a similar custom menu keeping the UUIDs for your devices, which may be preferable. There are reasons for having them.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/CustomMenus

Involves just copy and paste of the generated entries from grub.cfg to your custom entry file(s) and editing the descriptions. Maintainance free if you follow the last part of that tutorial. You can disable the OS prober as well.

I used his technique, and create a separate file for each OS entry rather than one file for all. Your choice, of course.

Good luck.

[JKyleOKC]

There used to be a utility called ubuntu-tweak that did that with a GUI. I think it's still around.

It is, and it has a PPA that cn be added to one's sources.list to get updates.

[3dmatrix]

Is it advisable to directly edit the grub file in /boot/grub/ or is it risky

[JKyleOKC]

You can edit it, but it can be quite risky because any error can make your system unbootable. If that happens, you can recover by using a live CD, but it's a bit complicated.

If you do want to take the chance, be sure to make a backup copy of the grub.cfg file first, in the same directory, so that you can restore it should that become necessary. Then do your editing, cross your fingers, and hope it works properly.

If it doesn't, boot with the live CD, come back here, and ask for the instructions on undoing your edit. Good luck!

[Crusty Old Fart]

Is it advisable to directly edit the grub file in /boot/grub/ or is it risky

It is not advisable.
It is risky.
It may also be a really bad idea.

It is advised to edit the following grub file:

/etc/default/grub

And then run the following command to have the system change your grub configuration in the files it needs to update:

sudo update-grub

[deadflowr]

Is it advisable to directly edit the grub file in /boot/grub/ or is it risky

No it is not advisable.
The main reason, aside from possibly borking it, is that it will be overwritten the next time grub is updated.
Which usually happens every time a new kernel version is installed.

As advised earlier, just make a custom grub menu.
Follow the tut
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ma...tomGrub2Screen
and probably read through any problems others have come across
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2076205

It's actually a lot easier than it seems.

[VMC]

Is it advisable to directly edit the grub file in /boot/grub/ or is it risky

The grub purest can and have told you not to edit grub.cfg, but since you brought up the subject, that's the only way I do it.
And have done it that way for years.

Depending on your experience, any so called "borking" is easily fixed.

For one thing, I keep several copies of my grub.cfg at hand, and my partition tables never change. If they did I would re-create the file.
Even if grub gets updated with a new kernel or program update, and a new grub.cfg gets inserted, I just go behind it back and copy mine in its place.

This is so easy and what's displayed - menuing, colors, etc. , I control. You just have to maintain your UUID's. Here's my grub.cfg jus so you know:

    default=0
    timeout=11
    menu_color_normal=white/blue
    menu_color_highlight=light-cyan/cyan

menuentry "Windows" {
        insmod part_msdos
        insmod ntfs
        set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3464AFFC64AFBF4C
        chainloader +1
}
menuentry "KDE" {
        insmod part_msdos
        insmod ext2
        set root='(hd0,msdos6)'
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 333ea2a9-69c1-4f60-a39c-acfee7fc46ee
        linux /vmlinuz root=UUID=333ea2a9-69c1-4f60-a39c-acfee7fc46ee ro modeset=0 splash quiet
        initrd /initrd.img
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    set root='(hd0,msdos7)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root ee55c25c-fff8-4b60-8ff4-be9748d7eedc
    linux /vmlinuz root=UUID=ee55c25c-fff8-4b60-8ff4-be9748d7eedc ro quiet splash
    initrd /initrd.img
}
submenu Loop-Backs-ISO {
    default=0
    timeout=11
    menu_color_normal=white/black
    menu_color_highlight=black/white
    
  menuentry "ISO" {
    set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
    set isofile="/ISO/kde-saucy-desktop-amd64.iso"
    loopback loop (hd1,msdos1)$isofile
    linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz.efi boot=casper maybe-ubiquity iso-scan/filename=$isofile noprompt noeject
    initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.lz
  }
  menuentry 'Ubuntu (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    set root='(hd0,msdos7)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root ee55c25c-fff8-4b60-8ff4-be9748d7eedc
    echo 'Loading Linux 3.5.0-38-generic ...'
    linux /vmlinuz root=UUID=ee55c25c-fff8-4b60-8ff4-be9748d7eedc ro recovery nomodeset 
    echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
    initrd /initrd.img
  }
  menuentry "Clonezilla" {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    gfxpayload=1024x768x16,1024x768
    set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
    linux /boot/vmlinuz boot=live live-config noswap nolocales edd=on nomodeset ocs_live_run=\"ocs-live-general\" ocs_live_extra_param=\"\" ocs_live_keymap=\"NONE\" ocs_live_batch=\"no\" ocs_lang=\"en_US.UTF-8\" ip=frommedia nosplash live-media-path=/boot bootfrom=/dev/sdb toram=filesystem.squashfs
    initrd /boot/initrd.img
  }
  menuentry "PartedMagic" {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ext2
    gfxpayload=1024x768x16,1024x768
    set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
    linux /boot/pmagic/bzImage64 root=/dev/sdb directory=boot edd=off load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw loglevel=9 max_loop=256 vmalloc=288MiB
    initrd /boot/pmagic/initrd.img
   }
  menuentry 'Parted Magic' {
    set root=(hd1,1)
    linux /boot/pmagic/bzImage64 root=/dev/sdb directory=boot edd=on
    initrd /boot/pmagic/initrd.img
  }
}

This menu has white on blue text on first page and white on black for the submenu second "ISO" page.
When grub2 first came out, I too use to stick with scripts, but soon realized, I can control it better myself - and do.
There's always an alternative...

[JKyleOKC]

I agree that it's not advisable, but it is possible.

The simplest way to achieve your goal is to use grub-customizer, which is a GUI that does the editing for you in the correct way. See the how-to at http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-ins...ntu-13-04.html for details.

[Bucky Ball]

Sheesh, what's the matter with Grub Customizer???

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=10340183

Works fine for me making the Grub look how I like. Think you can delete through it also (not in Ubuntu so can't look right now).