Custom Grub for Arch in multi-boot system that is maintenance free

[Cavsfan]

My previous picture hosting site went down, so here is the most current one I have on Arch Linux:

[Cavsfan]

There is one thing that Arch Linux does when there is an update to grub that requires intervention and that is it makes all the files in /etc/grub.d/ executable.

[cavsfan@Le-Beast grub.d]$ ls -l -a
total 80
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root  4096 Mar 16 16:12 .
drwxr-xr-x 113 root root 12288 Mar 16 16:12 ..
-rwxr-xr-x   1 root root  8871 Mar 14 16:56 00_header
-rwxr-xr-x   1 root root  2888 Dec 31 18:14 06_custom
-rwxr-xr-x   1 root root 10400 Mar 14 16:56 10_linux
-rwxr-xr-x   1 root root 10455 Mar 14 16:56 20_linux_xen
-rwxr-xr-x   1 root root 11301 Mar 14 16:56 30_os-prober
-rwxr-xr-x   1 root root   214 Mar 14 16:56 40_custom
-rwxr-xr-x   1 root root   216 Mar 14 16:56 41_custom
-rw-r--r--   1 root root   483 Mar 14 16:56 README

So, you need to make 10_linux and 30_os-prober unexecutable. Also memtest86+ if you have that installed.
sudo chmod -x <file-name>...

Since no new /boot/grub/grub.cfg file was generated as a result of the update, no further action is required.

[Cavsfan]

If you want the ability to restart and shutdown from the Grub menu, add these to the bottom of /etc/grub.d/06_custom:

menuentry "System restart" {
    echo "System rebooting..."
    reboot
}
menuentry "System shutdown" {
    echo "System shutting down..."
    halt
}

Then enter sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg to update Grub with these changes.

[again?]

Hi Cavsfan,
I use a custom font in grub created with

sudo grub-mkfont --output=/boot/grub/fonts/DejaVuSansMono18.pf2 --size=18 /usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSansMono.ttf

The side borders are dotted lines using this font.
Looking at your pic the borders don't appear to be dotted lines.
What font do you use?

[Cavsfan]

Hi Cavsfan,
I use a custom font in grub created with

sudo grub-mkfont --output=/boot/grub/fonts/DejaVuSansMono18.pf2 --size=18 /usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSansMono.ttf

The side borders are dotted lines using this font.
Looking at your pic the borders don't appear to be dotted lines.
What font do you use?

Hi guber2!
I used to use this on Ubuntu and Arch Linux:

sudo grub-mkfont --output=/boot/grub/DejaVuSansMono.pf2 --size=24 /usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-dejavu/DejaVuSansMono.ttf

Then added a line in /etc/default/grub:

GRUB_FONT=/boot/grub/DejaVuSansMono.pf2

But, that became huge, too big, when I swapped out my DVI to HMDI cable with an HDMI-HDMI cable.
So, I just took building the font and adding the line to /etc/default/grub out and used the default font.

I'll try that and see what happens. Maybe font size 18 will work better than 24 did.
Plus, putting the font in /boot/grub/fonts/ is probably the default font location for grub anyway.

Since I added Restart and Shutdown I have to scroll down to see shutdown.

[Cavsfan]

@guber2, that will definitely not work. I tried font size 18 like you have and everything was huge again. Only about 4 lines displayed.

So, I tried 12 and that was still too big. I got vertical dashes on the sides but, it displayed less than the default.

Then I tried size 8 and everything did display, all 16 lines but, the font was too small.

I'll just leave it at default. That way you do not have to add the GRUB_FONT= line to the /etc/default/grub file.

Because as you probably already know, if you do not add that line, it will still use the default font - /boot/grub/fonts/unicode.pf2 - and you can see that in /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

We are talking about Arch Linux and not Ubuntu right? I don't think it matters much concerning the font.

[1fallen]

We are talking about Arch Linux and not Ubuntu right? I don't think it matters much concerning the font.

+1 Just the size as you already noticed.

[Cavsfan]

We are talking about Arch Linux and not Ubuntu right? I don't think it matters much concerning the font.

+1 Just the size as you already noticed.

What you customized your Grub screen too?

Edit: Well actually Arch and Ubuntu do handle grub a little differently e.g. the font colors are in /etc/default/grub.

[again?]

@guber2, that will definitely not work. I tried font size 18 like you have and everything was huge again. Only about 4 lines displayed.

So, I tried 12 and that was still too big. I got vertical dashes on the sides but, it displayed less than the default.

Then I tried size 8 and everything did display, all 16 lines but, the font was too small.

I'll just leave it at default. That way you do not have to add the GRUB_FONT= line to the /etc/default/grub file.

Because as you probably already know, if you do not add that line, it will still use the default font - /boot/grub/fonts/unicode.pf2 - and you can see that in /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

We are talking about Arch Linux and not Ubuntu right? I don't think it matters much concerning the font.

I am using a normal DVI connection in Ubuntu and the custom font settings work for me.
Default font (too small)
Attachment 278976

Custom Font (GRUB_FONT=/boot/grub/fonts/DejaVuSansMono-18.pf2)
Attachment 278977

I just noticed your grubscreen pic where the text looks larger than normal but maybe just a result of HDMI.
As you seem to have a fair amount of knowledge about customizing grub, was wondering if you knew a font that didn't make dotted side borders?

[1fallen]

What you customized your Grub screen too?

.

Well of course I did. Can't have just plain old grub. now can we!

Edit: Well actually Arch and Ubuntu do handle grub a little differently e.g. the font colors are in /etc/default/grub.

Picky Picky! But True.