GRUB Boot Entries – How to Rename GRUB Boot Entries

grub2

I am taking about the naming of existing/default GRUB boot entry. Currently I've the following options at GRUB screen:

Trisquel GNU/Linux
Advanced options for Trisquel GNU/Linux
Trisquel GNU/Linux, with Linux-Libre 3.13.0-39-lowlatency (recovery mode)
Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)
Edubuntu ISO

Where First three entries are default with Trisquel GNU/Linux, 4th is for Windows boot loader and 5th is custom entry defined at /etc/grub.d/40_custom.Now suppose I want to change the name/text of say 4th entry Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1), then which is the right way?

I found above menu entries at /boot/grub/grub.cfg. Example for that I want to change:

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry 'Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)' --class windows --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-chain-0A7072DF7072D145' {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ntfs
    set root='hd0,msdos1'
    if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1  0A7072DF7072D145
    else
      search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0A7072DF7072D145
    fi
    parttool ${root} hidden-
    chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

So, Can I safely replace the name/text 'Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)' with which I want and then update-grub2?

Briefly I want to know How do I change the name of GRUB boot entry?

Best Answer

You can change /boot/grub/grub.cfg directly, but this file gets overwritten by update-grub2. If your configuration does not change often, this may be the easiest way for you.

Or take a look at:

Alternatively have a look at this folder /etc/grub.d. From there update-grub2 generates the /boot/grub/grub.cfg file.

You can change the way the auto-generation labels the Windows entries, especially as you only got one Windows installed, by overwriting the specific menuentry command in the 30_os-prober script.

Go to /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober and look for menuentry '$(echo "${LONGNAME} $onstr" | grub_quote)' --class windows .... Replace the ' ' part with your label, but keep the other options the same.

e.g. on my system:menuentry 'My Windows 7 system' --class windows --class os \$menuentry_id_option 'osprober-chain-$(grub_get_device_id "${DEVICE}")' { EOF

But there is a catch to that: firstly there are two of these entries in 30_os-prober: one for chain), another for efi), thus you should change both. Secondly I guess these changes will be overwritten, once there is an update to these files / to grub.

Another approach:

You can disable the windows part in the 30_os-prober script by commenting # those menuentry ...commands in the windows sections chain) and efi). That will remove the auto-generated windows entry. Then take your current windows bootentry from /boot/grub/grub.cfg and copy it into the custom menu file /etc/grub.d/40_custom.

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