Configuring GRUB2 in Ubuntu

Currently, my main Linux machine is my ASUS EeePC 1000H netbook, running version 10.04 of Ubuntu Netbook Edition. I love it, mainly because it is uber-upgradeable and super-portable. I can stuff it into my small Eagle Creek urban man bag with a day's worth of essentials to cover any computing needs that may arise when my iPhone just isn't enough.

Now, call me crazy, but I like to have my computers display the GRUB boot menu at boot time, even though I generally do not run a dual-OS setup anymore now that I no longer use Windows. My reason for wanting to see the boot menu mainly has to do with the fact that I like to compile and test different kernels every so often, plus I have easy, instant access to memtest86+, should I ever need it.

In the days of old (in this case, as recently as a year or two ago), you would edit the menu.lst file in Ubuntu in order to change the GRUB boot menu settings. Beginning with the previous version of Ubuntu, version 9.10, this changed due to the fact that Ubuntu was updated to run GRUB2. As a result, the configuration file is much different. Outlined below is the very easy process for configuring GRUB2 to show the boot menu upon system startup.

First you need to know which file to edit. In Ubuntu 10.04, for GRUB2, the config file is located at /etc/default/grub. To edit the file simply issue the following command:

    ken@hostname:~$ sudo vi /etc/default/grub

The lines we are concerned with in the grub config file are GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT  and GRUB_TIMEOUT, shown below. Note that your grub config file may look a little different.

    # If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
    # /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

    GRUB_DEFAULT=0
    GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
    GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
    GRUB_TIMEOUT=10

In order to show the boot menu, add a '#' character at the beginning of the GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT line.

    #GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0

This inactivates the line by changing it to a comment. Next, delete any values that are located after the '=' character, so that the line now looks the same as I have it below:

    #GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=

The above process is the key element to ensuring that the boot menu displays during startup, but we aren't finished yet. The final step in editing the grub config file is to set the amount of time that the boot menu will stay on screen. To do this, change GRUB_TIMEOUT=0 to GRUB_TIMEOUT=10, replacing 10 with whichever value you want the menu to display for in seconds. In my case, I have it set to 10 seconds.

Finally, to apply the changes that have been made to the grub config file, you'll need to save and close the file, then issue the following command:

    ken@hostname:~$ sudo update-grub

That's it! You can restart your machine and the boot menu will now display at startup. For more information about configuring GRUB2 in Ubuntu 9.10 or later, visit https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2

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Portal 2? Yes Please!

It would be an understatement if I said that I love Portal. It would be an even larger understatement to say that I believe Valve is the greatest game development studio of our time. Yeah, that's right! You listening over there in Mesquite, you id freaks? Doom, what? Quake, huh? Anyway, that's a post for another day. Today, just revel in the awesomeness of this Portal 2 preview from E3.

iGoogle Custom Theme Woes

Update: Unfortunately, I never could get Google Gadget Editor to play nice with my custom XML file, so I have set this endeavor to the side for the time being, mainly in the interest of building my skills in IT Security, as well as refreshing my knowledge of system administration.

I've been working on creating my first, very own custom iGoogle Theme. Unfortunately, the Google Gadget Editor does not seem to want to open the XML theme file I've created. I will continue to work the problem and will update here with either a resolution and information about the theme, or a short obituary entry advising of my attempt's complete and total demise.

Stay tuned!

Socketbrain has been reinitialized.

Please excuse my dearth of posts, lately. I switched to 10-hour shifts at work, which has taken some adjustment, and have also been enjoying some extra time with my family. Socketbrain has been reinitialized, however, and is back on track.

Not much has happened since my last post, other than the fact that I discovered my ASUS Eee PC's AC adapter does in fact still work. This was a pleasant, accidental surprise and, suffice it to say, I'm simply glad. Now I don't have to rely on my iPhone only for all of my mobile computing needs! This is good, considering the latest news from Apple detailing that owners of the original iPhone, such as myself, will not be able to update to the new iPhone OS 4. I'm highly irritated by this and think it is very short-sighted of Apple. Alas, it has sparked my desire to simply trade-up for an open-source-driven smartphone. Maybe I'll buy a Nexus One!

The only other thing of importance has been my decision to migrate away from CentOS - and Red Hat-based distros in general - to Ubuntu - and Debian-based distros - on my personal home server. Why, you may ask? Simple. I feel that Debian/Ubuntu is far more stable than Red Hat distros. This is in my own experience only and is not derived from any sort of testing. At any rate, I've come to prefer Debian/Ubuntu over Red Hat/Fedora.

That's it for the catch-up. More useful posts to come soon!

My Self-Imposed Challenge

There are many factors that drive what I carry with me to work and around town everyday. The single most important factor, for me, is portability. Until a day ago, I always carried my ultra-portable ASUS Eee PC 1000H netbook with me in an Eagle Creek shoulder bag, along with my iPhone, a recycled Moleskin notepad, a Sharpie pen, a book and a magazine, and the few necessary computing accessories to make it through a full day of work and urban life.

Unfortunately, the AC adapter for my netbook quit working the other night, so I have no way to charge the battery. Normally I would just purchase a new adapter, but surprisingly, there are none to be had for my ASUS Eee PC, that I have been able to find. This brings up an interesting situation for me. Do I purchase a new netbook, as they are extremely handy, especially when I start school in a few weeks; or do I forge a new path and really solely on my iPhone as my "mobile" computer?

After considering my needs and the situation, I've decided that I will do a two-month trial of only carrying my iPhone and it's accessories only, along with my school supplies, books, etc. But, my only portable/mobile computer will be my iPhone. Which, in turn, brings up another small choice to be made: do I finally give in and jailbreak my iPhone, or do I rely on it as is, in it's original factory condition? For now, I'm going to close this post with that option open, as I haven't decided what I will do, yet. Once I do decide, I'll update with a new post detailing my "gameplan".