Tech News Today
  • Hardware
    • Motherboards
    • CPUs
    • Graphic Cards
    • RAM
    • SSDs
    • Computer Cases
    • Monitors
    • Peripherals
    • Power Supply Unit
    • PC Builds
    • Computer Tips
  • Software
  • Operating System
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
  • Gaming
  • Mobile
  • Console
  • More
    • Internet
    • Networking
    • Security
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Gadgets
    • Laptops
    • Reviews
    • How To
    • News
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Tech News Today
  • Hardware
    • Motherboards
    • CPUs
    • Graphic Cards
    • RAM
    • SSDs
    • Computer Cases
    • Monitors
    • Peripherals
    • Power Supply Unit
    • PC Builds
    • Computer Tips
  • Software
  • Operating System
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
  • Gaming
  • Mobile
  • Console
  • More
    • Internet
    • Networking
    • Security
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Gadgets
    • Laptops
    • Reviews
    • How To
    • News
Tech News Today
Home»Linux»How to Change Boot Order on Linux

How to Change Boot Order on Linux

Anup ThapaBy Anup ThapaDecember 16, 2022
how to change boot order on linux

After setting up a dual-boot system, the secondary OS often becomes the default boot option. That’s just one common scenario, but regardless of the exact reasoning, configuring the boot options in Linux is pretty easy.

Linux distros use the GRUB boot loader. As such, you can edit the GRUB config file to set a specific boot entry as the default one. For UEFI systems specifically, the efibootmgr tool works as well.

Or, if you don’t need a Linux-specific solution, you can also change the boot order via the BIOS/UEFI. We’ve covered all these methods with full steps in this article.

Table of Contents

  • Ways to Change Boot Order
    • Edit GRUB Config File
    • Use EFI Boot Manager
    • Change via BIOS/UEFI

Ways to Change Boot Order

The steps covered were tested on Ubuntu, but they’re applicable to most other distros as well. The only thing that might slightly differ is the location of the GRUB config file.

Edit GRUB Config File

You can change the default boot entry on Linux systems by editing the GRUB configuration file. There are various GRUB config files but the one at /etc/default/grub is used for user customization.

Before you begin, you can either use the cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg | grep menuentry command or check the current order of GRUB menu entries when booting.

gnu grub menu entries

The menu items are zero-indexed, so the first entry is represented by 0, the second entry is 1, the third is 2, and so on.

  1. Start by creating a backup of the config file with the following command:
    sudo cp /etc/default/grub /etc/default/grub.bak
    ubuntu-etc-default-grub
  2. Now, open the config file with a text editor. We’ll use nano.
    sudo nano /etc/default/grub
  3. Change the value of the GRUB_DEFAULT line according to your current boot menu order. Setting it to 0 will set the first entry on the list as the default, 1 will set the second entry as the default, and so on.
    gnu-grub-default-entry
  4. Press CTRL + O, then Enter to write out the changes to the config file.
  5. Then, press CTRL + X to exit nano.
  6. Finally, update GRUB with sudo update-grub.
    sudo-update-grub

Use EFI Boot Manager

While we only changed the default boot entry with the previous method, the efibootmgr tool allows you to actually change the boot order. As stated, this method won’t for Legacy BIOS systems. But on UEFI systems, you can use the efibootmgr tool as such:

  1. First, enter efibootmgr and check the current boot order.
    efibootmgr-ubuntu-linux-boot-order
  2. Use the -o flag to change the boot order as such:
    sudo efibootmgr -o <order>
    efibootmgr-o-change-boot-order
  3. In our dual-boot system shown above, we set the order so that the boot manager tries booting from removable drives first. If that doesn’t work, it’ll instead boot from Ubuntu.

Change via BIOS/UEFI

In a Windows-Linux dual-boot, if the boot order in the BIOS/UEFI is set to prioritize the Windows Boot Manager, it will run before the GRUB bootloader. As such, GRUB’s boot order would be irrelevant. In such cases, you can access the firmware interface and change the boot order as such:

  1. When booting, press the BIOS setup key shown on the screen (Function keys or Del).
  2. On systems with Fast Boot enabled, you might not have enough time to see and press this key. In such cases, you can bring up the GRUB menu first.
    With BIOS, press and hold Shift. With UEFI, press Esc a few times when booting. Then, select the Firmware Settings option in the GRUB menu.
    gnu-grub-uefi-firmware-option
  3. Go to the Boot tab and change the boot order here so that the Linux installation is placed higher than the Windows Boot Manager.
    boot-priority-order-ubuntu
  4. Press the key shown on the screen (usually F10) to save the changes and exit.
  5. Now, the GRUB bootloader should start by default when booting. If you want to make changes to the GRUB menu entries, you can check the steps from the first method.
how-to
Anup Thapa

Anup Thapa is a tech writer at TechNewsToday. He mostly writes informative articles, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides related to Windows systems, networking, and computer hardware. Anup has been writing professionally for almost 5 years, and tinkering with PCs for much longer. His love for all things tech started when he got his first PC over 15 years ago. It was a Pentium IV system running Windows XP on a single 256 MB stick. He spent his formative years glued to this PC, troubleshooting any hardware or software problems he encountered by himself. Professionally, Anup has had brief forays into a variety of fields like coding, hardware installation, writing, etc. In doing so, he's worked with people of different backgrounds and skill levels, from average joes to industry leaders and experts. This has given him not just a versatile skillset, but also a unique perspective for writing that enables him to concisely communicate complex information and solve his reader's problems efficiently.

Related Posts

make-command-not-found

How to Fix “Make: Command Not Found” Error

September 20, 2022
linux terminal for windows

How to Install Linux Terminal on Windows

September 19, 2022
How-to-force-Quit-an-app-on-Linux

How to Force Quit an App on Linux

August 30, 2022
best linux for virtualbox

8 Best Linux Distros to Try in VirtualBox

August 30, 2022
ifconfig command not found

How To Fix “ifconfig Command Not Found” Error?

December 18, 2022
format usb linux

How To Format USB In Linux (5 Easy Ways)

August 22, 2022
Add A Comment

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Latest Posts
gddr6 vs gddr6x

GDDR6 vs GDDR6X – What’s the Difference?

January 17, 2023
what is ghost of tsushima legends

What is the Ghost of Tsushima Legends Mode

January 12, 2023
raid 5 vs raid 10

RAID 5 Vs RAID 10 – Which One Is Better?

January 12, 2023
You may also like
vizio-tv-volume-button

How to Turn Volume Up on Vizio TV? 5 Best Ways

January 18, 2023
tcl-roku-tv-remote-not-working

TCL Roku TV Remote Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It

January 18, 2023
lenovo beeping

Why is My Lenovo Beeping? How to Fix It

January 18, 2023
Recommended
Cookie Clicker Garden Guide

Cookie Clicker Garden Guide to Unlocking Every Seed

September 26, 2021
monitor no signal

Computer Turns On But Monitor Says No Signal (9 Ways To Fix)

November 10, 2022
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
© 2023 TechNewsToday.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.