Didier, I didn't know if you wanted me to reply also to the list, which I will do, but I'm sending this to you only until you tell me otherwise.
Yes I confused GRUB menu with the firmware, from what I understand it is GRUB that is changing the UEFI settings in my firmware BIOS SETUP to boot to the last operating system, even before my USB stick if I wanted to boot from one - say to put a new distro on my computer. I cannot interrupt the boot into the last operating system which is at the top of the BIOS settings. I will grab my camera and take a picture! Here are the files you asked for. >From Slint, type as root: efibootmgr > efivars and send me the file efivars >From Slint, send me the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg renamed grubslint >From Slint, type: file /boot/efi > efislint and send me the file efislint >From Debian, send me the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg renamed grubdebian >From Debian type: file /boot/efi > efidebain ans send me the file efidebian >From Slint, identify the EFI partition of the repair bot stick; mount it on /mnt and type: find /mnt > stick and send me the file stick. There is NO EFI partition on the USB File Stick that I was using to install Debian, it is just an iso copied to the USB stick - it's a Debian installation with firmware that I put on the USB stick with the command cp debian.iso /dev/sdc. So I used a file stick from the multi-boot utility SARDU and I'm sending you the results of "find /mnt/efi > stick". I can use some of the programs on that to repair grub and so forth. If you want me to send this to the debian-accessibility list, I will do so. Thanks again for your help, but I still am not sure you are understanding me, but time will tell. BRGDS, David On Mon, Jan 10, 2022 at 5:53 PM Didier Spaier <did...@slint.fr> wrote: > Hi, > > Le 10/01/2022 à 21:15, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. a écrit : > > GRUB now puts a "Preferred Boot" at the top of GRUB's choices so that it > goes > > directly to the last successfully used operating system. > > I think you are confusing the GRUB menu with the menu of the firmware. > > > But here's the PROBLEM. > > > > As soon as my computer boots into one of the operating systems, either > Slint, > > Debian, or Windows 10, GRUB adds an entry to the very top of my > computer's BIOS > > SETUP changing the boot device boot order, which previously was USB HD, > then my > > hard drive, and inserts whatever operating system it last booted into, > modifying > > the previous BIOS boot settings. > > As I wrote in the Slint mailing list this is the expected behavior unless > when > installing grub you used the --no nvram option, which prevents GRUB to > write a > boot entry in the firmware's menu. > > > Now on the next boot, my computer which previously booted from USB > stick, now > > will boot directly into the last operating system that I used and it's > > impossible to enter BIOS Setup at all by pressing the setup key (usually > F2). > > If you can't enter the firmware setup in this context your firmware is > buggy, > this has nothing to do with GRUB. > > > What I have to do is to use the GRUB entry in Debian or Slint to go to > the last > > entry which is "UEFI Firmware Settings" and this will cause my computer > to > > reboot into the UEFI Firmware Settings - the same settings that I > mentioned > > earier, that is accessed by a key press immediately when the BIOS name > flashes > > on the screen - which now is inaccessible for even the sighted because > the > > computer just directly goes to the last operating system that was used. > > Without this entry in GRUB the only ways to go back to a BIOS SETUP that > allows > > me to boot to USB stick is to either boot into Windows and search for > Advanced > > Boot Settings, then UEFI Firmware settings, and reboot - which will do > the exact > > same thing as the bottom GRUB menu entry in Debian or Slint> Or I can > take my computer apart and find the RESET button and press it and it > > will reset my firmware to the original where I again have access to Boot > device > > choice - in my case by pressing F2. > > > > But whenever I boot into any operating system, I again lose the ability > to boot > > into a USB stick because GRUB places an entry at the top of my BIOS UEFI > settings! > > Again, rather because your firmware is buggy: > 1. That GRUB places an entry at the top of my BIOS UEFI (aka firmware) > settings > is perfectly normal. But you can prevent it if you want, see at the end of > this > message. > 2. That this prevent you to access your firmware settings is not normal at > all, > but you should blame his faulty behavior to your firmware, not to GRUB. > > > Certainly this action by GRUB should be disabled in an accessible > version of > > Linux, or disabled altogether! > > Not at all. If you install an OS, you most of the time expect it to start > at > next boot. > > But if you do not want wall, you can avoid it several ways: include a > custom > boot entry in GRUB's menu or edit directly the firmware boot menu from a > running > OS. The second solution is easier, so I will describe it. > > As I wrote in the Slint list you can use the efibootmgr application > shipped in > Slint and alos available in Debian for several purposes, among which > a) Change the order of the boot entries permanently. > b) Tell the firmware to boot a specific boot entry at next boot. > > However in the Slint mailing list you wrote (my comments after the quotes) > > > Jim has to run efibootmgr as root then find the USB HD on the list, > which on > > your list is Boot000C* USB HDD, so he substitutes the last four number > after > > Boot in the list for the USB HD and then he can boot directly into the > USB stick. > > > > Mine was Boot0013* USB HDD: > > > > So I ran as root: > > > > efibootmgr -n 0013 > > > > And then when I run as root: reboot, I should boot directly to the USB > stick. > > > > I tried, and it didn't go well at all. > > > > Booting brought me to EFI shell and it said: > > > > Failed to open \EFI\BOOT\grub.cfg > > > > Not found. > > We do not know what is in your repair USB stick, thus cannot draw a > conclusion. > > It is possible that you typed a wrong number, or that you has several USB > devices plugged in and you landed in another one, or that there be an > issue with > the content of the USB stick's EFI partition, or that this be the > consequence of > a bug in the firmware. > > > If I type exit at the EFI shell, I eventually get to a firmware boot > menu and I > > use that menu to boot from a USB device which was listed containing my > boot > > repair USB stick. > > > > The boot repair USB sticks, which allowed me to update, repair and > reinstall > > GRUB on /dev/sda but now not with as good a result as before, because > now if I > > boot from the hard drive (I have /sda and /sdb) I get the same errors. > > Again this can be an issue with your firmware > > > So I have to insert my boot repair USB stick which has a menu utility > and I can > > boot to Slint, Debian or Windows from there. > > > > But now I have to always use the boot repair stick. I cannot boot from > my hard > > drive directly. > > Again, probably a firmware bug. > > 2) You can > > Now to investigate we need several information, so please do what follows. > Yiu > will need to be root or use sudo. > > >From Slint, type as root: efibootmgr > efivars and send me the file > efivars > >From Slint, send me the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg renamed grubslint > >From Debian, send me the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg renamed grubdebian > >From Slint, type: file /boot/efi > efislint and send me the file efislint > >From Debian type: file /boot/efi > efidebain ans send me the file > efidebian > >From Slint, identify the EFI partition of the repair bot stick; mount it > on /mnt > and type: find /mnt > stick and send me the file stick. > > Cheers, > Didier > >
efivars
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grubslint
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grubdebian
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efidebian
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efislint
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stick
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