How to make ubuntu 18.04 default boot in grub, instead of 14.04

Question

I installed 18.04 after 14.04. The default grub entry was 18.04 and 14.04 was displayed below. After a 14.04 update, things changed.

Instead of booting into 18.04 advanced options and choose the first kernel before last and then remove the last linux image and headers, reboot again in ubuntu 18.04 and make an update to the last kernel.... I tried to delete the unused linux image and headers hoping that will do the job. It didn't.

I tried 'sudo update-grub' in ubuntu 18.04 and then reboot, but no change. (I use 18.04 ubuntu-mate and 14.04 ubuntu).

Is there a way to put 18.04 as default, besides waiting for a new kernel update in 18.04?

You have to reinstall grub to MBR if BIOS or ESP if UEFI. Boot into 18.04 and run this: sudo grub-install /dev/sda ( if drive is sda) then sudo update-grub Major updates will reinstall grub and make that install default. — oldfred, Feb 10 '19 at 04:13
See also https://askubuntu.com/questions/216398/set-older-kernel-as-default-grub-entry — Charles Green, Feb 10 '19 at 22:52
@CharlesGreen. Set older kernel as default -> That solution does not change the order in which the menu is displayed. I remember I tried it once. Does grub customizer work on ubuntu mate 18.04? Or should I use it from 14.04? — marius-ciclistu, Feb 11 '19 at 07:31
@marius-ciclistu It does not change the order of the menu, but it does change the default entry that will be used if the user does not provide input. — Charles Green, Feb 11 '19 at 15:21

Charles Green · Accepted Answer · 2019-02-11T15:33:05.897

3

load up grub-customizer, and set the default boot entry.

In versions newer than 18.04 grub-customizer is in the repositories, and can be installed with

sudo apt install grub-customizer

For older versions

https://launchpad.net/~danielrichter2007/+archive/ubuntu/grub-customizer

Then right click on the ubuntu version you want to load by default and move up in first position. Then save and reboot.

edited Feb 11 '19 at 15:33

answered Feb 09 '19 at 23:50

Charles Green

21,339

You're losing it Charles: You're showing up in the low quality review queue. ;-) But as this answer is complete as is, upvoted and voted to leave open... – Fabby Feb 10 '19 at 22:04
@Fabby - Dang! I suppose I could have verbosed that out some, to avoid the low-quality mark...... – Charles Green Feb 10 '19 at 22:28
Thank you. I installed grub-customizer in 14.04 with the tutorial from the url I wrote in your answer and moved the 18.04 ubuntu in the first position, then saved the change. After reboot, Ubuntu 18.04 appeared first, and I booted 18.04. Then made an update check and the grub was changed again with ubuntu in first position and ubuntu 14.04 in last. I don't know it it was a chance that the updater had 3mb of core updates solving this or not. The linux-image and headers were not updated, they still are 4.15.0-45. – marius-ciclistu Feb 11 '19 at 15:26
@marius-ciclistu Still working on that other answer - In the newer versions of Ubuntu, it is in the repositories, and I had forgotten to include the PPA bit. Thanks for that! – Charles Green Feb 11 '19 at 15:32
Long live Ubuntu ;) – marius-ciclistu Feb 11 '19 at 15:57

How to make ubuntu 18.04 default boot in grub, instead of 14.04

1 Answers1