How can I keep Ubuntu from updating grub?

Question

I have a triple boot system: Manjaro, Ubuntu, and Fedora. Manjaro and Fedora do not cause any boot problems, however, with about every 5th or 6th Ubuntu Update Ubuntu changes the GRUB order and try to become order 1, in most cases taking me out of GPT and putting me in MBR on the Ubuntu root partition. (Manjaro is in position 1 intentionally).

I have been using efibootmgr to solve the problem it was not hard just annoying when it happened while I was working. In the last Ubuntu update they did it again and the efibootmgr process will not fix the problem. Further more the efibootmgr -v order is not recognizable.

In gparted my partitions are:

nvme0n1p1- uefi (fat32)
nvme0n1p2- swap (linux Swap)
nvme0n1p3- Ubuntu root (ext4)
nvme0n1p4- Ubuntu home (ext4)
nvme0n1p5- Manjaro root (ext4)
nvme0n1p6- Manjaro home (ext4)
nvme0n1p7- Fedora root (ext4)
nvme0n1p8- Fedora home (ext4)

the efibootmgr order looks like this:

nicole@nicole-Ubuntu:~$ efibootmgr -v
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0025,0000,0026,0018,0019,001A,001B,001C,001D,001E,001F,0020,0021,0022
Boot0000* ubuntu    HD(1,GPT,45c075c7-049f-4593-9fb0-aaab4ab0d960,0x800,0x1f4000)/File(\EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi)
Boot0010  Setup FvFile(721c8b66-426c-4e86-8e99-3457c46ab0b9)
Boot0011  Boot Menu FvFile(126a762d-5758-4fca-8531-201a7f57f850)
Boot0012  Diagnostic Splash Screen  FvFile(a7d8d9a6-6ab0-4aeb-ad9d-163e59a7a380)
Boot0013  Lenovo Diagnostics    FvFile(3f7e615b-0d45-4f80-88dc-26b234958560)
Boot0014  Regulatory Information    FvFile(478c92a0-2622-42b7-a65d-5894169e4d24)
Boot0015  Startup Interrupt Menu    FvFile(f46ee6f4-4785-43a3-923d-7f786c3c8479)
Boot0016  Rescue and Recovery   FvFile(665d3f60-ad3e-4cad-8e26-db46eee9f1b5)
Boot0017  MEBx Hot Key  FvFile(ac6fd56a-3d41-4efd-a1b9-870293811a28)
Boot0018* USB CD    VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,86701296aa5a7848b66cd49dd3ba6a55)
Boot0019* USB FDD   VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,6ff015a28830b543a8b8641009461e49)
Boot001A* NVMe0 VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,001c199932d94c4eae9aa0b6e98eb8a400)
Boot001B* NVMe1 VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,001c199932d94c4eae9aa0b6e98eb8a401)
Boot001C* ATA HDD1  VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f601)
Boot001D* ATA HDD2  VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f602)
Boot001E* ATA HDD0  VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f600)
Boot001F* USB HDD   VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,33e821aaaf33bc4789bd419f88c50803)
Boot0020* PCI LAN   VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,78a84aaf2b2afc4ea79cf5cc8f3d3803)
Boot0021  Other CD  VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,aea2090adfde214e8b3a5e471856a35406)
Boot0022  Other HDD VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f606)
Boot0023* IDER BOOT CDROM   PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(15,1)
Boot0024* IDER BOOT Floppy  PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(15,0)
Boot0025* ATA HDD   VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,91af625956449f41a7b91f4f892ab0f6)
Boot0026* ATAPI CD  VenMsg(bc7838d2-0f82-4d60-8316-c068ee79d25b,aea2090adfde214e8b3a5e471856a354)
nicole@nicole-Ubuntu:~$

The entries which use to show the other bootable volumes don't anymore.

While I have not finished researching how to fix this latest update injected bug so I can get back into Manjaro, and any help fixing it is appreciated. What I really want is an update option that allows me to keep my ubuntu updated but filter out any attempt by Ubuntu at modifying the grub menu.

Someone suggested the fix is to regress to a previous kernel but that is not what I am looking for, I want the updates for the Kernel of Ubuntu to stay current, I just do not want Ubuntu to change the GRUB boot (Used by all 3 systems) to change the grub menu.

Does this answer your question? How to set default kernel in GRUB without Grub Customizer? — kanehekili, Oct 30 '22 at 22:59
I can get to Manjaro by selecting the Advanced GRUB option in GRUB for Manjaro and then the fallback option in the grub sub menu. This is not a solution, but it may be a clue to what is happening. — Nicole Cook, Nov 03 '22 at 03:53

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 05 '22 at 04:22

I found the answer and I figured I would post it here for others with this problem. While I did not find a way to block Ubuntu from changing grub, I did find out how to restore it to Manjaro control.

Solution found at forum.manjaro.org

The solution is to force Majaro to retake control of grub

To correct the grub problem, follow these steps:

Boot from a Manjaro live-usb – at the prompt (no need to use sudo at this time)
manjaro-chroot -a (this takes like a minute for you to get to the next step because it is loading your Manjaro partition
A list of the linux OS’s installed will show. In our case: 0) Ubuntu
1. Manjaro/linux
2. Fedora Select #1 Manjaro/linux
sudo grub-install dev/sdx (sdx is the boot partition for your system. In our case – nvme0n1p1)

A quick install will happen and will also check for errors before finishing. If there are no errors, a message will tell you.

Exit out and reboot, grub has gone back to Manjaro control.

How can I keep Ubuntu from updating grub?

1 Answers1