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I recently installed Linux Gecko alongside with already install Ubuntu. After the installation the computer is automatically booted with Linux Ubuntu without giving me the option to select the other distro. I cannot open BIOS menu to change the boot order, so I cannot access to the other distro. The issue with opening BIOS is that when I hold down F2 (my BIOS key) the screen stuck at initial "ACER" logo. Without pressing F2 it starts up normally with Ubuntu. Please find the steps I did for installing Gecko with dual booting below:

  1. Started the computer with bootable USB plugged in, but it didn't work.
  2. Opened BIOS menu by pressing F2 key (it was working at this stage) and put USB to the top of boot order
  3. Installed Gecko with dual booting alongside with Ubuntu. The installation went successful and I was able to use Gecko
  4. Restarted the computer and entered BIOS menu. It was also working at this stage. I restored the initial boot order (i.e. before my changes in step 2). So I put USB to the bottom again Gecko to 2nd place after Ubuntu.
  5. Plugged out USB and restarted the computer again.

After the 5th step, the issue I mentioned above started to show up. Now I cannot boot from USB as well, because I cannot access to BIOS, so can't change the boot order.

How should I switch to the installed Gecko distro now? I can also consider uninstalling Ubuntu completely, but don't know how to do it properly.

Elgin Cahangirov
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1 Answers1

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Assuming your computer is recent enough to support UEFI, here's what you should do to enter the UEFI configuration menu:

  1. Reboot
  2. When the grub bootloader loads, press c and at the grub> prompt, type fwsetup: grub> fwsetup.
  3. This should reboot your computer into a configuration interface that you can boot your other distro from.

A [somewhat] more permanent solution involves editing /boot/grub/grub.cfg in the Ubuntu installation (or wherever your grub.cfg is) and adding the following lines:

menuentry "Firmware Setup" {
  fwsetup
}

Do note that this is only a temporary solution. Running sudo update-grub or a kernel upgrade will delete these changes, and you will have to add these lines again.

rando
  • 281
  • Pressing c didn't open grub prompt for me. While searching alternative way of doing that I found this answer. By making the changes mentioned there in my grub config file, I can now see dropdown for selecting Ubuntu/Gecko at startup! Although I don't know exactly which conf caused that. I guess it is setting GRUB_TIMEOUT to positive number. Opening BIOS is still an issue. I cannot open it. – Elgin Cahangirov Sep 08 '23 at 20:41
  • Do not forget to make the changes in /etc/default/grub from your leading bootmanager (should be from gecko) and run sudo update-grub after that. @ElginCahangirov – nobody Sep 08 '23 at 21:05
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    @ElginCahangirov What happens when you type fwsetup in the grub prompt? – rando Sep 08 '23 at 21:46
  • If you have fast boot on in UEFI settings, it assumes no changes & immediately boots. Usually not enough time to press any key. You then can "cold" boot or from full power down. https://askubuntu.com/questions/652966/unable-to-access-bios-menu-after-installing-windows-8/653006 Another option: sudo systemctl reboot --firmware-setup – oldfred Sep 09 '23 at 02:36