GRUB menu has disappeared

[unklarer]

three things that don't go together for me

/etc/default/grub:

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#GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

This is output. Does it help?

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Timeout: 0 seconds
...
Boot0013* Windows Boot Manager ...

If you want to see the grub menu (after updating grub), you should change that or choose a method ?

[eriefisher]

Mine is also set to 0 seconds in efibootmgr and I boot fine with the grubmenu showing for 5 seconds so I don't think this is the issue.

[edlin]

I just set the timeout value to 0 in /etc/default/grub and rebooted after an update-grub. The grub menu no longer appeared!

edlin

[unklarer]

I just set the timeout value to 0 in /etc/default/grub and rebooted after an update-grub. The grub menu no longer appeared!

edlin

Yes, and?
In his /etc/default/grub it says 5   

[towo]

Better would be to see, what is the content of the files in /etc/default/grub.d/.

[debsid]

Thank you for the feedbacks. I've been looking and not finding. I did some of the usual stuff I found in various forums, such as repairing the boot manager with boot-repair, which doesn't seem to be doing anything fancy beside 'grub-install' and 'update-grub'. To make sure that nothing had gone wrong along the way, I even removed and re-installed grub. With the newly installed grub,  /etc/default/grub.d/ is blissfully empty.

[ro_sid]

[...] I even removed and re-installed grub. With the newly installed grub,  /etc/default/grub.d/ is blissfully empty.

The latter is really disturbing. Although I am still not sure that it is a question of "just grub", its proper installation is, of course, mandatory. Did you just "remove" or really "purge" grub before reinstalling? The /etc/default/grub.d directory must be correctly populated!
Edit: Sorry, it is /etc/grub.d/, that must be populated, but /etc/default/{grub,grub.d/} should.

[debsid]

[...] I even removed and re-installed grub. With the newly installed grub,  /etc/default/grub.d/ is blissfully empty.

The latter is really disturbing. Although I am still not sure that it is a question of "just grub", its proper installation is, of course, mandatory. Did you just "remove" or really "purge" grub before reinstalling? The /etc/default/grub.d directory must be correctly populated!
Edit: Sorry, it is /etc/grub.d/, that must be populated, but /etc/default/{grub,grub.d/} should.

Yes, @towo had asked for /etc/default/grub.d/. /etc/grub.d/ has

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00_header  05_debian_theme  10_linux  20_linux_xen  25_bli  30_os-prober  30_uefi-firmware  35_fwupd  40_custom  41_custom
Do you want to see the contents of all of these files?

[debsid]

I just set the timeout value to 0 in /etc/default/grub and rebooted after an update-grub. The grub menu no longer appeared!

edlin

I started thinking irrationally to see whether I can narrow down the problem. I had not edited any of the configuration files manually, so I did not expect the problem to have been introduced by me. Maybe something had gone wrong  during the postinstall process after a kernel update? So, I set the value of

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GRUB_TIMEOUT=5 to zero, update-grub, restart, set back to 5, update-grub, restart. Nothing.

Next was

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#GRUB_TERMINAL=console Uncomment, grub-update, restart, and boom. grub's blue, console screen shows up and works as expected if other values are changed. If I understand it correctly, with this option commented and no theme installed, the black more fancy screen should show. So, does this bring us closer to an understanding what could have gone wrong?

[hendrikL]

If I remember correctly you moved the system from siduction to debian sid.
Could it be, that you removed all the siduction-theme things.
Maybe you should investigate your search time in that direction.

[scholle1]

[...] With the newly installed grub,  /etc/default/grub.d/ is blissfully empty.

and

Yes, @towo had asked for /etc/default/grub.d/. /etc/grub.d/ has

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00_header  05_debian_theme  10_linux  20_linux_xen  25_bli  30_os-prober  30_uefi-firmware  35_fwupd  40_custom  41_custom

Edit:
This is a mismatch. Sorry, I didn't look closely.

But still:
Do you have more than one HD?
If so, post the output of 'lsblk'.

[ro_sid]

[...]
Yes, @towo had asked for /etc/default/grub.d/. /etc/grub.d/ has

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00_header  05_debian_theme  10_linux  20_linux_xen  25_bli  30_os-prober  30_uefi-firmware  35_fwupd  40_custom  41_custom
Do you want to see the contents of all of these files?

You are right concerning @towo.
I did look-up the latest Debian-Live ISO and there /etc/default/grub.d is not empty, but has a single file in it, which only contains workaround comments to (outdated) problems. From this point of view, the directory may also be empty.
Regarding the /etc/grub.d directory, only the 25-bli entry is missing. So probably no, no file-contents necessary at this time.
On the other hand, Siduction has a file /etc/grub and a file in /etc/grub.d/, and also the file 25-bli.
So, are you sure, you do not have mix between Siduction an Debian, leading to your problem?

[debsid]

If I remember correctly you moved the system from siduction to debian sid.
Could it be, that you removed all the siduction-theme things.
Maybe you should investigate your search time in that direction.

Yes, that's right, I moved from Siduction. But the system had been fine until a recent upgrade which must have caused the menu to disappear, which is now back by enabling the console feature. I had not noticed the disappearance as I often don't sit in front of the system while it boots. And it has been booting just fine.

[...]
Do you have more than one HD?
If so, post the output of 'lsblk'.

No, one HD. Note that grub is working in console mode. So, no real fault with the grub installation as such. And the Lenovo logo time is now reduced to 'normal' again, which suggests the length was due to the 5 seconds for grub. So, even when it was not there, it was working fine, just not showing.

[...]
You are right concerning @towo.
I did look-up the latest Debian-Live ISO and there /etc/default/grub.d is not empty, but has a single file in it, which only contains workaround comments to (outdated) problems. From this point of view, the directory may also be empty.
Regarding the /etc/grub.d directory, only the 25-bli entry is missing. So probably no, no file-contents necessary at this time.
On the other hand, Siduction has a file /etc/grub and a file in /etc/grub.d/, and also the file 25-bli.
So, are you sure, you do not have mix between Siduction an Debian, leading to your problem?

You might be onto something there. As I said, the system had been working fine, and the boot process was apparently functional, just not visible, but working fine in the background. But something might have changed in the meantime and caused grub's disappearance in the graphical mode. I will see what else I can find out on Debian's side.

[debsid]

I have been comparing the file and folder structures between my two laptops. Both are migrations from siduction > debian sid. It seems that the contents of the relevant folders are mostly the same, meaning they have the exact same files.

However, /etc/default/grub.d/ has 'siduction.cfg'  (see below) in the one with the working grub, while the one with the problem has an empty folder here.

And a diff  (see below) between the two /boot/grub/grub.cfg shows some interesting differences, which could be the culprits.

/etc/default/grub.d/siduction.cfg:

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GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT=gfxterm
GRUB_GFXMODE=1920x1080,1280x1024,1280x800,1280x720,1024x768, 800x688,text
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep
#GRUB_THEME=/usr/share/grub/themes/mow/theme.txt
#GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="siduction 2022.1.0 Masters of War"
GRUB_DISABLE_OS PROBER=false


Diff:

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--- ideapad_grub.cfg [Working GRUB]
+++ /boot/grub/grub.cfg [non-Working GRUB]
@@ -55,24 +55,8 @@
   fi
}

-if [ x$feature_default_font_path = xy ] ; then
-   font=unicode
-else
-insmod part_gpt
-insmod ext2
-search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012
-    font="/usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2"
-fi
-
-if loadfont $font ; then
-  set gfxmode=1920x1080,1280x1024,1280x800,1280x720,1024x768,800x600,text
-  load_video
-  insmod gfxterm
-  set locale_dir=$prefix/locale
-  set lang=en_GB
-  insmod gettext
-fi
-terminal_output gfxterm
+terminal_input console
+terminal_output console
if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ] ; then
   set timeout=30
else
@@ -87,77 +71,102 @@
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

+### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
+set menu_color_normal=cyan/blue
+set menu_color_highlight=white/blue
+### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
+
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
function gfxmode {
set gfxpayload="${1}"
}
-set linux_gfx_mode=keep
+set linux_gfx_mode=
export linux_gfx_mode
-menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012' {
+menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021' {
load_video
- gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
- search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0f76e1fb-5f53-421b-9c26-685ee52dbfe8
- echo 'Loading Linux 6.6.11-amd64 ...'
- linux /vmlinuz-6.6.11-amd64 root=UUID=39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012 ro  quiet resume=UUID=7c5ebc0c-56ba-446a-b5d6-b3e7cae81b69 systemd.show_status=1 snd_hda_intel.dmic_detect=0
+ set root='hd0,gpt2'
+ if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ else
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ fi
+ echo 'Loading Linux 6.6.13-amd64 ...'
+ linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.6.13-amd64 root=UUID=31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021 ro  quiet
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
- initrd /initrd.img-6.6.11-amd64
+ initrd /boot/initrd.img-6.6.13-amd64
}
-submenu 'Advanced options for Debian GNU/Linux' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012' {
- menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.6.11-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.6.11-amd64-advanced-39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012' {
+submenu 'Advanced options for Debian GNU/Linux' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021' {
+ menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.6.13-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.6.13-amd64-advanced-31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021' {
load_video
- gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
- search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0f76e1fb-5f53-421b-9c26-685ee52dbfe8
- echo 'Loading Linux 6.6.11-amd64 ...'
- linux /vmlinuz-6.6.11-amd64 root=UUID=39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012 ro  quiet resume=UUID=7c5ebc0c-56ba-446a-b5d6-b3e7cae81b69 systemd.show_status=1 snd_hda_intel.dmic_detect=0
+ set root='hd0,gpt2'
+ if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ else
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ fi
+ echo 'Loading Linux 6.6.13-amd64 ...'
+ linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.6.13-amd64 root=UUID=31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021 ro  quiet
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
- initrd /initrd.img-6.6.11-amd64
+ initrd /boot/initrd.img-6.6.13-amd64
}
- menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.6.11-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.6.11-amd64-recovery-39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012' {
+ menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.6.13-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.6.13-amd64-recovery-31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021' {
load_video
- gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
- search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0f76e1fb-5f53-421b-9c26-685ee52dbfe8
- echo 'Loading Linux 6.6.11-amd64 ...'
- linux /vmlinuz-6.6.11-amd64 root=UUID=39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012 ro single single dis_ucode_ldr
+ set root='hd0,gpt2'
+ if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ else
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ fi
+ echo 'Loading Linux 6.6.13-amd64 ...'
+ linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.6.13-amd64 root=UUID=31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021 ro single single dis_ucode_ldr
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
- initrd /initrd.img-6.6.11-amd64
+ initrd /boot/initrd.img-6.6.13-amd64
}
- menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.5.0-1-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.5.0-1-amd64-advanced-39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012' {
+ menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.6.11-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.6.11-amd64-advanced-31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021' {
load_video
- gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
- search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0f76e1fb-5f53-421b-9c26-685ee52dbfe8
- echo 'Loading Linux 6.5.0-1-amd64 ...'
- linux /vmlinuz-6.5.0-1-amd64 root=UUID=39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012 ro  quiet resume=UUID=7c5ebc0c-56ba-446a-b5d6-b3e7cae81b69 systemd.show_status=1 snd_hda_intel.dmic_detect=0
+ set root='hd0,gpt2'
+ if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ else
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ fi
+ echo 'Loading Linux 6.6.11-amd64 ...'
+ linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.6.11-amd64 root=UUID=31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021 ro  quiet
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
- initrd /initrd.img-6.5.0-1-amd64
+ initrd /boot/initrd.img-6.6.11-amd64
}
- menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.5.0-1-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.5.0-1-amd64-recovery-39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012' {
+ menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.6.11-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.6.11-amd64-recovery-31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021' {
load_video
- gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
- search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0f76e1fb-5f53-421b-9c26-685ee52dbfe8
- echo 'Loading Linux 6.5.0-1-amd64 ...'
- linux /vmlinuz-6.5.0-1-amd64 root=UUID=39689532-2a77-460a-b60f-0d158f162012 ro single single dis_ucode_ldr
+ set root='hd0,gpt2'
+ if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2  31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ else
+   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021
+ fi
+ echo 'Loading Linux 6.6.11-amd64 ...'
+ linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.6.11-amd64 root=UUID=31c430e1-9e6a-4543-ae3b-cc4128af9021 ro single single dis_ucode_ldr
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
- initrd /initrd.img-6.5.0-1-amd64
+ initrd /boot/initrd.img-6.6.11-amd64
}
}


Edited to remove mistakes of text recognition

[ro_sid]

Sections that I see as relevant for (non-)display:

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--- ideapad_grub.cfg [Working GRUB]
+++ /boot/grub/grub.cfg [non-Working GRUB]
@@ -55,24 +55,8 @@
[...]
-   font=unicode
[code]

May be, no (proper) text display, but unlikely

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[...]
-if loadfont $font ; then
-  set gfxmode=1920x1080,1280x1024,1280x800,1280x720,1024x768,800x600,text
-  load_video
-  insmod gfxterm

Different display modes, loading of kind of graphics/display.

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[...]
[code]
-  insmod gettext
-fi
-terminal_output gfxterm
+terminal_input console
+terminal_output console

very critical regarding display, selection of console(?!) for output.

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[...]
  ### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

+### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
+set menu_color_normal=cyan/blue
+set menu_color_highlight=white/blue
+### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
+
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
function gfxmode {
set gfxpayload="${1}"
}
-set linux_gfx_mode=keep
+set linux_gfx_mode=
export linux_gfx_mode

Mode (change/no change) for display.
"keep" comes from /etc/default/grub.d/siduction.cfg

Nowhere seems to be the module load for (U)EFI-display modules.

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[...]


Try to change entries to your advantage.