Grub Bootloader Wait: Indefinite OS Selection

Preventing Automatic Boot Selection in GRUB

When frequently testing various system builds, a common frustration arises from the GRUB menu automatically selecting an undesired option before a manual choice can be made.

A solution to this issue was shared by reader Victor. By modifying the GRUB configuration, the automatic boot timeout can be disabled.

Modifying the GRUB Configuration File

To implement this change, the /boot/grub/menu.lst file needs to be edited using a text editor with administrator privileges.

sudo vi /boot/grub/menu.lst

Locate the section within the file that defines the boot timeout setting.

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined)
# timeout      3

Disabling the Timeout

Simply add a '#' character at the beginning of the "timeout 3" line. This effectively comments out the line, disabling the automatic timeout.

Save the modified menu.lst file and then restart your computer.

Following these steps will cause GRUB to indefinitely wait for user input before booting an operating system.

This is particularly beneficial for preventing accidental boots into other operating systems, such as Windows.