Issues with grub menu
Issues with grub menu
I considered running two Ubuntu versions side by side on my Chromebook, using the root, home, and swap partitions on a USB stick instead of eMMC. The installation succeeded but was slow, and the USB didn’t perform well. I planned to switch to microSD for faster reads, but now without the USB during boot, the system becomes unstable. I added the bootloader to the eMMC with a checkbox in the lower left corner, and it preserved my previous Ubuntu installation as expected. I’m unsure how to fix this situation I created.
It seems grub is searching for the boot or EFI folder on the USB drive. If you want it to start, insert the drive and let it initialize (try the "eMMC version" of the operating system if possible). Then use grub-install with --boot-directory= or --efi-directory= options so it points to the eMMC instead of the USB stick. The relevant parts of the Gentoo manual address manual grub setup, but if you hit a snag, let us know whether you're using BIOS or UEFI and we can provide more specific guidance.
You configured two Ubuntu installations, made their root, home, and swap available on your USB drive, then moved those settings from the first install to your SD card while keeping the second install's settings on the USB. You're asking about the GRUB prompt and what it indicates when a UNIX system boots without user accounts set up. Essentially, you're wondering if GRUB will recognize the kernel and start booting, or if it will enter single-user mode in the root directory.
Grub2 focuses solely on the efi/boot folder being reachable and holding the required files. Anything missing causes a kernel crash or system failure. It starts up successfully.
It means with a standard TTY login, the prompt appears but you can't access the system. With a display manager like OP on Ubuntu, it usually displays the default user account.
Thanks! The grub installation fixed everything and it’s working without the USB drive. I’m learning more about Linux now. Are there better methods to set up a dual boot with Ubuntu? Should I move the bootloader to another location instead of using the default eMMC?
Ensure your bootloader resides on the most secure storage, likely your eMMC. Even after switching OSes, revert to the default installation so the grub integrates the new system (modules and tools are available). Consider learning about grub-mkrescue for backup purposes, allowing a fallback bootloader in emergencies. I use an old 256MB USB stick with read-only protections for safety. EDIT: For testing only, you can install another OS on its dedicated drive using its EFI folder, then boot directly from that without disturbing your main setup.
Most distributions typically install root access by default, while this behavior is unrelated to the boot sequence. Ubuntu requires you to define an account during setup, making it unlikely for such a scenario to occur naturally.