How to protect nondefault entries in grub menu in Fedora 38?

Grub is a boot loader used by Fedora and many other Linux distributions to manage the operating system selection during startup. By default, the Grub menu displays all available entries, including different kernel versions and recovery options. However, there may be situations where you want to protect certain entries from being accidentally modified or accessed by unauthorized users.

In this article, we will guide you through the process of protecting nondefault entries in the Grub menu in Fedora 38.

Step 1: Open the Grub Configuration File

To begin, you need to open the Grub configuration file using a text editor. Open a terminal and run the following command:

This will open the Grub configuration file in the Nano text editor.

Step 2: Identify the Entry to Protect

Next, you need to identify the entry in the Grub menu that you want to protect. Look for the line that starts with GRUB_DEFAULT=. The number after the equal sign represents the default entry in the Grub menu.

Take note of the number associated with the entry you want to protect. For example, if you want to protect the second entry in the menu, the number would be 1 (since counting starts from 0).

Step 3: Modify the Grub Configuration

Once you have identified the entry, you can modify the Grub configuration to protect it. Look for the line that starts with GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY=. By default, it is set to false. Change it to true by replacing false with true.

Next, add the following line below the GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY= line:

This line ensures that the last selected entry will be the default entry the next time you boot your system.

Step 4: Save and Update Grub

After making the necessary changes, save the Grub configuration file by pressing Ctrl + O and then exit Nano by pressing Ctrl + X.

Finally, update Grub by running the following command in the terminal:

This command will generate a new Grub configuration file with your modifications.

Step 5: Test the Changes

Now, restart your system to test the changes. When the Grub menu appears during startup, select the entry you protected. After booting into the system, restart your computer again.

When the Grub menu appears for the second time, check if the previously protected entry is still selected as the default entry. If it is, then the protection is working as expected.

Congratulations! You have successfully protected a nondefault entry in the Grub menu in Fedora 38.

Conclusion

Protecting nondefault entries in the Grub menu can help prevent accidental modifications and unauthorized access to specific system configurations. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily protect the desired entries in the Grub menu in Fedora 38.

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