Accessing GRUB in Ubuntu VM on VMware Fusion (MacBook Pro M2)
If you're running Ubuntu as a virtual machine on VMware Fusion for your MacBook Pro with an M2 chip, you might encounter a situation where you need to access the GRUB bootloader. Perhaps you want to change the boot order, modify kernel parameters, or troubleshoot issues. This article will guide you through the process of accessing GRUB and changing permissions for the necessary commands.
Why access GRUB?
The GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader) is a bootloader used in Linux distributions that enables them to boot from various operating systems installed on a computer. Accessing GRUB in a virtual machine context is essential for tweaking boot settings and performing other advanced tasks.
Changing Permissions for sudo
To use the sudo command in the Ubuntu VM, you will need to create a new user or modify an existing user to have administrative privileges. The following steps will help you do just that:
- First, open a terminal window within the virtual machine.
- If you need to create a new user, type the command:
sudo adduser newusername
- Replace
newusernamewith your desired username. - Now, you'll need to add this new user to the sudo group:
sudo usermod -aG sudo newusername
- After that, you can log in as the new user and use
sudocommands.
Accessing GRUB
While you can edit GRUB settings with the sudo nano /etc/default/grub command for permanent changes, this method demonstrates accessing GRUB directly upon rebooting the Ubuntu VM:
- Shut down the Ubuntu VM.
- Launch the VMware Fusion virtual machine window and then click on "Virtual Machine" in the top menu.
- From the drop-down menu, select "Settings."
- In the settings window, click on "Options" in the left pane, and then choose "Advanced Configuration."
- Click the "+ (Add Property)" button at the bottom.
- Enter "ISOLINUX.PATH" as the key, and "
/boot/isolinux" as the value. - Close the settings window and start the Ubuntu VM.
- As the Ubuntu VM is booting, press the "Esc" key to display the GRUB menu.
Accessing GRUB in a Ubuntu VM running on VMware Fusion for MacBook Pro M2 involves changing the user permissions for the terminal and modifying the virtual machine settings to enable access to the GRUB menu directly. This article provided essential information and step-by-step instructions for achieving these goals. Now you're ready to tackle those advanced tasks that require GRUB access in a Ubuntu VM.
References
- Linux.org: GRUB User Documentation (2.02)
- VMware Fusion Documentation: Configuring Advanced Virtual Machine Settings