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• Launchpad Entry: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/bootloader-manager

Summary

A simple bootloader manager (as a part of Google Summer of code), to choose the order of the operating systems, customize the appearence and some settings, accessed in Gnome Control Center.

Rationale

There is no tool in Ubuntu that make that configuration easier for novices and Non-English users.

Use Cases

• Frank is a novice, that want to change the order of the operating systems, the timeout and set a theme. He goes to Gnome Control Center->Ubuntu Bootloader Manager and and change it.

• Rui is a user that doesn't understand English and he want to set a theme, he goes to Ubuntu Bootloader Manager and set it.

Scope

This will be developed in Python and PyGTK/Glade so it can be easily ported to another distribution that use Gnome and Gnome Control Center The application is separated in a frontend and a backend part.

Design & Implementation

• UI for novice and advanced users, that will be able:
  • change operating system order
  • default operating system
  • the name of the operating system
  • add new (with a wizard dialog)operating system
  • change kernel options
  • set the fallback option
  • the savedefault option
  • delete operating systems
  • set a password for console and for operating systems, or one password for each one
  • add or change the colors and the splash image
  • set the hiddenmenu option
  • if the user makes a mistake there is a undo/redo option for the last configuratin file.

• Save the config of the main kernels in the menu.lst(commented in the same way as automagic kernels list) for mantain the options when update-grub runs, but with the old kernel with the old word in title.

• Every time the user change menu.lst, create a backup for further malfunction, and restore button

• The user can run it from the live cd to change the settings of the grub menu installed on disk

Comments

There is already a tool available that does most of this: StartUp manager. It could be extended to do all of it.

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