Customize Grub Theme on Fedora

Anit JhaAnit Jha
2 min read

Why Am I Writing This?

Today, I decided to switch up my Fedora GRUB2 theme. After sifting through tutorial after tutorial and restarting my computer a whopping 12 times, I think I've finally cracked the code on the correct way to do it. So let's dive right in! ✈️✈️

Things You Would Need

Before we start, let's ensure you've got everything handy:

  • Follow Instructions Carefully: No skipping steps allowed! ⚠️
  • Grab a Grub Theme: You'll need one from Gnome-Look. Surprise, surprise!
  • Familiarity with Command Line: Get a bit cozy with it.
  • Patience is Key: I'll walk you through each step in detail.

Step 0: Try using grub-customizer first

If that does not work then ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Step 1: Downloading a Grub Theme

First things first, head to Gnome-Look and pick a theme you fancy. Most likely, it'll be in an archive file.

Once downloaded, double-click to extract it.

Now pop open the terminal and write

sudo cp -r /path/to/extracted/theme /boot/grub2/themes

Replace /path/to/extracted/theme with the actual path to the extracted theme folder.

This command will copy the entire extracted theme folder to the /boot/grub2/themes directory using the sudo command for administrative privileges.

It's important to note that when using the command line, you need to specify the correct paths to ensure the theme folder is a accurately copied to the designated GRUB themes directory. Adjust the path accordingly based on where the theme is extracted.

Congrats! You've aced a major step. Now, just stick to my commands religiously.


Step 2: Editing the Grub Config

Time to play with some configs! Open the terminal and access /etc/default/grub using your favorite editor:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Your file should mirror this:

GRUB_TIMEOUT="10"
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="$(sed 's, release .*$,,g' /etc/system-release)"
GRUB_DEFAULT="saved"
GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU="true"
#GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT="console"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="rhgb quiet"
GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"
GRUB_ENABLE_BLSCFG="true"

export GRUB_COLOR_NORMAL="light-gray/black"
export GRUB_COLOR_HIGHLIGHT="magenta/black"
GRUB_THEME="/boot/grub2/themes/<YOUR-THEME>/theme.txt"

Simply Replace <your-theme> with your actual theme folder name

This file controls Fedora's grub.cfg generation, which is crucial for booting.


Step 3: Generating the Grub.Cfg File

Almost there! Run this commands:

sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

🚫🚫 Don't run this command sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/fedora/grub.cfg because this file is meant not to be touched after fedora 33

Reboot


You're Welcome If It Helped You 😎

Remember, it's all about patience and precision! If you're having a blast customizing your Fedora GRUB2, then my mission here is accomplished. Happy theming!

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Written by

Anit Jha
Anit Jha

I am Full-stack web developer from Delhi . Currently pursuing B.Tech from Netaji Shubhas University of Technology. OSS contributor and advocate. Avid tech enthusiast, love reading blogs and also write some.