[SOLVED] GRUB Sub-menus not appearing

AlmaMater · 2026-04-29 07:18:57

Greetings,

I am not able to see the grub sub menu when I boot my PC. Arch is the only OS. I can see only the option "Arch Linux" and "UEFI Firmware Settings"

Had to re install arch (Used archinstall) and as always I use efi folder as boot and then I run: grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/efi --boot-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=arch

Then grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-linux-lts.img
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-linux
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img
Warning: os-prober will not be executed to detect other bootable partitions.
Systems on them will not be added to the GRUB boot configuration.
Check GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER documentation entry.
Adding boot menu entry for UEFI Firmware Settings ...
Detecting snapshots ...
Found snapshot: 2026-04-29 08:57:17 | @/.snapshots/1/snapshot | single | Initial_setup |
Found 1 snapshot(s)
Unmount /tmp/grub-btrfs.h0ValONTun .. Success
done

in /etc/default/grub, GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU="y" is commented.

So I really cant figure out whats wrong?

If I open grub-customizer just to check, I can see the entire submenu structure (Advance options, snapshots [using grub-btrfs])

Any help is welcome

grub.cfg

# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
insmod part_gpt
insmod part_msdos
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi

if [ "${env_block}" ] ; then
  set env_block="(${root})${env_block}"
  export env_block
  load_env -f "${env_block}"
fi

if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then
   set default="${next_entry}"
   set next_entry=
   if [ "${env_block}" ] ; then
     save_env -f "${env_block}" next_entry
   else
     save_env next_entry
   fi
   set boot_once=true
else
   set default="Advanced options for Arch Linux>Arch Linux, with Linux linux"
fi

if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
  menuentry_id_option="--id"
else
  menuentry_id_option=""
fi

export menuentry_id_option

if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    if [ "${env_block}" ] ; then
      save_env -f "${env_block}" saved_entry
    else
      save_env saved_entry
    fi

  fi
}

function load_video {
  if [ x$grub_platform = xefi ]; then
    insmod efi_gop
    insmod efi_uga
  elif [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then
    insmod all_video
  else
    insmod efi_gop
    insmod efi_uga
    insmod ieee1275_fb
    insmod vbe
    insmod vga
    insmod video_bochs
    insmod video_cirrus
  fi
}

if [ x$feature_default_font_path = xy ] ; then
   font=unicode
else
insmod part_gpt
insmod btrfs
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08
    font="/@/usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2"
fi

if loadfont $font ; then
  set gfxmode=auto
  load_video
  insmod gfxterm
  set locale_dir=$prefix/locale
  set lang=en_GB
  insmod gettext
fi
terminal_input console
terminal_output gfxterm
if [ x$feature_timeout_style = xy ] ; then
  set timeout_style=menu
  set timeout=5
# Fallback normal timeout code in case the timeout_style feature is
# unavailable.
else
  set timeout=5
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/06_grub-customizer_menu_color_helper ###
### END /etc/grub.d/06_grub-customizer_menu_color_helper ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Arch Linux' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08' {
        load_video
        set gfxpayload=keep
        insmod gzio
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod btrfs
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08
        echo    'Loading Linux linux-lts ...'
        linux   /@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts root=UUID=085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08 rw rootflags=subvol=@  loglevel=3 quiet amdgpu.ppfeaturemask=0xffffffff
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /@/boot/amd-ucode.img /@/boot/initramfs-linux-lts.img
}
submenu 'Advanced options for Arch Linux' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08' {
        menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux linux-lts' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-linux-lts-advanced-085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08' {
                load_video
                set gfxpayload=keep
                insmod gzio
                insmod part_gpt
                insmod btrfs
                search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08
                echo    'Loading Linux linux-lts ...'
                linux   /@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts root=UUID=085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08 rw rootflags=subvol=@  loglevel=3 quiet amdgpu.ppfeaturemask=0xffffffff
                echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
                initrd  /@/boot/amd-ucode.img /@/boot/initramfs-linux-lts.img
        }
        menuentry 'Arch Linux, with Linux linux' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-linux-advanced-085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08' {
                load_video
                set gfxpayload=keep
                insmod gzio
                insmod part_gpt
                insmod btrfs
                search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 085d7791-e9a9-4c35-87df-29129006ac08
                echo    'Loading Linux linux ...'
                linux   /@/boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/nvme0n1p2 rw rootflags=subvol=@  loglevel=3 quiet amdgpu.ppfeaturemask=0xffffffff
                echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
                initrd  /@/boot/amd-ucode.img
        }
}

### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/15_uki ###
if [ "$grub_platform" = "efi" ]; then
  uki
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/15_uki ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/25_bli ###
if [ "$grub_platform" = "efi" ]; then
  insmod bli
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/25_bli ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_uefi-firmware ###
if [ "$grub_platform" = "efi" ]; then
        fwsetup --is-supported
        if [ "$?" = 0 ]; then
                menuentry 'UEFI Firmware Settings' $menuentry_id_option 'uefi-firmware' {
                        fwsetup
                }
        fi
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/30_uefi-firmware ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f  ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then
  source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg
elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
  source $prefix/custom.cfg
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_snapshots-btrfs ###
if [ ! -e "${prefix}/grub-btrfs.cfg" ]; then
echo ""
else
submenu 'Arch Linux snapshots' {
    configfile "${prefix}/grub-btrfs.cfg"
}
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_snapshots-btrfs ###

Last edited by AlmaMater (2026-04-30 11:35:14)

feintdoxx · 2026-04-29 21:40:27

Grub Installation

Arch Wiki - Grub wrote:

If for some reason it is necessary to run grub-install from outside of the installed system, append the --boot-directory= option with the path to the mounted /boot directory, e.g --boot-directory=/mnt/boot.

I'm guessing you are using arch-chroot into the new environment? Confirm where you're mounting the boot partition then check your grub-install command

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=esp --bootloader-id=GRUB

Assuming you're following the wiki. I would think your mount point would be

/mnt/boot

so then when you arch-chroot into the new environment the efi directory would be

/boot

and the GRUB install will make the EFI directory for you.

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=GRUB

AlmaMater · 2026-04-29 22:45:09

Hello,

I just used arch install and after installing I did chroot in to it to run (With the option that archinstall provides when finishing installing)

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/efi --boot-directory=/boot --bootloader-id=arch

So the fat32 partition is used by the efi directory and boot folder is part of the root partition.

zram0     253:0    0     4G  0 disk [SWAP]
nvme0n1   259:0    0 931.5G  0 disk 
nvme0n1p1 259:1    0     1G  0 part /efi
nvme0n1p2 259:2    0 930.5G  0 part /home
                                    /var/cache/pacman/pkg
                                    /var/log
                                    /

I have to mention that I have following this same steps many times in the past without any issues.

AlmaMater · 2026-04-30 11:34:58

At the end the issue was that grub.cfg was being read from /efi/grub/grub.cfg instead of /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

Using efibootmgr I changed the default.

Now everything is fine.

Thanks

Arch Linux

#1 2026-04-29 07:18:57

[SOLVED] GRUB Sub-menus not appearing

#2 2026-04-29 21:40:27

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB Sub-menus not appearing

#3 2026-04-29 22:45:09

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB Sub-menus not appearing

#4 2026-04-30 11:34:58

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB Sub-menus not appearing

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