Question can bios be set to go directly to boot manager

[robert600]

In an effort to break free from windows I've installed Linux Mint on the same drive as my Win10 installation. Currently, to access Mint ... when I first turn on the laptop ... to access Mint I have to press F9 to have the bios go to the boot manager. That's ok and all but I don't always get the timing of the F9 press right (particularly when bleary eyed in the morning lol).
So my question is: is there anyway to get the bios to post directly to the boot manager thus eliminating the need for that F9 key press?

 

[Eximo]

Typically, you would install some sort of boot loader so you have an OS selection menu.

GRUB is the usual standard for a hybrid system.

Some BIOS do let you set the boot selector as a startup option, can't really say without knowing what motherboard you have.

 

[TerryLaze]

Get the free/community version of easybcd and add linux to the boot menu,

Adding Entries

All operations regarding the addition of new entries to the EasyBCD menu and the BCD store can be performed from the “Add New Entry” page of EasyBCD (as selected from the “EasyBCD…

neosmart.net

Then look at the Changing the default boot entry on the site and make sure that the countdown is active, otherwise it instantly boots into whatever is the main os.

You can do all of this with bcd commands by booting from a windows installation media and I'm sure you can also do them from the linux side, but this is the easiest way that I know.

 

[robert600]

Some BIOS do let you set the boot selector as a startup option, can't really say without knowing what motherboard you have.

Looking at the bios ... I don't see that option. There is a Post Hotkey Delay setting though. I just changed that from the default of 0 to 5 (secs). That seems to be buying me time to make the F9 keypress when i turn on the laptop so ... much easier now.

 

[robert600]

Unfortunately, I don't see anyway to change the order of boot options in the boot manager menu ... so I have to use the arrow key to get to Linux ... not a big deal but since I'm starting to use Linux most of the time ...annoying.

 

[robert600]

Get the free/community version of easybcd and add linux to the boot menu,

Adding Entries

All operations regarding the addition of new entries to the EasyBCD menu and the BCD store can be performed from the “Add New Entry” page of EasyBCD (as selected from the “EasyBCD…

neosmart.net

Then look at the Changing the default boot entry on the site and make sure that the countdown is active, otherwise it instantly boots into whatever is the main os.

You can do all of this with bcd commands by booting from a windows installation media and I'm sure you can also do them from the linux side, but this is the easiest way that I know.

I'll look at this when I get a chance ... thanks

 

[mmp09]

Legacy boot or UEFI boot? If laptop came pre-installed with Windows, it should be UEFI boot.
Linux has efibootmgr commands to add boot entry in Firmware settings.

If both Windows & Linux are installed side by side, then you can opt for rEFInd boot manager. A third-party tool

The rEFInd Boot Manager

 

[robert600]

Legacy boot or UEFI boot? If laptop came pre-installed with Windows, it should be UEFI boot.
Linux has efibootmgr commands to add boot entry in Firmware settings.

If both Windows & Linux are installed side by side, then you can opt for rEFInd boot manager. A third-party tool

The rEFInd Boot Manager

I've confirmed that my windows is a UEFI boot ... I'm not sure about Mint.

My understanding about side by side installation is hazy at best. I don't think it is a side by side installation ... it's on the same disk but on a different partition ... I used the "something else" option of the installation ...if that makes sense? My understanding was that after installing , it would boot to a screen allowing me to choose the OS to use but that didn't happen. I can only boot to Mint by using the boot manager.

 

[mmp09]

Ok..may be I was not explicit though.

Side by side means on two partitions on the same disk. Windows resides on one partition and Linux on other. However since both are on the same disk, they share the EFI partition for bootloaders. It's possible that in 'Something else' option you did not correctly specify the partition to install bootloader..may be?

If you can boot into Windows, use EasyUEFI https://www.easyuefi.com/index-us.html free trial should work, to create a EFI boot entry to Linux OS in the Firmware and push it to the top.

 

[robert600]

Ok..may be I was not explicit though.

Side by side means on two partitions on the same disk. Windows resides on one partition and Linux on other. However since both are on the same disk, they share the EFI partition for bootloaders. It's possible that in 'Something else' option you did not correctly specify the partition to install bootloader..may be?

Ok, for some reason I thought side by side was with both OS on the same partition ... this is all new to me. So ... both win10 and Mint are installed side by side.
I think you're likely correct about incorrectly specifying the partition for the bootloader ...TBH I don't remember the installation asking me about where I wanted it put. I'm not even absolutely positive I've installed mint in the partition I intended it to be in. I presume so though because it runs very nicely ... lots of mysteries for a newbie to Linux though.

 

[mmp09]

That's what I meant but I am also not too sure if the terminology was correct!!
Anyhow, EasyUEFI is one of the best and I am using it.
See how my boot entries look like.

 

[robert600]

That's what I meant but I am also not too sure if the terminology was correct!!
Anyhow, EasyUEFI is one of the best and I am using it.
See how my boot entries look like.

I tried the windows version of easyUEFI. When it started it I got a warning that win10 was booted in EFI mode (or something like that) and not all features would work. I continued and tried to add an item to the boot menu but it couldn't find anything to add under the linux tab ... it was all greyed out. So ... i think I'm screwed for that.
It's not the end of the world though ... using the F9 key on startup isn't that bad ... particularly now that I have that 5 sec delay ... it's just another of those many mysteries!

 

[mmp09]

I have never seen EasyUEFI give any such message, rather it is meant to work only when underlying Windows is installed in UEFI mode.

If Windows is in Legacy mode, then EasyUEFI refuses to install in the first place.

 

[TerryLaze]

I have never seen EasyUEFI give any such message, rather it is meant to work only when underlying Windows is installed in UEFI mode.

If Windows is in Legacy mode, then EasyUEFI refuses to install in the first place.

It's a normal warning with easybcd as well, because you can boot .vhd files (among other things) with normal boot while uefi boot doesn't allow that so it warns you that it won't be able to do everything it can do.