GRUB vs rEFInd

Well, I am a linux fanatic.

I rip stuff apart and put 'em back together just to see what would happen and how I can change it. Linux suited me better. I still boot into Windows for Games and what not but Linux is Love.

Now, a bootloader is a piece of software, a very basic one, that loads the Operaing System the user requests. Windows has its own, Mac has its own. And most of the Linux Distros ship with this bootloader called as the GRUB.

GRUB - GRand Unified Bootloader. Now, I've always known there were other bootloaders available, but, I assumed that GRUB was always the default in most cases because it was obviously the best one. It was. From the technical perspective that is, it has so many features the others don't, however, it is not pleasant to look at. At best you can change backgrounds and fonts. Like this.

The raw Unadultered Ubuntu's GRUB with just the background color change looks like this.

Now, there's no Mouse pointers either.

Then recently, I found out there exists this bootloader called rEFInd, specifically tailored for the eye-candy. Editing the Config was never easier. The theming is great and so I gave it a try. I installed it using the apt-package manager.

refind-install script ran automatically, it set me up and even made itself as the deafult bootloader entry in my ESP partition. When I booted though I was unhappy to look the the same old grub again. Booted back in, and deleted everything grub related, ended up with a non-bootable system.

Manual selection of the rEFInd bootloader, threw a Verification failed error. My Laptop is a very recent one with an UEFI motherboard and hence Secureboot was Turned On by Default. Secure-boot required my bootloaders to be signed as Authorised to be able to boot the OSes, however, my rEFInd Installation was not, since I installed it and not the OS. So I went and Turned off the Secure boot, instead of Signing it with Shim and MokManager like the internet suggested.

Yes, I compromised Security for the new Bootloader.

Aaaand, Voila!

I got the rEFInd Deafult themed Loader. Booted in, themed it to my Heart's Content and ended up with this.

The Default looks something like this.

Not only do I have a Gorgeous bootloader, I can now use a mouse as well during boot to select my Operating System!

I am hereafter replacing GRUB with rEFInd on all my Linux Installations.