Weekend Project: Theming Your Linux Bootloader

"These days, a lot of Linux users have one distro on their main machines and do everything they can to boot into a usable desktop as fast as possible. Those of us who dual-boot multiple distros — or even OSes — though, still have to stare at the bootloader screen for a few seconds every time we power-cycle. So why not put a new coat a paint on that tired, old text-based menu? Pull up a terminal, and we'll make booting something to look forward to.

"The majority of Linux distributions today use either GRUB, the Grand Unified Bootloader, or GRUB 2, a rewrite of the original GRUB that adds new features — including themeability. Although it is rock-solid, the "legacy" GRUB does lack a bit in the flair department. If you are on a distribution that uses the legacy GRUB (such as Fedora or openSUSE), one of the simplest steps you can take is to switch to GRUB 2 instead.

"There is also a derivative of GRUB 2 to consider: Burg, the Brand-new Universal loader from GRUB. Like GRUB 2, it offers simple support for both graphical- and text-mode theming, but adds a few additional features, such as collapsible menus."

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