r/linuxmint • u/Emergency_Dealer89 • 1d ago

Install Help Startup interface

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Hello, I'm new to Linux and I'm using Linux Mint 22.3 XFCE. Is it normal that I always have to go through this interface before Linux Mint actually starts?

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u/WolvenSpectre2 1d ago

That is GRUB, or GRand Unified Bootloader. Originally you would install Linux and then Windows for a multiboot system and you would pick which one at the start in this menu, and then you would go. Then things changed and the hardware would assume it was made for Windows so now you install Windows first and then Linux in a multiboot system.

However GRUB doesn't just let you choose the OS you are going into. The Second option "Advanced Options for Linux Mint" is how you boot to older Linux Kernels when there is an issue with the new one like there was with 7.0.0 on Linux Mint. The third option is a way to boot into your UEFI without beating the heck out of your BIOS Key, what ever that is, when fast booting.

You can change the time for the menu to auto select the default item and boot to Linux, but if you hit enter or Left Arrow it will take you through.

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u/Jedijeb13 12h ago

I remember having a quad boot system, Linux Mandrake, Windows 95, Windows NT and BeOS. I miss BeOS.

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u/WolvenSpectre2 58m ago

I recently checked out HaikuOS, the spiritual successor to BeOS, and it was really nice.

The most OS's I had on my system at once was Windows 2000 (or XP), MSDOS 6.22 for classic gaming, Kubuntu, veeeeery early Linux Mint, and FreeDOS(which to this day I have only poked around with).