[Bug 2100718] Re: GRUB2 Configuration Issue: GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE ignored when GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT is not set

[Mate Kukri]

What filesystem and/or device mapper container your /boot is located on?

If /boot is not writable from GRUB the 30 second timeout is expected
behaviour due to recordfail not working.

A 30 second timeout should not happen if grub can write to /boot.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2100718

Title:
  GRUB2 Configuration Issue: GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE ignored when
  GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT is not set

Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Subject: GRUB2 Configuration Issue: GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE ignored when
  GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT is not set

  Dear Ubuntu/Canonical Team,

  I'm writing to report an issue with GRUB2 configuration in Ubuntu that
  affects the boot experience.

  Issue Description:
  When GRUB_TIMEOUT and GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE are set in /etc/default/grub but GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT is not defined, the system ignores these settings and defaults to a 30-second timeout with menu display, regardless of the GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE setting.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Set in /etc/default/grub:
     GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
     GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden
  2. Run sudo update-grub
  3. Reboot the system
  4. Observe that GRUB still shows a menu with a 30-second timeout

  Expected Behavior:
  The system should respect GRUB_TIMEOUT and GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE settings.

  Actual Behavior:
  The system uses hardcoded 30-second timeout values from /etc/grub.d/00_header:
  set timeout=${GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT:-30}
  Workaround:
  Adding GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=5 to /etc/default/grub resolves the timeout issue, but this is not documented in the GRUB configuration manual pages.

  System Information:
  - Ubuntu Version: 24.10 (Oracular Oriole)"
  - GRUB Version: grub-install (GRUB) 2.12-5ubuntu5.1
  - Installation Type: Server + sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop

  This behavior is confusing for users who expect their GRUB
  configuration to be applied as specified. It also unnecessarily
  extends boot time when a faster timeout is desired.

  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

  Best regards,
  Frédéric Lavoine

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.10
  Package: grub2 (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.11.0-18.18-generic 6.11.11
  Uname: Linux 6.11.0-18-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.30.0-0ubuntu4
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
  Date: Sun Mar  2 21:31:26 2025
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2025-03-01 (1 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 24.10 "Oracular Oriole" - Release amd64 (20241007.1)
  SourcePackage: grub2
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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