[Bug 2110358] [NEW] GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false should be the default — automatic OS detection is broken by design

[Valeriy Kovalev]

Public bug reported:

Dear GRUB/Ubuntu maintainers,

This is a request (and a serious complaint) regarding the decision to
disable os-prober by default starting with GRUB 2.06.

This change:
- Breaks automatic detection of other operating systems (e.g., Windows, other Linux distros)
- Confuses users who dual-boot
- Offers no warning during installation
- Forces unnecessary manual configuration just to restore old, expected behavior

The security justification is unconvincing:
- Home users do not benefit from this "protection"
- Any malicious bootloader would already require root-level compromise, making this irrelevant
- System administrators are perfectly capable of disabling os-prober if needed

Ubuntu used to stand for **humanity** — simple, user-friendly behavior
with sane defaults. This change is the opposite.

If this trend continues, more users will abandon GRUB (and perhaps even
Ubuntu) for alternatives like rEFInd, which respect usability.

> Good security is not disabling features. The best security is not
installing the OS — and even better, not turning the computer on at all.

Please reconsider this anti-user decision.

Thank you.

** Affects: grub2 (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2110358

Title:
  GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false should be the default — automatic OS
  detection is broken by design

Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Dear GRUB/Ubuntu maintainers,

  This is a request (and a serious complaint) regarding the decision to
  disable os-prober by default starting with GRUB 2.06.

  This change:
  - Breaks automatic detection of other operating systems (e.g., Windows, other Linux distros)
  - Confuses users who dual-boot
  - Offers no warning during installation
  - Forces unnecessary manual configuration just to restore old, expected behavior

  The security justification is unconvincing:
  - Home users do not benefit from this "protection"
  - Any malicious bootloader would already require root-level compromise, making this irrelevant
  - System administrators are perfectly capable of disabling os-prober if needed

  Ubuntu used to stand for **humanity** — simple, user-friendly behavior
  with sane defaults. This change is the opposite.

  If this trend continues, more users will abandon GRUB (and perhaps
  even Ubuntu) for alternatives like rEFInd, which respect usability.

  > Good security is not disabling features. The best security is not
  installing the OS — and even better, not turning the computer on at
  all.

  Please reconsider this anti-user decision.

  Thank you.

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