HowTO: Edit Boot Loader to add/modify/delete entries in openSUSE

When you accept the defaults for the Boot Loader in openSUSE at the time of installation, it will include the default openSUSE boot option, a failsafe boot option for openSUSE, a Floppy disk boot option and if you are dual-booting your openSUSE with Windows or if there is any WIndows partition on your system then they are all included by default.

However, this may particularly may not look good for the boot menu or the fact some of these are not necessary. For instance, I had 3 Windows Partitions and the GRUB boot loader add all these to the menu and then I do not have a floppy drive on my laptop and the means I do not need the floppy disk boot option. We can remove these entries or edit the entries like changing names, move up or down in the order of listing or advanced editing like password protection or activating the partition when selected for boot etc in openSUSE.

Be aware that editing these settings should be done with care or otherwise can result in system failing to boot.

To edit the boot loader configurations in openSUSE,

From menu, click Computer – YaST

Click System – Boot Loader. This launches the Boot Loader settings editor.

Delete Entry

Once in, to delete an entry, select the entry and click Delete.

Change Order

To move up or down in the order, select the entry and click Up or Down as required

Modify Entry

To edit an entry for instance to change the display Name or set password protection, select the entry and click Edit.

Set or Change Default

To set an entry as default, select the entry and click “Set as Default”

Advance Edits & Options

To edit the config files for the selected boot loader (default is GRUB), click other button and select the options like “edit configuration files” or start from scratch”

For advanced options like changing the default GRUB boot loader to say LILO, click the “Boot Loader Installation” tab.

Once done, click Finish to apply the changes to the system.