Install Graphical Bootloader (GFXBoot/GFXMenu ) on a Ubuntu
Install Graphical Bootloader (GFXBoot/GFXMenu ) on a Ubuntu- The GNU GRUB Graphical Menu is developed by Colin Bennett, which is what we’ll be using along the way. As of now, the project hasn’t made its way to the official repos, hence it isn’t possible to get it using apt-get/aptitude/synaptic ( at least not from the official repos ), so we’ll have to fetch the packaged files.
I would also want to thank Steve Wampler for making one of his Smoke Photographs (which i’ve used in the theme file made available) available on a CC Licence
here the screen shot:
Now let’s get on with the real deal ! The installation really completes in easy 3-steps.
Step 1 : Download the required files
a) Download the latest release of the patched grub from here.
Make sure you choose the proper file to download for you platform .( If you’re using Ubuntu or a Debian based distro it would be a file named as “grub-gfxboot_……………. _i386.deb” )
b) Download the Gfxboot theme file which i’ve somewhat modified.
Step 2) Install and configure the patched gfxgrub
a) Remove the grub on your system.
Warning : In case you aren’t able ( or forget ) to reinstall the patched-grub later, you won’t be able to boot into you system.
$ sudo apt-get remove grub
b) Install the patched grub that you downloaded
$ sudo dpkg -i <enter-the-name-of-the-patched-grub-you-downloaded>
c) Find out the partition in which you will have to setup the grub to work.
$ sudo fdisk -l
Make a note of the partition u want the grub to be installed in (hdX,Y) form as well as /dev/sd** form, as we will need it later. (Hint : /dev/sda1 -> (hd0,0) ; /dev/sda2 -> (hd0,1) ; /dev/sdb3 -> (hd1,2) and so on )
d) Configure the newly installed grub
$ sudo grub
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
If it gives an output with something like (hd*,*) continue along, else if you get ‘file not found’ check that u’ve have root permissions. if the error comes up again, try installing a different release(try older ones too) of gfxgrub.
As you made a note earlier, replace the command below with what u got
grub> root (hdX,Y)
If it gives an output with something like “Filesystem type is ***** , partition type *****” go along, else do as mentioned above.
grub> setup (hdX)
If the output mentions all the steps as “succeded”, be happy ! u are almost there.
grub>quit
Finally re-install the grub on the disk, with the /dev/sd** partition u had made a note earlier.
$ sudo grub-install /dev/sd**
If the output mentions “Installation finished. No error reported”, go ahead to Step 3
ELSE
If you have tried everything said above and it still doesn’t work, reinstall the old grub
$ sudo apt-get install grub
Repeat all the steps from b) to d)
Step 3) Configure grub to use the theme file
a) Copy the theme file to an appropriate folder ( /boot/grub/ would be a nice choice )
b)Edit your menu.lst
Use a editor of your choice(with root permissions) and edit /boot/grub/menu.lst
c) Add the following just after the “color” line with the path to where u copied the theme file
( In some cases, u might have to add it to the top of the file)
gfxmenu /boot/grub/<name-of-the-theme-file>
d) Save the file
FINALLY, Reboot !
If everything worked fine, send me a Beer 
or still, you could send in your comments below !
Go ahead ! Search over the internet and make your own theme, and if you do that, do send me a copy too
