Background image on GRUB

Ask Fedora
1

I have been trying to set a custom background image on GRUB using the GRUB_BACKGROUND option in /etc/default/grub. Running the mkconfig, I get a prompt saying “Found GRUB background image”, but, on the GRUB screen, I still the default black background. The image is all right since I was able to get the background on another PC running Debian. Is there some other method to get a custom background image?

2

Are you using PNG, JPG or some other type?

Generally speaking, GRUB prefers PNG images.

More importantly, you need to match the image to your native screen resolution.

  • Open /etc/default/grub.

  • Find GRUB_GFXMODE and set it to your monitor’s native resolution (e.g., 1920x1080) or the exact resolution of your image.

  • Uncomment the line by removing the # at the start

Save and run the update again.

Working now as hoped for?

3

It’s a PNG. I am already doing all of that to no avail. However, my image is saved in /usr/share. Could that be a problem? I have also set GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT=“gfxterm”

4

Yes that will not work.

Remember that do disks are mounted when grub is running, hence no access to /usr.

The image file will need to be somewhere is /boot, but i am not sure of the exact location.

5

No difference. This is my current /etc/default/grub:

GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="$(sed 's, release .*$,,g' /etc/system-release)"
GRUB_DEFAULT=saved
GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU=true
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="menu splash pcie_aspm=off"
GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="false"
GRUB_ENABLE_BLSCFG=true
GRUB_BACKGROUND="/boot/grub2/themes/splash.png"
GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT="gfxterm"
GRUB_GFXMODE=1920x1080
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX="keep"
6 
Turn off secure boot
add the line GRUB_BACKGROUND="/boot/grub2/images/imageName.png" to /etc/default/grub
Install the 'grub2-efi-x64-modules' package
Create directory /boot/efi/EFI/fedora/x86_64-efi/
Copy /usr/lib/grub/x86_64-efi/gfxterm_background.mod to /boot/efi/EFI/fedora/x86_64-efi/
Add the line "insmod gfxterm_background" to /etc/grub.d/00_header immediately after the line "insmod gfxterm"
Rebuild grub2 config
7

A brief text appears momentarily before GRUB menu now, but still no background.

8 
ok we try different approach
copy splash.png to /boot/grub2/themes/theme-fedora/splash.png 
make theme.txt file with this contexts :
desktop-image: "splash.png"
terminal-left: "0"
terminal-top: "0"
terminal-width: "100%"
terminal-height: "100%"
terminal-border: "0"
after that copy theme.txt to /boot/grub2/themes/theme-fedora/
edit /etc/default/grub uncomment like  #GRUB_BACKGROUND="/boot/grub2/themes/splash.png" 
add GRUB_THEME="/boot/grub2/themes/theme-fedora/theme.txt"
run sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /etc/grub2.cfg
9

The image is there now, but all the text is gone. I don’t think making a theme is the correct way to go.

10

Maybe the path to the image is relative?

Try just GRUB_BACKGROUND=splash.png or GRUB_BACKGROUND=themes/splash.png does either work?

11

Negative. mkconfig now does not even say found background image.

12

Put a # in front of this line and run grub2-mkconfig again. Reboot.

My background jpg is in /boot/grub2 or /boot/grub.

Screenshot_grub
Screenshot_grub650×566 82.4 KB

Here’s the /etc/default/grub from a Fedora Cinnamon virtual machine, for the boot screen you see above.

GRUB_TIMEOUT=15

GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=”$(sed ‘s, release ,*$,g /etc/system-release)”

GRUB_DEFAULT=saved

GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU=true

#GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT=”console”

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=”rhgb quite”

GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY=”true”

GRUB_ENABLE_BLSCFG=true

GRUB_BACKGROUND=”/boot/grub2/fedora_wall6_fixed.jpg”

I’ve successfully tested this on Fedora 43 LXDE, Cinnamon, Xfce and Server.

No success with Workstation, KDE.

13

Alas, I am on workstation. No change from the edit.

14

I found the fix. Apparently installing the GRUB EFI modules via dnf does not copy the .mod files to the /boot/grub2/ directory. Manually copying them from /usr/lib/grub/x86_64-efi did the job.