[generic-squashfs-combined-efi] Grub2 timeout does not work in console, but works in serial

[zucca]

I just installed the generic-squashfs-combined-efi no problem.
Only the https://openwrt.org/packages/pkgdata/intel-microcode#packageintel-microcode installed.

Expected: Grub2 Menu at startup autoselect after 5sec as defined in the /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Observed: Grub2 Menu at startup does not go in timeout and I have to press "enter" on the keyboard to boot

I assume it is something simple so I do not provide more details.

Thanks in advance for the support!

[lleachii]

Does your device have a serial port?

[zucca]

Yes, and there is nothing connected to it.

thanks for helping.

[zucca]

Very interesting, without changing or pressing anything but only connecting the serial this is what happend (spoiler alert it worked!):

:t
  Nn
error: can't find command `search'.

                             GNU GRUB  version 2.12

 +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 |*OpenWrt                                                                    |
 | OpenWrt (failsafe)                                                         |
 |                                                                            |
 |                                                                            |
 |                                                                            |
 |                                                                            |
 |                                                                            |
 |                                                                            |
 |                                                                            |
 |                                                                            |
 |                                                                            |
 +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

      Use the ^ and v keys to select which entry is highlighted.
      Press enter to boot the selected OS, `e' to edit the commands
      before booting or `c' for a command-line. ESC to return
      previous menu.
   The highlighted entry will be executed automatically in 0s.
  Booting `OpenWrt'

[    0.000000] Linux version 6.6.93 (builder@buildhost) (x86_64-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc (OpenWrt GCC 13.3.0 r28739-d9340319c6) 13.3.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils) 2.42) #0 SMP Mon Jun 23 20:40:36 2025
[    0.000000] Command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz root=PARTUUID=cd0d6008-ae71-21d7-c817-d7010558e802 rootwait console=tty1 console=ttyS0,115200n8 noinitrd
[    0.000000] Intel Spectre v2 broken microcode detected; disabling Speculation Control
[    0.000000] BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
.....

so basically the Grub2 screen went in timeout as expected after 5 sec.

Now let me try to reboot without the serial connected...

Ops... now it is waiting again for an "enter" to proceed the boot, reproducible.

The circle is getting smaller.... let me see if now I can find the solution...

Ah, it's an old Qotom G535G6 PC with 8 Gbit NIC and no Wifi.

[zucca]

Here my grub.cfg

serial --unit=0 --speed=115200 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1 --rtscts=off
terminal_input console serial; terminal_output console serial

set default="0"
set timeout="5"
search -l kernel -s root

menuentry "OpenWrt" {
        linux /boot/vmlinuz root=PARTUUID=cd0d6008-ae71-21d7-c817-d7010558e802 rootwait  console=tty1 console=ttyS0,115200n8 noinitrd
}
menuentry "OpenWrt (failsafe)" {
        linux /boot/vmlinuz failsafe=true root=PARTUUID=cd0d6008-ae71-21d7-c817-d7010558e802 rootwait  console=tty1 console=ttyS0,115200n8 noinitrd
}

[zucca]

Funny I feel not alone anymore...

title updated

[frollic]

Try removing anything related to serial from grub conf file ...

[mm67]

I have had the same problem for some years, also with a Qotom computer. My solution has been to remove first two lines of grub.cfg

[zucca]

So I did some tests with the

terminal_input

command, here the timeout results

(-1 means wait indefinitely)

so it looks like that if you remove the serial in the terminal_input, the system will boot also in console after the timeout. Obviously, in the serial terminal the menu is there but it can't be controlled.

I sent an email to the grub bug address, if they respond back I will let you know.

I read the entire RTFM but such "feature" to have a different timeout in a particular terminal is not documented.

ah, I hope it is not just a "Qotom" sickness....