Chapter 13. Boot Loader
A boot loader is a small program that reads and launches the operating system. Fedora uses the GRUB boot loader by default. If you have multiple operating systems, the boot loader allows you to choose which operating system to boot.
![[Note]](./stylesheet-images/note.png) |
The GRUB boot menu |
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Please note that beginning in Fedora version 10, the GRUB menu defaults to being hidden, except on dual-boot systems. To show the GRUB menu during system boot, press and hold the Shift key before the kernel is loaded. (Any other key works as well but the Shift key is the safest to use.) |
If there are no other operating systems on your computer, or you are completely removing any other operating systems the installation program will install GRUB as your boot loader without any intervention. In that case you may continue on to Chapter 14, Software Selection.
You may have a boot loader installed on your system already. An operating system may install its own preferred boot loader, or you may have installed a third-party boot loader.If your boot loader does not recognize Linux partitions, you may not be able to boot Fedora. Use GRUB as your boot loader to boot Linux and most other operating systems. Follow the directions in this chapter to install GRUB.
![[Warning]](./stylesheet-images/warning.png) |
Installing GRUB |
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If you install GRUB, it may overwrite your existing boot loader. |
13.1. Keeping Your Existing Boot Loader Settings
By default, the installation program installs GRUB in the master boot record, or MBR, of the device for the root file system. To decline installation of a new boot loader, unselect Install boot loader on /dev/sda.
![[Important]](./stylesheet-images/important.png) |
Boot Loader Required |
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Your computer must have GRUB or another boot loader installed in order to start, unless you create a separate startup disk to boot from. |