When you turn on an Ubuntu PC, the GRUB bootloader appears. By default, GRUB waits on a purple or black screen for 10 seconds, asking if you want to boot normally, enter recovery mode, or boot into a different operating system. Only after this countdown finishes does Ubuntu actually begin to load.
If Ubuntu is the only operating system installed on your computer (you are not dual-booting with Windows), this 10-second pause is a complete waste of time. It unnecessarily delays your boot process every single morning. You can modify the GRUB configuration file to change this timeout to zero, forcing your PC to boot into Ubuntu instantly.
How to Change the GRUB Timeout to Zero
You must edit the master GRUB configuration file using the terminal, and then update the bootloader for the changes to take effect.
- Open your Terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T).
- Open the GRUB configuration file in the nano text editor with root privileges by typing:
sudo nano /etc/default/grub - Enter your administrator password when prompted.
- Look for a line in the file that says
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10(or another number). - Carefully change the number to a zero, so the line reads:
GRUB_TIMEOUT=0 - (Optional but recommended: Look for
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hiddenand ensure it is set to “hidden”, not “menu”). - Save your changes by pressing Ctrl + O, then Enter.
- Exit the nano editor by pressing Ctrl + X.
- Finally, you must command the system to regenerate the actual boot files based on your new configuration. Type the following command and press Enter:
sudo update-grub
The terminal will quickly generate a new boot configuration. The next time you restart your computer, it will completely bypass the 10-second countdown screen and immediately begin loading the Ubuntu Desktop.