Replace grub2 with systemd-boot on Ubuntu 22.04

README.md

1. remove grub

apt purge --allow-remove-essential grub2-common grub-pc-bin grub-pc grub-gfxpayload-lists grub-efi-amd64-bin grub-efi-amd64-signed grub-common os-prober shim-signed libfreetype6 
apt-get autoremove --purge
rm -rf /boot/grub/
rm -rf /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu

2. make sure it's not installed back
   • apt-mark hold "grub*"
3. install systemd-boot

apt install systemd-boot systemd-ukify

4. create /etc/kernel/cmdline with the wanted kernel command line (check /proc/cmdline for inspiration)
5. create /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-systemd-boot (see below, and make sure it's 0755 mode) and run it
6. reinstall the kernel package so it triggers kernel-install & friends
7. reboot

zz-update-systemd-boot

#!/bin/bash
#
# This is a simple kernel hook to populate the systemd-boot entries
# whenever kernels are added or removed.
#
       
# Our kernels.
KERNELS=()
FIND="find /boot -maxdepth 1 -name 'vmlinuz-*' -type f -print0 | sort -rz"
while IFS= read -r -u3 -d $'\0' LINE; do
    KERNEL=$(basename "${LINE}")
    KERNELS+=("${KERNEL:8}")
done 3< <(eval "${FIND}")

# There has to be at least one kernel.
if [ ${#KERNELS[@]} -lt 1 ]; then
    echo -e "\e[2msystemd-boot\e[0m \e[1;31mNo kernels found.\e[0m"
    exit 1
fi

LATEST="${KERNELS[@]:0:1}"
echo -e "\e[2msystemd-boot\e[0m \e[1;32m${LATEST}\e[0m"
objcopy \
  --add-section .osrel=/etc/os-release --change-section-vma .osrel=0x20000 \
  --add-section .cmdline=/etc/kernel/cmdline --change-section-vma .cmdline=0x30000 \
  --add-section .linux=/boot/vmlinuz-${LATEST} --change-section-vma .linux=0x2000000 \
  --add-section .initrd=/boot/initrd.img-${LATEST} --change-section-vma .initrd=0x3000000 \
  /usr/lib/systemd/boot/efi/linuxx64.efi.stub \
  /boot/efi/EFI/Linux/ubuntu.efi
    
# Success!
exit 0

@gdamjan Thank you that fixed it. Is libfreetype6 intended to be removed (based on your gist)?

Thanks! Just installing the packages worked flawlessly on 25.04, and after that I was able to purge and hold grub2 without issue (aside from libfreetype6 as mentioned above).
Any way to get secure boot working?

Thanks I don’t use secure boot, but there is info on the arch wiki, good luckOn May 22, 2025, at 1:46 PM, Novantric ***@***.***> wrote:Re: ***@***.*** commented on this gist.Thanks! Just installing the packages worked flawlessly on 25.04, and after that I was able to purge and hold grub2 without issue.Any way to get secure boot working?—Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub or unsubscribe.You are receiving this email because you commented on the thread.Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS or Android.