Editing GNU GRUB (section)

{{short description|Boot loader package}}
{{Redirect2|GRUB|PUPA|the life stage of insects|Pupa|other uses|Grub (disambiguation)|and|Pupa (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}}

{{Infobox software
| name = GNU GRUB
| logo = Grub logo large.png
| logo size = 120px
| logo caption = GNU GRUB logo
| logo alt = Logo depicting Richard Stallman with a magnifying glass checking the hard drive.
| screenshot = GRUB v2.12 screenshot, Fedora 41.png
| caption = GRUB v2.12 running in text mode
| collapsible = 
| author = Erich Boleyn
| developer = [[GNU Project]]
| released = {{Start date and age|1995}}
| ver layout = simple
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q212885|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q212885|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q212885|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q212885|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
| programming language = [[Assembly language|Assembly]], [[C (programming language)|C]]<ref name="ohloh">{{cite web
 | url        = http://www.ohloh.net/p/grub
 | title        = Ohloh Analysis Summary – GNU GRUB
 | publisher        = [[Ohloh]]
 | access-date        = 2010-05-12
 | archive-date        = February 4, 2009
 | archive-url        = https://web.archive.org/web/20090204221010/http://www.ohloh.net/p/grub
 | url-status        = live
 }}</ref>
| operating_system = [[Linux]], [[GNU#GNU_as_an_operating_system|GNU/Hurd]], [[macOS]], [[BSD (operating system)|BSD]], ([[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]]/ [[illumos]] (x86 port)), and [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] (through chainloading)
| platform = [[IA-32]], [[x86-64]], [[IA-64]], [[ARM architecture|ARM]], [[PowerPC]], [[Power ISA]], [[s390x]], [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]], [[RISC-V]], [[LoongArch]] and [[SPARC]]
| size = 
| language = [[English language|English]] and others
| genre = [[Bootloader]]
| license = 2007: [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]{{efn|GPL-3.0-or-later since 2007-07-21.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/grub.git/commit/?id=5a79f472c750dc08f1d074f7d480ef571c6f2e36|title=Migrate to GNU General Public License Version 3.|date=2007-07-21|access-date=October 27, 2021|archive-date=October 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027004239/https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/grub.git/commit/?id=5a79f472c750dc08f1d074f7d480ef571c6f2e36|url-status=live}}</ref>}}<ref name="GNU GRUB license">{{cite web
 | url          = http://bzr.savannah.gnu.org/lh/grub/trunk/grub/annotate/head:/COPYING
 | archive-url  = https://archive.today/20130911174027/http://bzr.savannah.gnu.org/lh/grub/trunk/grub/annotate/head:/COPYING
 | url-status   = dead
 | archive-date = 2013-09-11
 | title        = GNU GRUB license}}</ref><br />1999: [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]{{efn|GPL-2.0-or-later from 1999 until 2007-07-02.}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.gnu.org/software/grub}}
}}

'''GNU GRUB''' (short for '''GNU GRand Unified Bootloader''', commonly referred to as '''GRUB''') is a [[boot loader]] package from the [[GNU Project]]. GRUB is the [[reference implementation]] of the [[Free Software Foundation]]'s [[Multiboot Specification]], which provides a user the choice to boot one of multiple [[operating system]]s installed on a computer if (dual booted) or select a specific [[Kernel (operating system)|kernel]] configuration available on a particular operating system's partitions. It loads up before the operating system

GNU GRUB was developed from a package called the ''Grand Unified Bootloader'' (a play on [[Grand Unified Theory]]<ref>[http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/definition/GRUB-GRand-Unified-Bootloader EnterpriseLinux.com Definitions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203081648/http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/definition/GRUB-GRand-Unified-Bootloader |date=December 3, 2010 }} Definition of GRand Unified Bootloader</ref>). It is predominantly used for [[Unix-like]] systems.