Enable OS Probing - OS Discovery on BlackArch

Enable OS Probing - OS Discovery on BlackArch

Aug 10, 2025
Enabling OS discovery (os-prober) on BlackArch (based on Arch Linux)
BlackArch, being an Arch Linux derivative, disables os-prober by default for security reasons. To enable GRUB to detect and list other operating systems during boot, you'll need to modify the GRUB configuration file and then update GRUB. Here's how: 
  1. Open the GRUB configuration file:
    • Open the /etc/default/grub file with a text editor. You can use a terminal-based editor like nano: sudo nano /etc/default/grub.
  2. Enable os-prober:
    • Find the line that reads GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=true and either delete it or comment it out by adding a # at the beginning of the line.
    • Then, add or uncomment the line: GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false.
  3. Save and exit the file.
  4. Install os-prober (if not already installed):
    • If you're dual-booting or have multiple operating systems and os-prober isn't installed, you'll need to install it. You can do this with the following command: sudo pacman -S os-prober.
  5. Update GRUB:
    • After modifying the GRUB configuration, you need to update GRUB for the changes to take effect. You can use one of the following commands:
      • sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
      • Alternatively: sudo update-grub (though some sources suggest this might not always work on Arch and its derivatives, and grub-mkconfig is the more reliable option).
  6. Reboot your system:
    • After running the update command, reboot your system. The GRUB menu should now display the other operating systems it detected. 
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