Using bluetooth keyboard in grub bootloader

I want to ch开发者_StackOverflow社区oose between several OS's during startup. How can i manage this by using my bluetooth keyboard/Cellphone or at least my IR remote?

One solution is to boot the linux system first, and then add the boot once command to grub for booting another system the next time. This will take time, but works without any hardware.

Using keys via IR remote did not work so far.

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert for GRUB and I'm using my general knowledge about PC hardware and software here.

As far as I know, GRUB is using BIOS to get input from the user. Thus, unless your PC (or other device you're running GRUB on) has support for Bluetooth/IR remotes in BIOS, there's no way you can do what you're asking for. Also, if you happen to have a wireless keyboard with host side wireless base, which is pluggable into a standard USB or PS/2 port, it might work (as long as BIOS sees such a keyboard as a normal wired keyboard connected to USB or PS/2 port).

Other alternative would be to modify GRUB (add support for Bluetooth/IR remotes/etc), but that's a story of a completely different complexity. :)

I would verify the keycodes coming from your ir dongle using showkey. Then make sure the grub keymap handles them. Personally I have yet to changing the grub keymap to work for me. I have a tablet loaded with grub and I know the keycodes the buttons give in ubuntu but when I modify the keymap to make down and enter two of the buttons I never get a response in grub. But if undo my keymap changes and hook up a usb keyboard it works fine.

I am also keen to use my Bluetooth keyboard when selecting my OS in GRUB. It makes no sense to place 2 keyboards on the table just to choose a choice. I think it is good for GRUB to host a bit of Linux (just the BT part) so that it loads the module for the BT device to work.

Nevertheless, this may mean that you will have to re-pair your device once you are in your preferred OS, unless you wish to use up all your BT chips with just GRUB/Windows/Linux. And, as far as I can tell, the commercial products support up to only 3 BT connections usually.