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Thread ID: 59324 2005-06-28 11:04:00 GRUB bootloader Mirddes (10) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
367727 2005-06-28 11:04:00 hi.
earlier today i installed Ubuntu 5.04 which installed GRUB 0.9(?)
my dad is quitebackwards when it comes to computers, he wants windows to boot when he turns it on, and expects to see nothign else, which is fine.
currently (by default?) the boot choices are listed alphabeticly with ubuntu at the top, and windows at the bottem.
after 20 seconds has passed it will boot the selected option.
is there a way i coudl alter this so after 3seconds it boots the selected option, with windows being at teh top?
Mirddes (10)
367728 2005-06-28 11:16:00 Edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file. YOu will find two relevant lines:

timeout=5
default=0

The first one is the timeout in seconds.
The second one in this example boots the first OS in the list in the same file.
johnd (85)
367729 2005-06-28 11:17:00 Yes, you can do this. As root, go to /etc/grub.conf and open it in a text editor.

You need to change the follow two entries (this is my grub.conf as an example)


# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda3
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=0 <---- change to 1
timeout=5 <---- change this to 3 (time in seconds)
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4 ro root=LABEL=/1 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4.imgThe "default=0" line indicates which OS (or kernel version) is to be the default. The first title line is 0, the second title line (not shown in my example) is 1, the third title line is 2 and so on.
Jen (38)
367730 2005-06-28 21:15:00 One thing you should be aware of:

If you upgrade the kernel (the main core file) in Ubuntu after making this change, you MAY have to re-edit the above file.
I know that when you upgrade the Fedora kernel, the new kernel goes to the top of the list by default... however in Mandrake it stays at the bottom. I am not sure about Ubuntu.
Myth (110)
367731 2005-06-29 03:55:00 i relise this will make me sound extremely noob, but how do i 'get root' Mirddes (10)
367732 2005-06-29 04:06:00 In a terminal window type in: su FoxyMX (5)
367733 2005-06-29 04:15:00 /boot/grub/menu.lst file is readonly =(

this is my first linux install, in the past ive only every played around with the knoppix linux live CDs
Mirddes (10)
367734 2005-06-29 04:20:00 Try this:

su -

Press Enter, type in password

gedit /etc/grub.conf

Press Enter
FoxyMX (5)
367735 2005-06-29 04:39:00 (gedit:8449): GnomeUI-WARNING **: While connecting to session manager:
Authentication Rejected, reason : None of the authentication protocols specified are supported and host-based authentication failed.


----
edit

i think the reason it failed was because /etc/grub.conf doesnt seem to exist
Mirddes (10)
367736 2005-06-29 04:57:00 Darn it, I have led you down the wrong path. Sorry. :blush:

You need to log on as root before typing the gedit bit. There will be a quick and dirty way to do this but my notes are a bit of a mess at the moment and my memory is like a sieve so just log out of your normal account and log back on as root. To do this type in the root name and password that you created when you first set Linux up.

If that doesn't work then you will have to wait for a Linux guru to pop in.
FoxyMX (5)
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