GRUB boot sequence
 

hi, please can someone tell me how to change the grub boot sequence, currently it is linux then windows, i would like it to be windows then linux and also lower the time limit, i have suse linux 9.1, thank you in advance.. :)

your /boot/grub/menu.lst should have an example.

RIF
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html

Search in this page for default and timeout

You need to edit the configuration (grub.conf or menu.lst depending on distro) file but I am not sure where the it is located in SuSE. It could be under /boot or /etc/ Also, check if Yast can edit the config file.

You should just be able to change the 'default' line

If you look at the /boot/grub/menu.lst (or /boot/grub/grub.conf in some distros), there should be a section for each entry in the boot list. The first section is 0, so for example, if you had a list that had the first entry as Linux, and the second as Windows, you could change the 'default=0' line to 'default=1' in order to boot Windows by default instead of Linux which is listed first in the list.

As mentioned above, there should be examples in multiple sources including the menu.lst (or grub.conf once again) or possibly a HOWTO at www.tldp.org

I just did exactly the same as you're asking. I went into Yast and went into system. From there I went to Boot Loader Configuration. From there it's a piece of cake. Just set Windows as default and the time limit is changed near the end of the list.

-Scottie and Ed_

You SuSE guys are just too spoiled with GUI. Maybe you need to learn how to edit a config file manually. Just imagin...one day you'll find yourself with no X session, and you'll have to use vi (or emacs, if you prefer) to edit your XF86Config file (or xorg.conf with FC2). Some of us in the South call that 'up a creek without a paddle.'

This SuSE guy got his distro a day and a half ago. Excuse me if I'm too much reliable on my GUI but give me time. I'm working on it. The last time I touched a linux distro was a copy of Knoppix and I hated it. I'm sorry if I gave him advice using the GUI sequence, but this is a newbie's forum. This isn't "The Home for Linux Leet".

Good day.
-Scottie and Ed_ = Newb

Sorry if I offended. I was just joking a little. I'll try to be a little clearer next time :o. Don't let a joke from an idiot like myself run you away from the greatest OS on the planet (I'm talking Linux as a whole, not any perticular Distro).

I tend to overreact on things like that. I really must thank you because you pissed me off enough, that I want to learn how to edit a configuration file manually. I'm working on it as I type this.

-Scottie and Ed_

P.S. I wouldn't ditch linux. I've been trying to get it for too long.

hi, thank you for all your help, i now know how to do it in yast, but i would also like to learn how to manually configure grub, i have found the file i need to edit but i have two problems, first of all the file "menu.list" has a Small orange colored padlock on it, when i click it, it says "i do not have enough permissions to read file:boot/grub/menu.list"

there is no other users in this linux box besides me.

my second question is, if i manage to get past padlock thingy, what program do i use to edit it? as there are other files exactly like it and when i click any of them a window comes up telling me which program i would like to open it with.


thanks for all you help i really appreciate it.. :)

u have to use the root access to change that file

use the terminal for this

login as root and type

vi /etc/grub.conf


change the line which contains default=1 ( setting zero loads first default)

change the rest to 0

hi, i have done exactly as you said, it shows the struff i need to edit, but one problem, i cannot edit it!

how do i edit it?

Press "i" to enter insert mode (which allows you to edit normally). Press ESC to exit insert mode. Then type :wq and press enter to save your work and exit (or just :q if you don't want to save).

This being a newbie section, you might want to start out with a graphical text editor (like kedit, kwrite, or kate that all come with KDE, or whatever gnome uses) to edit the menu.lst file.

Also since it's a newbie section, remember that you'll need root permissions to edit that file. That means you'll have to load up KWrite or whatever with some kind of "Run as different user" command (ie. suec, GKsu...)