How can I get back to XP after I installed Suse 10.1?
Linux - NewbieThis Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
How can I get back to XP after I installed Suse 10.1?
About 2 days ago I was playing with XP. Then I got the Linux Magazine which had the Suse 10.1 inside in. So I installed it on my computer and I am currently using it.
The problem that I have with my computer and Linux is that GRUB does not let me pick between Suse and XP. I know this because when the pc starts, GRUB starts up and directs me to Linux.
So, basically, how can I configure GRUB so I can pick between XP and SUSE?
And if you have some more time, how can I reach the 2 other partitions which I have on the drive? (In total I have 3 partition on one physical hard drive. One partition is XP, the other is SUSE and the third is nothing, just music and stuff).
The problem that I have with my computer and Linux is that GRUB does not let me pick between Suse and XP. I know this because when the pc starts, GRUB starts up and directs me to Linux.
So, basically, how can I configure GRUB so I can pick between XP and SUSE?
Edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst Assuming XP is on your first partition, add a section like
Code:
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive
boot
Quote:
Originally Posted by linaxp
And if you have some more time, how can I reach the 2 other partitions which I have on the drive? (In total I have 3 partition on one physical hard drive. One partition is XP, the other is SUSE and the third is nothing, just music and stuff).
Use the mount command. man mount will tell you more. Or your file manager (Konqueror or Nautilis) might have an icon in the tree for you to right click and select "Mount Drive". Be careful if it is NTFS, you only want to mount the drive read-only (linux can't write reliably to NTFS).
In the directory /boot/grub there is a file called "menu.lst" add this to it:
title Windows XP
root (hd0,0) #assuming that this is the partition windows is on
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1
make sure you have the correct partition device id under the root field, or it'll boot you into one of the other partitions.
I found the file, but I can't open it. I double click on it. I don't know how to open it any other way. And it also has this "X" on it. When I double click, i get an error message which says "Couldn't display "/boot/grub/menu.lst"."
And, I know this may seem too much, but can you please tell me exactly what I have to write including any symbols. I have been using SUSE for 2 days, never before.
You can't open it because you need to have root access. Try right clicking and selecting "Open as Super User" or something like that. Or if that fails, there should be a program somewhere on your start menu that says "Open program as root" or the like. With that you can open a normal text editor and then open the file.
maybe it's just a link to /boot/grub/grub.conf. do you have /boot/grub/grub.conf?
try cat-ing them in a terminal instead. like xterm or konsole.
Code:
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
cat /boot/grub/grub.conf
This did something, but I dont know what. I think it just read the file "menu.lst".
WHat it says is exactly what i get to choose from in the beginning: Linux, Floppy, or Failsafe.
For linux it says:
"###Don't change this comment = YaST2 identifier: Original name: Linux###
title SUSE Linux 10.1
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 vga=0*31a splash=silent showops
initrd /boot/initrd"
Then there is something similar for Floppy and Failsafe.
I think i get the fact that i have to write something similar to this in the "menu.lst" file and then save it, but I still can't open the file. When I open gedit and try to open it from there, it tells me "Could not open the file "/boot/grub/menu.lst" Access was denied."
When i tried "cat /boot/grub/grub.conf", i didnt get anything because i dont have that file.
Okay, try from a command line typing su - which should prompt for your root password. Then type gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst. This should open the menu.lst file as the root user. After you modify the file, save it and close gedit. Then type exit to become your regular user again. Your prompt should change from a "#" to a "$" and should say your "username@machinename" at the front of your prompt.
It looks to me like you may have installed Suse right on top of your XP partition.
You might just HAVE to become a Linux user.
Thats what i thought at first, but then i went to Yast>Expert Partitioner and it shows me that I have the NTFS partition(XP), the Linux native and the extended.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.