Windows equivilent for "lilo -R"

MasterPi · 01-06-2005, 01:52 PM

I have a dual boot system (Mandrake/XP) that i have to have XP as default cause my family are computer-illiterate linuxphobes. The problem is i always get distracted when i try to reboot into linux the first time and have to reboot to get out of XP again. I know from linux you can run lilo -R to set which system runs on reboot but i don't know how to do this from windows.

zeridon · 01-06-2005, 01:55 PM

As far as i know none ... maybe you should look for windows boot managers. Partition magic ships PQBoot for Win. I bet there are even more

Valhalla · 01-06-2005, 04:29 PM

I can't remember exactly where, but I'm fairly certain one of the configuration utils that come with mandrake 10.0 allow you to change the default boot os. Maybe look around in the DrakConfig and associated apps.

ValidiusMaximus · 01-06-2005, 08:43 PM

I'm not exactly sure what ur question is but i would reccoment looking in /etc/lilo.conf

The config file is quite easy to understand.

MasterPi · 01-07-2005, 12:53 PM

I know how to edit the lilo.conf and am quite familiar with lilo (heck, i installed gentoo on a system once - you kinda have to be) . for those who didn't understand, lilo -R is used to choose which system is default for the _next_ reboot only (R for Reboot i think). It's so you don't have to sit and wait for the menu when you're in linux rebooting to a system other than your default. I have to have Windows as default because of my family, (they'd freak out if they rebooted and linux came up - or even if they had to choose maybe). When im in linux rebooting to linux this isn't a problem, but like I said, I always seem to miss the 5 second timeout (yes i know i could set it to more but theres that family thing again) the first time around and have to reboot again, which is a major PITA. I saw loadlin.exe when i did a google on the subject, but i think that only loads linux kind of on top of windows or something like that.

P.S. Sorry if i was breif before but I was in a hurry.

P.P.S Maybe grub has some utility for this because its a more "general" (that's what the G's for i think) boot loader instead of LInux LOader?

davcefai · 01-07-2005, 01:52 PM

The only safe way out I can think of is to have a floppy or CD which would boot Linux from your Hard disc. So, in WinXP, you would insert the disc then reboot the PC.

MasterPi · 01-08-2005, 04:10 PM

That's a pain, but I guess it's better then having to sit there. Thanks, I'll look into it.

(That doesn't mean im not open to more ideas)