Want XP as default not linux
 

When LILO loads it has linux as default start option but i want Windows Xp instead. Should I change something in the lilo.conf to make that work or what should i do ???

this is my lilo.conf now:

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
default="linux"
keytable=/boot/se-latin1.klt
prompt
nowarn
timeout=150
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="linux"
root=/dev/hdb2
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi acpi=off quiet"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="linux-nonfb"
root=/dev/hdb2
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi acpi=off"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="failsafe"
root=/dev/hdb2
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=nomount hdd=ide-scsi acpi=off failsafe"
read-only
other=/dev/hda1
label="windows"
table=/dev/hda
other=/dev/fd0
label="floppy"
unsafe

If you can do stuff with a gui, then do it that way, well to start with. Its just easier until you "get your head round command-line stuff".

Any how, mandrake always installs it'self as default, but to change it, boot up the mandrake, go into the mandrake control centre>boot>drakeboot in the top right hand corner click on configure > first box called main bootloader options, just click ok

Second drakboot box highlight the windows box and click modify, select the check box or radio button to make it the default and OK (personally I also change the name to XP.), then I modify "linux" to read mandrake and ok.

I't a good one to remember, cos if you have to re install for any reason, then You know to change the default first.

regards

John

p.s. Tobias, don't be tempted to do the modification via command or text unless you are VERY sure of what you are doing. I know it looks enticing, but as far as I can work out, it's also very easy to screw up. Use the "MCC" first, the look into/learn the text and command route after.

Oh, and this is what my lilo.conf looks like

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
vga=normal
default="XP"
keytable=/boot/uk.klt
prompt
nowarn
timeout=100
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="mandrake"
root=/dev/hda3
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="quiet devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="linux-nonfb"
root=/dev/hda3
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="failsafe"
root=/dev/hda3
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="failsafe devfs=nomount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off"
read-only
other=/dev/hda1
label="XP"
table=/dev/hda
other=/dev/fd0
label="floppy"
unsafe


Perhaps you can understand my suggestion for changing things via the mandrake control centre. I'm sure someone with expert knowledge/experience would know which bits can be safely ignored, but as you can see, there are similarities, and also enough differences to discourage me from changing it via command or text mode.

regards

John

p.s. I also think that if you can change something via GUI then more often than not, its easier. IMO that is.

I did what you told me to do and now when i look at my lilo.conf it has changed but when i restart my computer nothing has changed in LILO. It still got the old names, like lunix and windows, and the default OS is still set to Linux.
Here is what my lilo.conf looks like now:

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
vga=normal
default="Windows XP"
keytable=/boot/se-latin1.klt
prompt
nowarn
timeout=150
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="Mandrake 9.1"
root=/dev/hdb2
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="quiet devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi acpi=off"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="linux-nonfb"
root=/dev/hdb2
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi acpi=off"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="failsafe"
root=/dev/hdb2
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="failsafe devfs=nomount hdd=ide-scsi acpi=off"
read-only
other=/dev/fd0
label="Diskettenhet"
unsafe
other=/dev/hda1
label="Windows XP"
table=/dev/hda

What should i do???

you should save the new lilo.conf ny running lilo from command line

how do i do that??

from console,
type 'lilo' <enter>

<frustration>
Rubbish.

Absolutely not necessary (well I'll correct that) shouldn't be necessary.

If you follow the route I have suggested to modify you lilo with the graphic input, you DO NOT need to run lilo in a terminal - that's the whole point of having the facility running with the graphic interface.

Worry about bloody command line shit AFTER you've got some basic knowledge - then you may have enough know how to exploit the apparent power of command line.
</frustration>

regards

John

One is not going to learn anything about command line with such a mindset.

Well, Rave T

I done some digging around and am stumped as to why you can't modify the lilo.

So I will stand back and let someone else confuse the hell out of you - my humble efforts are only available in english - some of the others out there only speak "geek", and I don't know if you are familiar with that dialect!

regards

John

No arunshivanandan,

You are quite correct. But I still suffer from having too much residual windows stuff in my head.

The experienced users approach of "if in doubt reach for the command line" is ok for EXPERIENCED users.

But vvv frustrating for n00b's.

Sure, I have heard of various commands, but that is absolutely no good, if I don't or can't understand what is happening when using the commands or interpreting the output.

From the n00b angle, at least if you are dropping/dragging stuff or imputing into dialogue boxes - it SEEMS more straight forward.

You have to admit, your view is going to be coloured by you superior levels of knowledge and issuing commands (and understanding what the commands are doing) should, at your level, be second nature.

Hence I often take the no command line view - I have enough trying to follow what mandrake is trying to tell me that it's doing, without additional confusion of command line input/output. The only part of most output that I can understand is that magic word

ERROR


regards

John

Hi Rave T

Yes - using an editor from the command line simply change the

default="Linux"

line to

default =Windows

(or whatever label name you're using for WinXP)


then: as Root user run

/sbin/lilo

from the command line

Wotcha Skyline,

doesn't he have to be "root" to do the edit i.e. will get the permission denied thing unless logged in as root :confused:

regards

John

John

I assumed he already knew that to do this task at the command line he would have to be Root user - (next time I won't assume this)

Second - It's not sufficient - as was suggested - just to save any changes to the Expert tab in Mandrake and for that to have created the neccesary changes for next boot - whether you change Lilo.conf from the Expert tab or from an Editor, you always have to run the map installer /sbin/lilo - simply because - in running this program, amongst other things, LILO reads the lilo.conf file and creates a new map file based on the directives within - including the default = directive - it also re-installs itself to the boot sector designated in the boot = directive.

Just the mere act of saving lilo.conf on its own, whether in the Expert tab or in an Editor - does none of these things.

Regards

Skyline

Oh, er, right. I'll get me coat!

:D

regards

John

tetchy?

personally for my xp machine I let xp set itself as the default OS then use a floppy for lilo
ie change line 1 of /etc/lilo.conf to "boot=/dev/fd0"
then (as root) type "lilo" , with the boot floppy you are going to use in the machine. its the simplest way, my girlfriend understands it, floppy for linux, nothing for xp.

btw to remove lilo use the command "fdisk /mbr" from dos.