boot manager problem

Chijtska · 02-01-2002, 07:46 AM

Ever since I installed Mandrake Linux a few days ago I am having some sort of trouble with the Linux Boot Manager...

It only gives me a few seconds to choose Windows if I want to boot in Windows. How do i change it so that Windows is the default OS and how do i change the timing on the selection?

neo77777 · 02-01-2002, 08:35 AM

What boot manager are you using LILO or GRUB?

Chijtska · 02-01-2002, 09:10 AM

dont have a clue...

how can i tell?

Chijtska · 02-01-2002, 09:26 AM

sorry...

i think it is lilo because i dont see Grub anywhere on my system

acid_kewpie · 02-01-2002, 09:31 AM

as root edit /etc/lilo.conf

change...
default=windows
timeout=9999

run...
lilo

Chijtska · 02-01-2002, 11:51 AM

as far as lilo is concerned... do the seconds say like 10 seconds =100 in time value?

linuxcool · 02-02-2002, 12:44 AM

Yes. If you want a 30 second delay, then you multiply 30 times 10 and the result is what you enter into the ' timeout= ' line. For grub, you would just enter in the seconds without multiplying.

Chijtska · 02-02-2002, 09:35 PM

where would the config file for grub be? i cant seem to find it although package grub seems to be installed...

linuxcool · 02-02-2002, 10:21 PM

Try looking in the /boot/grub folder and see if you can find a file named either menu.lst or grub.conf.

Chijtska · 02-03-2002, 08:30 AM

these are the files in /boot/grub:

device.map ffs_stage1_5 menu.lst minix_stage1_5 stage2
e2fs_stage1_5 install.sh menu.once reiserfs_stage1_5 vstafs_stage1_5
fat_stage1_5 jfs_stage1_5 messages stage1 xfs_stage1_5

which oneof these do i edit... in assuming this will be very similar to lilo.conf

thanks for the help

linuxcool · 02-03-2002, 07:12 PM

The file you want to edit is menu.lst. Look for the timeout line and edit the number to be the number of seconds you want. If you want 30 seconds, change the number to 30. To make windows the default, look for the default line. If there is no default, just add one. The default line is followed by a number. The OS's are numbered according to their appearance starting with 0 (zero). If linux is listed first, then it is 0 (zero) and windows would be 1 (one). Just put the number after default. Like this:

default=1

Timeout would be:

timeout=30

The numbers I used are just examples.

Chijtska · 02-04-2002, 08:53 AM

that made a lot of sense and extremely helpful... too bad YOU dont write any howto's (maybe you do) but i wish they made as much sense as that brief paragraph...

thanks... got it going and it works fine!

linuxcool · 02-04-2002, 05:45 PM

You're welcome.

Linuxidiot · 02-06-2002, 11:27 AM

I am having trouble with my install of Win XP / RedHat 7.2 I installed Win Xp in the first partition of bout 20 gigs then i went and installed 7.2 on the second partition with bout another 20 gigs of space well I can get the lilo boot loader to come up and i can choose to boot into windows just fine and dandy....but when i choose linux it goes through all the steps and to cut it short it ends up going through a ???? kernal panic????? then tells me i need to set something like init = option to kernel...I will add any other info I can pass onto you as soon as possible but if you think you might be able to help OMFG please do this is really irking me

Chijtska · 02-06-2002, 12:00 PM

friend, you may want to post that as a completely new thread for better exposure... i am sure i am an even bigger newbie than (only been using linux a week) plus i have no experience with XP other that playing with it once at Circuit City (I did not like what I saw :-()...

Good luck! I feel your pain...