How do I get a boot menu?
 

Hi, I just installed Slackware 9.0. It is installed on hda2, and I have Windows on hda1. When I turn on the computer it automatically starts Windows, the only way I can get into linux is to use a boot disk floppy. But instead of having to use a boot disk every time I would like to get a menu when I turn on the computer, asking me if I want to boot into windows or linux. I previously had Mandrake 9.0 installed and it automatically installed such a menu. If someone could explain to me what I need to do to set up such a menu with Slackware I would be very appreciative. I would prefer a graphical menu than a text one. I am almost a complete newbie to linux/unix, except that I have used Mandrake 9.0 for a few months, but it had wizards for everything so I didn't really learn much. Please help!

hi,

did you install//run//config lilo?

I recommend grub. It can be text or text with a pretty picture in the background but it works. First you should boot into slackware. Then go to a command line and type grub and see if anything happens. If you don't have it just go and download it. Once it is running type
root (hd0,0)
setup (hd0)
This will install in the mbr of your first hardrive. Next go into /boot/gurb and find a file called grub.conf and make sure you're root so you can change it. The put something like

default 0
timeout 30

title=Windows
root (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)+1

title=Slackware
root (hd0,1)
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/initrd ro

Now gurb starts counting at 0 so under slackware where it is (hd0,1) it means harddrive 1 partition 2. Now I guessed on your kernel name and initrd so you might need to fine tune those. The ro on the back of the initrd is because slackware wants it to be read only but I haven't used slack in a while so I could be wrong or it might have changed.

Thanks, I just got it to work. Only a text screen, but a nice one.

You can put a nice picture in the background easily, after the default and timeout add
splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz


http://tldp.org/LDP/LG/current/jayanth.html

my lilo.conf has these few lines, to pick up a nice image, and have transparency in the menu listing in that image area.