Dual boot order

[kansasnoob]

I had Mint installed first, then followed a tutorial for installing and dual booting with XP. All went well and it works just fine. My only irritation is that an unattended boot defaults to XP unless I'm there to tell it otherwise. How would I go about changing that?

The simplest thing would be to install startupmanager from Package Manager. It'll then show up in Control Center > System > Startup Manager.

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/startupmanager

NOTE: It will also show up under Administration but that seems NOT to work!

[Alpha-Geek]

Take a look at KGRUBeditor. It's available via Package manager. I think it will do what you want.

[proxima_centauri]

in terminal

Code: Select all

gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

At the bottom part you should see your LinuxMint part in Grub and your Windows, cut and paste your Windows information so it's above the Linux info.
I.e.,(Mine looks like this but i'm running Arch) go from this:

Code: Select all

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/4d34a09c-41e9-4d79-abd5-05f2fe993869 ro
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

# (1) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux Fallback
root   (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 
root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/4d34a09c-41e9-4d79-abd5-05f2fe993869 ro "vga=775"
initrd /boot/kernel26-fallback.img

(1) Windows
title Windows XP Professional 
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

To this:

Code: Select all

(1) Windows
title Windows XP Professional 
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/4d34a09c-41e9-4d79-abd5-05f2fe993869 ro
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

# (1) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux Fallback
root   (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 
root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/4d34a09c-41e9-4d79-abd5-05f2fe993869 ro "vga=775"
initrd /boot/kernel26-fallback.img

That should set your Windows as the default boot.

[DataMan]

Another option within the editing of the /boot/grub/menu.lst is to simply change the default to the operating system. (remember to count the boot options starting with : 0 as in zero).

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default		0

DataMan

[herman]

Code: Select all

title Linux Mint 6, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

title Linux Mint 6, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Linux Mint 6, kernel Last successful boot
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/last-good-boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet splash last-good-boot
quiet

title Linux Mint 6, memtest86+
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

title Windows XP
root (hd0,1)
makeactive
chainloader +1

You shouldn't put a foreign operating systems's boot entry inside the Debian Automagic kernels list.
You may put it above the start of the Debian Automagic Kernels list, or below the end of it, but not in between the two signs that are in upper case characters.
The fact that those two signs marking the beginning and end of the Debian Automagic kernels area are in upper case characters is supposed to attract people's attention and warn people, however a few more words might have helped to make the message clearer.

I don't know if that has anything to do with your current problem or not, but it will certainly cause you some grief when you have a kernel update, and the update-grub script runs and deletes your Windows boot entry.

proxima_centauri's advice is right, especially for an Arch Linux menu.lst, it probably doesn't have any Debian Automagic Kernels list. Only Linux distros that are based on Debian have that.
The same advice will still work, as long as we are aware that we need to put the boot entry above or below the Debian Automagic Kernels list.

[proxima_centauri]

proxima_centauri's advice is right, especially for an Arch Linux menu.lst, it probably doesn't have any Debian Automagic Kernels list. Only Linux distros that are based on Debian have that.
The same advice will still work, as long as we are aware that we need to put the boot entry above or below the Debian Automagic Kernels list.

Ah, I wasn't aware of that; good to know for my own knowledge, thanks!

[herman]

Another trick is to edit the same line DataMan was talking about, but instead of typing in a number value, type in the word 'saved',

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default     saved

Each time you reboot, that will cause GRUB's selection bar to automatically show up on whichever operating system you booted last time.

Here's how it works.
There's a file in /boot/grub named default. Each time GRUB encounters a savedefault command in a boot entry, GRUB writes to that file and records there which entry number was booted.
GRUB reads the /boot/grub/default file at each boot-up if you specified 'saved' as the value for the default command.
That causes GRUB to automatically select whatever entry number was recorded in that file at the last boot.
Mint has the savedefault command in all it's other boot entries already, (at least mine does), and most of us would want to add it to Mint's own entry too, if we're interested in using this idea.

I just thought I'd add that for a little bit of extra information in case anyone's interested, because I think it's a neat and convenient way to set up GRUB.

[DataMan]

For the benefit of the new users reading this and other post, Herman is the "grand master" of GRUB. Stop over at his web site for one of the most comprehensive writeups on GRUB.

DataMan aka IndyTim

[herman]

Hello DataMan aka IndyTim,
Thanks, I like a little flattery as much as anyone else, but I'm afraid I cannot accept the title of 'Grand Master' of GRUB.

The current official GRUB Maintainer is Mr YoshinoriOkuji of Japan.

There are a lot of other people who also know much more about GRUB than I do, programmers working on different projects for GRUB2, and operating system developers who adapt GRUB to each specific distro and who make changes to adapt GRUB to the wants and needs of their users. There are independent programmers too, like adrian15, of Super Grub Disk.

I'm way down the list, I'm just a user who has had some spare time on his hands to do a few experiments and research on how to use a program others have already made.
I've been fortunate enough to have a website where I can upload my thoughts and findings on GRUB and pass them on to others, if anyone's interested and has the time to read it.
Now and again I enjoy trying to help in web forums a little.

Anyway, you people have a nice forum here, and I am enjoying my two installations of Mint Linux, (Elyssa and Felicia), very much. You have an excellent distro.
It's nice to meet nice people. Thanks for making me feel welcome.

Regards, Herman