Linux And Windows choice screen

I have Fedora and Windows XP and Windows 98 installed on my computer.

That is, I see a screen after POST which is something like this:

GNU GRUB Version 0.95 (639K lower/243903K upper memory)

Fedora Core (2.6.9-1.667)
Other

Use the up arrow and down arrow keys to select which entry is higlighted. Press enter to boot the highlighted OS, 'e' to edit the command before booting, 'a' to modify kernel arguments before booting, or'c' for a command line.

By choosing Fedora Core I can enter it and by choosing Other I go to another screen that lets me choose between XP and 98. My problem is that the screen I tried to picturise above (conatining choices Fedora and other) stays only for 1 second. So if I fail to hit the down arrow Linux automatically starts even if I was willing to open Windows. Is ther any way to increase the time limit?

Yes, there is.

Boot into Fedora, then edit /etc/grub.conf as root.

You'll see a line timeout=. Change the value as desired, save and exit.

and if u dont want fedora to be the primary boot on-timer-end, jus swap the fedora line with the Other's boot in order... and windows will be for default boot

@ Qwerty

Hey bro, how to swap the Fedora line with the Other's boot in order?? I want Win XP to be my Primary boot OS and Linux as my Secondary (wen i choose to hit a key wich will bring up the OS choice menu and then i can select LINUX FC4).. Please reply in simple way and step-by-step procedure if possible

Cheers n e-peace....

M

Don't go for swapping the lines. just change the line containing default
Here an example of GRUB

Code:

#
# Sample boot menu configuration file
#

# Boot automatically after a minute. 
timeout 60

# By default, boot the second entry.
default 1

# Fallback to the first entry.
fallback 0

title Windows 2000 
unhide (hd0,0)
hide (hd0,1)
hide (hd0,2)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive

# For booting Linux
title  Linux
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17 root=/dev/hda8 video=matrox:vesa:261

title Windows 98
hide (hd0,0)
hide (hd0,1)
unhide (hd0,2)
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader +1
makeactive

title DOS 6.22
hide (hd0,0)
unhide (hd0,1)
hide (hd0,2)
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1
makeactive

# For booting Linux
title  Linux (single user)
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17 root=/dev/hda8 video=matrox:vesa:261 single

title Partition 2 (floppy)
hide (hd0,0)
unhide (hd0,1)
hide (hd0,2)
chainloader (fd0)+1

title Partition 3 (floppy)
hide (hd0,0)
hide (hd0,1)
unhide (hd0,2)
chainloader (fd0)+1

In the example
windows 2000 is default 0
linux is deafult 1
windows 98 is default 2.
The number after default depends on the position of windows in GRUB. If windows entry is third default will be 2.

@ Tech

Hey bro, is this a text file named GRUB that can be found in /etc/grub.conf ?? or is it the Konsole screenshot details?? Please clarify and tell me if its a Konsole that shub be edited or a text file in the location /etc/grub.conf ....

Im confused a bit. .

so please help and tell me right from Step-1 as to wat i shud be doin Please...

Cheers n e-peace......

M

I guess that's the file for FC. Usually for other distros it is in /boot/grub/menu.lst but according to riyaz it's in /etc/grub.lst and he uses FC so he knows more about it.
So, edit the /etc/grub.conf file. If you have problems in understanding post the file here than someone will help you. And I guess it will require root previlages.

/boot/grub/grub.conf is the original file. /etc/grub.conf and /boot/grub/menu.lst are symbolic links to it. So edit anyone of the above, the change reflects in 3.

@ desertwind

Will i hv to look into the / Folder?? I went to the "/" Folder then to the /etc then looked in this folder to get /grub.conf (as the path was given: /etc/grub.conf) but was not able to find it. Infact there were folders like: gaim,gnome,gconf,gimp etc.

I also went to the FC4 terminal (Applications>System tools> Terminal) logged in as root and did this:--->
[ root @ localhost Anand]#/etc/grub.conf (and pressed Enter). but got this: bash: /etc/grub.conf : Command not found. Now please tell me step wise guys wat to do. I knw im doin sum stupidity so please help me im a total newbie so tell me step wise please...

Note: I have logged in as Root when Linux boots (starts)and asks to enter Username and password and also in terminal i hv logged in as root user.

Cheers n e-peace....

N

give it as

nano /etc/grub.conf
or
vi /etc/grub.conf

buddy,u need an editor to edit the grub.conf do as below:

Code:

root@dapper:~#gedit     /boot/grub/grub.conf

remember a SPACE b/w gedit and /boot/grub/grub.conf lines.now do ur editing as u do using wordpad in M$ OS.

Thanx for ur replies guys,

But wen i try to type /etc/grub.conf as soon as i type the alphabet "o" as in conf, then the terminal window maximises and im not able to type the small case alphabet "o" ... :shock:

I will again try to do the same but first of all please solve my querry in the thread named as Viewing Windows partition in FC4 as i wanna mount my C: drive in Linux coz unless i do that, i hv to constantly switch from Linux to Win XP (to get the net connected and type in this forum)

Please help me there tooo.. i hv given the full description in that thread....

@ prakash, Bro those commands that u gave: gedit /boot/grub/grub.conf has to be used in Konsole of FC4 rite !!

(sorry to ask this silly thing but im a newbie to this)

Cheers n e-peace.....

Ashuu ,you can type it in the terminal in the GUI mode.
Give command as pointed out above.vi editor will open grub.conf file.To change the content of file you have to press "i" to enter in the insert mode.Then do changes in the grub.conf ,to save and quit that file just hit Esc key.then press "shift" and ":"at a time and type wq.

Linux buddies correct me if I am wrong !!!

M

Ashu try and see if any of these work

Code:

su
<password>
nano /boot/grub/menu.lst

Code:

su
<password>
nano /boot/grub/grub.conf

Se Ashu if the file does not exist on the filesystem as you saw in case of /etc/grub.conf. You won't get it from terminal also. In MS analogy, Terminal is like DOS. This is what the command means
nano /etc/grub.conf
[program name] [file name on the computer]
So, if the file does not exist on your system then you can't access it from the terminal either.
Also I think sudo should be configured on your system and you should use sudo command instead of using root previlages bygiving su command. You can give a command like this if su is configured

Code:

 sudo nano /boot/grub/menu.lst
< your password>

Hope I was clear to you and didn't confuse you.

@ nach @ Tech

Thanx for ur replies and suggestions guys, i hv noted down all the commands for the FC4 Terminal and will try out and post my results.

Cheers n e-peace.....

@ Tech @ nach

My results for grub.conf:
I hv got this by following wat u guys hv told me:
===============================================
su
<password>
vi /etc/grub.conf

Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file.
NOTICE: You do not have a /boot partition. THis means that all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /, eg: root (hd0,7)

# kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sda8
initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
boot= /dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,7) /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu

title Fedora Core (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4)
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4 ro root= /dev/sda8 rhgb quiet
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4.img

title Other
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
===============================================

Now guys, tell me how and wich lines shud i swap (and how) so that WIN XP (other) becomes my Primary OS. Wich is FC4 as of now. I tried swapping the title Fedora Core wiuth Title Other by copy-paste method but that didnt seem to work. Do i hv to convert this into a text editor and then modify it??

@ Tech, bro u gave me an excellent and simplest procedure of Mounting my C: Drive in my Linux partition, so please help me in this also with a simple answer......

Cheers n e-peace.....

Follow the steps

Code:

su
[enter your password]
gedit /etc/grub.conf

Now change default=0 to default=1, save and exit.

M

ashu888ashu888 said:
@ Tech @ nach

# kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sda8
initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
boot= /dev/sda
default=1
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,7) /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu

title Fedora Core (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4)
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4 ro root= /dev/sda8 rhgb quiet
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4.img

title Other
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

Just make the change to default line as I have highlighted here.

@ Tech @ desertwind

Thanx guys, it worked

thanx again for guiding me the correct and (Simple) way..

Cheers n e-peace.....