Guest Dimitrios Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Hello :) Just yesterday I download and install Mandriva (Free 2007). Easy installation that’s sure. I must have made a boner because now I have to start windows XP via linux boot menu. Since yesterday I had Windows XP (C drive) and Linux mandrake at another partition. I had make a boot menu which look like dos environment (you know black screen..) but now I have to 1) open my pc 2) select windows 3) then the other boot menu (the old one) opens and I choose windows (again). As you may understand I want windows as default. Ps: 1) The old boot menu doesn’t work for linux. When I choose it, all the screen run from 99999 digits!! 2) I use lilo. _____________ Dimitris - Greece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarecrow Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Every time you change boot settings, you must re-run /sbin/lilo to apply them. That's why the old loader does not work. A small tip: use Grub, satisfaction guaranteed... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dimitrios Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Every time you change boot settings, you must re-run /sbin/lilo to apply them. That's why the old loader does not work.A small tip: use Grub, satisfaction guaranteed... :D The problem is that i am ...very fresh at linux and i don't know how Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilia_kr Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 In order to change the bootloader you should enter the Control Center (mcc). There you should find it under system-->bootloader category (or something similar, i'm not using mandriva now). There is a combo-box where you should be able to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dimitrios Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 In order to change the bootloader you should enter the Control Center (mcc).There you should find it under system-->bootloader category (or something similar, i'm not using mandriva now). There is a combo-box where you should be able to do that. I check it for a moment. At “System>System Administration>Login Manager>Shutdown menu>Miscellaneous>Boot Manager” has three options. “None,Lilo,Grub” with Lilo as default. But the question is what do I have to gain if I choose another boot loader except Lilo? I think the problem with the second boot loader (see the first post at this topic) would remain and I am not sure I understand how to re-run /sbin/lilo. Can u be more specific because I am...a newbie? Thank u. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mhn Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Is the problem that windows has it's own bootloader after lilo? In that case you should go into windows and try to turn it off in some way (I remember I have seen some place you can do that). AFAIK only M$-OS can be put in that menu... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilia_kr Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 GRUB is considered to be better than LILO and I'm familiar with grub better, so i can help you in future. Now after you switch to grub just reboot and see if this solves the problem. If not - insert the first Mandriva disk and while booting pick an option to run it as a system rescue disk (again i did this a long time ago, so i can't say more presicely, sorry). Then there is an option to reinstall/repair the bootloader - pick it. It should reinstall your previously chosen GRUB. I had a similar problem in the past, my bootloader was rubbish an this worked for me flawlessly. If this works - I'll tell you how to edit GRUB to load Windows by default, piece a cake. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arctic Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Well, one thing is not very clear for me. Is your set up: Linux bootloader (lilo) first, followed by a Windows bootloader if you select Windows in lilo? If yes, then, as already told, turn off the Windows bootloader. About lilo and grub: lilo is the older bootloader for Linux systems which basically works well, but is a bit difficult to configure. It relies on the config files of your main Linux-OS and can only be altered with some extra-tricks from other (secondary) distros that you might have on your computer. Every time, lilo gets changed, it needs to be re-run for applying the changes. Grub is very different in this way as it can be altered by any secondary/tertiary/... distro without the need to reinitialize the bootloader like lilo. And grub can be configured from a command-line without an OS in case something breaks horribly. Furthermore, Grub can happily boot other systems, even if your main distro is broken, something that doesn't work on a "normal" lilo installation. If the main (file)system/partition goes down, lilo goes down. In the MCC, select grub as bootloader. It should work immediately. If grub ain't installed yet, Mandriva should install it automatically. If not, go to the software section, install the grub package and launch the grub-bootloader setup again. It should auto-generate entries for Linux and Windows. Good luck. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dimitrios Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Is the problem that windows has it's own bootloader after lilo?In that case you should go into windows and try to turn it off in some way (I remember I have seen some place you can do that). AFAIK only M$-OS can be put in that menu... At windows XP Pro, is under the menu “My computer” icon> (right click) “advanced”>”boot and restore” (something like that) and there you can open the boot.ini log file with witch I don’t know anything to do :D The problem is that I want to have only the dos environment boot menu. In someway I want to deactivate lilo and any other linux bootloaders and be able to choose operating system via the old boot menu (the dos environment). I will check the two other answers and replay. Well, one thing is not very clear for me. Is your set up: Linux bootloader (lilo) first, followed by a Windows bootloader if you select Windows in lilo? If yes, then, as already told, turn off the Windows bootloader.... That's right. The Windows bootloader was there from my previous installation. I had windows and Linux mandrake 10 at different partitions as i have now, Xp and mandriva. A friend of mine did something with the boot.ini file and fix it. I don't know what. PS: I erase the rest of your replay till i check it and be back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dimitrios Posted October 31, 2006 Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 GRUB is considered to be better than LILO and I'm familiar with grub better, so i can help you in future.Now after you switch to grub just reboot and see if this solves the problem. If not - insert the first Mandriva disk and while booting pick an option to run it as a system rescue disk (again i did this a long time ago, so i can't say more presicely, sorry). Then there is an option to reinstall/repair the bootloader - pick it. It should reinstall your previously chosen GRUB. I had a similar problem in the past, my bootloader was rubbish an this worked for me flawlessly. If this works - I'll tell you how to edit GRUB to load Windows by default, piece a cake. Good Luck. I insert the 1 CD as you advice and choose repair bootloader. Then reboot from the same menu and then the same. I don't know if something has change inside the pc but visually i have a same boot menu with 4 options: linux,linux-nonfb,failsafe,windows. Before do that, i check the software at the control center and it seems to have grub as a software in my pc. i don't know if it is activate but there is there. Tell me how to edit Grub to load windows and maybe this way we see if i have grub... ....In the MCC, select grub as bootloader. It should work immediately. If grub ain't installed yet, Mandriva should install it automatically. If not, go to the software section, install the grub package and launch the grub-bootloader setup again. It should auto-generate entries for Linux and Windows. Good luck. :) I have done this. no prob seams with but when i boot i don't see visual difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arctic Posted October 31, 2006 Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 The graphical lilo and grub bootloaders look identical in Mandriva afaik. ;) For editing grub, open a terminal. Log in as root there su [enter] password [enter] (the password will be invisible) Now load the config file with kwrite /boot/grub/menu.lst The menu.lst file should be opened now with kwrite. If you don't have kwrite, use gedit or kate or whatever editor is installed on your box. In the menu.lst file, there is a line that says something like: default 0 replace 0 with the number of the boot entry for Windows (probably 3). Remember that grub starts counting from 0, not from 1, thus the first entry is entry 0, the second is 1, the third is 2 and so on. Apply the change, save and exit. After a reboot, the Windows entry should be started automatically. Information: "linux" is the default boot entry, "no fb" is an alternate boot entry that does not start the framebuffer mode and "failsafe" is a rescue mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dimitrios Posted October 31, 2006 Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 The graphical lilo and grub bootloaders look identical in Mandriva afaik. ;) For editing grub, open a terminal. Log in as root there su [enter] password [enter] (the password will be invisible) Now load the config file with kwrite /boot/grub/menu.lst The menu.lst file should be opened now with kwrite. If you don't have kwrite, use gedit or kate or whatever editor is installed on your box. In the menu.lst file, there is a line that says something like: default 0 replace 0 with the number of the boot entry for Windows (probably 3). Remember that grub starts counting from 0, not from 1, thus the first entry is entry 0, the second is 1, the third is 2 and so on. Apply the change, save and exit. After a reboot, the Windows entry should be started automatically. Information: "linux" is the default boot entry, "no fb" is an alternate boot entry that does not start the framebuffer mode and "failsafe" is a rescue mode. I just got back home, printing your answer. Tomorrow i'll test it and be back to inform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dimitrios Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 (edited) The graphical lilo and grub bootloaders look identical in Mandriva afaik. ;)................ Information: "linux" is the default boot entry, "no fb" is an alternate boot entry that does not start the framebuffer mode and "failsafe" is a rescue mode. I did it :D . Thank u very much. I get rid of windows bootloader too. A last 2 questions and i am done. Can i change the time for choosing OS from the grub bootloader? Right know is at 7 seconds. I want to increase it at 30-40 and finally if i can change the names of the OS. Example instead of "Windows" to put "Windows Xp Proffesional" and istead of "Mandriva" to change it with "MAndriva 2007". It is not a main thing, just for the appearance... _________ Dimitris - Greece. Edited November 1, 2006 by Dimitrios Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arctic Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 You can rename the entries as you like in Grub. In lilo, blanks are not allowed, but in Grub, you can call your Linux entry e.g. Halleluljahdingdonghappyhappy, if you want. You can also change the timeout setting in the /boot/grub/menu.lst file. Replace timeout 7 with e.g. timeout 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dimitrios Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 You can rename the entries as you like in Grub. In lilo, blanks are not allowed, but in Grub, you can call your Linux entry e.g. Halleluljahdingdonghappyhappy, if you want. You can also change the timeout setting in the /boot/grub/menu.lst file. Replace timeout 7 with e.g. timeout 20 Ok. Thank u for your time all of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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