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**dibl** · Oct 18, 2008, 08:32 AM

Re: Changing the default boot options

That's a little weird -- your menu.lst file indicates that you have two identical Hardy installations, using kernel 2.6.24-21, the first on hd(0,1) or /dev/sda2, and the second on hd(0,4) or /dev/sda5. On each one, you also have an earlier kernel 2.6.24-19 available to boot.

But I see no sign of Kubuntu 8.10 in your menu.lst.

Maybe what you did is install KDE 4.1 on a Hardy system -- is that possible? In other words, one of your Hardy systems is set up running KDE 3.5.10 and the other Hardy system is set up with KDE 4.1.

So, if you're trying to set Hardy with KDE 3.5.10 to be the default boot, when you are running it open the Konsole and issue the command

Code:

cat /etc/fstab

That will show us which partition the / filesystem is on, and then we'll match that against this menu.lst and be able to rearrange the order of boot kernels. Probably the one on /dev/sda5 is the one that needs to move to the top of the list, but let's see what you get out of the fstab file first.

**Rog131** · Oct 18, 2008, 08:39 AM

Re: Changing the default boot options

You need to edit the last /boot/grub/menu.lst.

I think that it should be Intrepid's menu.lst. Did you install Xp then the Hardy and then the Intrepid ?

I've removed the default entries, to save having a loooong post.

Well -

defaults have:

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

I would :
1) Backup the Intrepid's menu.lst
2) K > System Settings > (advanced) System/Grub Editor, and set Hardy to the default.

Hmm - Grub Editor is starting numbering from 1 ??

Links:

> HOW TO: GRUB Methods - Toolkit
> Topic: Changing boot order

Grub Editor:

Attached Files

**aged hippy** · Oct 18, 2008, 10:11 AM

Re: Changing the default boot options

Thank You for that, Rog, i've downloaded it, but then found it in Adept.

I'll install it later then fire it up when on Intrepid.
Thank You, Very much Indeed.

dibl,
Thank You, i never noticed that.

What i did (originally) was to re-partition the Master HD, with XP (which insists on being on the first 'C'partition), then installed XP first (to retain access to it), then Feisty, then upgraded to Gutsy, then Hardy, and now Intrepid.

What i have done in each case is to have the primary OS on sda2 with its' /home on sda3, and the 'developing' OS on sda5, with its' /home on sda6.... if you see what i mean.

I didn't realise that they'd be different, but that particular menu.lst was was taken from the Hardy install, the one from the Intrepid install has this at the top:

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu intrepid (development branch), kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
uuid a00bfbcc-cd96-4a1a-9cfd-3c4ac58c4be1
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=a00bfbcc-cd96-4a1a-9cfd-3c4ac58c4be1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu intrepid (development branch), kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
uuid a00bfbcc-cd96-4a1a-9cfd-3c4ac58c4be1
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=a00bfbcc-cd96-4a1a-9cfd-3c4ac58c4be1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Ubuntu intrepid (development branch), memtest86+
uuid a00bfbcc-cd96-4a1a-9cfd-3c4ac58c4be1
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

The reason i'd like to make Hardy the default boot OS is that it is rock-solid (a bit like Black Sabbath or Uriah Heep

), and i know my way around it, and also... i actually prefer the KDE 3 desktop.

Also, it is important to me that anyone can boot the system by only hitting <Return> and when the desktop is loaded, to have access to a certain document.

I will let you know in the morning how i get on, then (hopefully) put Solved on this Topic.

**aged hippy** · Oct 18, 2008, 11:23 AM

Re: Changing the default boot options

dibl,

I've worked out why the menu.lst is different in Hardy from Intrepid, when i was using Hardy (on sda2/3) i also installed it in sda5/6, with that one using the KDE 4 desktop, then when using the KDE 3 desktop i installed Intrepid, so Hardy KDE 3 thinks that it's brother is still on sda5/6... when in fact it's its' son.

I'll inform it later.

If that makes any sense.....

**aged hippy** · Oct 18, 2008, 05:46 PM

Re: Changing the default boot options

Well, i installed QGrube, and set the Hardy install (sda2) to default boot, and it works perfectly, a simple program to use. Thank You, Rog.

There is one slight problem, however.... if i try to boot Intrepid (sda5), grub tells me error 11 - unrecognised device string.

**Qqmike** · Oct 18, 2008, 05:51 PM

Re: Changing the default boot options

Error 11 is almost always just a syntax problem.
Example:
root (hd1,4)
is a correct statement.
However, for example, the statement
root (hd14
would give Error 11.

*********EDIT added:
And the only two places where device strings are used are:
root (hdx,y)
and
root=UUID=theuuidstring
In the UUID, if you put the wrong UUID, you'd get busybox or file not found or a partition problem error, etc; but if you said
root=UUID==theuuidnumber
those two equal sign "==" might give Error 11.
Device is: a hard drive and/or a partition.

**aged hippy** · Oct 18, 2008, 06:44 PM

Re: Changing the default boot options

I don't quite know what happened, Qqmike, but i couldn't open the menu.lst, kate refused to, it was a blank white icon.

However, there was a backup which QGrub made, so i carefully renamed the menu.lst as menu.lst-broken, and the backup as menu.lst.
It worked like a charm.

Thank you for your help.

**Qqmike** · Oct 18, 2008, 07:01 PM

Re: Changing the default boot options

Glad that you got that working aged hippy!

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Changing the default boot options

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