How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst ???

[wibble]

Extreme newbie here...Be kind

I've installed Kubuntu as a duel boot with XP. Very nice....lots to learn....extremely frustrated.

I want XP to be the first system to boot on the initial list and have learnt (from somewhere) that I need to change default 0 to default 5 (or probably 6) in the menu.lst file.

Easy I thought.... Not so.

It will not allow me to edit it as it is read only.

More searching...I need to be a superuser and Kubuntu uses something called sudo (not su).

I've tried cd to \root\boot\grub in your shell thingy but don't really know what to do, how to use sudo and how to use an editor (or really understand them yet)

The best I've done is get a blank screen, possibly in an editor of some kind with 4069 (from memory) and question marks when I hit enter (path has disappeared)

Please please give me an idiot-monkey guide to doing this one thing and I'll probably learn something.

I have a little knowledge but, as you see, it's more of a handicap than a help. Lots of reading needed

PS - I have no clue how to install any programs (so don't suggest any please) and can't even move one I downloaded (not even sure if I need to and the right click menus do nothing useful that I understand) - More reading to do.

Thanks in advance.

Wibble

[Fintan]

Re: How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst

Welcome

To edit /boot/grub/menu.lst just open your filemanager (konqueror) and navigate to that file. Right click on menu.lst and choose actions->edit as root then give the password you used during install and login. Thats it you can now edit as root. But be carefull everything you do as root should be well thought out.

More reading on Grub:
http://www-uxsup.csx.cam.ac.uk/pub/d...9/ch08s04.html

and

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0

So my advice would be to do the following before editing anything in your menu.lst.
Search this forum for reinstalling / saving grub and also editing grub. there are plenty of posts to these topics here.

Enjoy

Edit: bytw linux uses the / and not the \ as in windows.

[wibble]

Re: How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst

Thank you. Looks lovely and simple. It seems I've over-complicated things.

I'll go and give it a try and let you know.

Edit: bytw linux uses the / and not the \ as in windows.

I know that one....silly me...old habits...what!

.

[eriefisher]

Re: How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst

Another way, maybe more direct if you know the path is

(ALT+F2) then type kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst

(ALT+F2) gives you a run command
kdesu is the graphical sudo(root)
kate is the text editor the file will be opened in
the rest is the path to the file

You will be asked for your password, when it does, enter it.

[wibble]

Re: How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst

My PC now boots into XP as normal.

The default number change was from 0 to 4 (not 5 or 6 as previously stated).

Thanks again.

I can now spend some free time (when I get it) learning a lot more.

I'll have a play with erifisher's suggestion too.

You unix bods sure like your command line

[Qqmike]

Re: How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst

Hi wibble,

What you did was fine and great – it got your system working! Just one thing. When you get a kernel update (an update to your Kubuntu OS), it will become part of your menu.lst (it goes at the top of the Automagic kernels list, right after *** Begin Automagic line), thus bumping XP up one number, thus messing up your default operating system choice on your boot menu.

Easy to fix: Just put XP right BEFORE the line saying *** Begin Automagic kernels list.
That way it is in position 0 and always will be in position 0. Also, of course, change that default statement to read
default = 0
if you do this.

This is explained in detail in the second post under:
How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0
which Fintan gave you (above).

Just an fyi,
and btw, Welcome to the board!

[Fintan]

Re: How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst

@wibble: Glad to haer it

Good point mike

(ALT+F2) then type kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst

I use the same prceedure for accessing konqueror in root:
Alt+F2 kdsesu konqueror + password.

You unix bods sure like your command line

I I am not a unix bod, or bod anything and used to hate it. With time though....it is a life saver when you get to know it.

[Mr_JMM]

Re: How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst

Hi,

I'm having a few problems with the commands.

When I use Konqueror to locate the menu.lst file -> right click -> actions -> Edit as root I have to do this twice. The first time results in the egg timer for a few moments then nothing, the 2nd time brings up the password request box straight away. The text above the password field reads "kwrite /boot/grub/menu.lst" I enter the password but then get an error box saying "Command 'kwrite '/boot/grub/menu.lst'' not found".

So, on to the 2nd method as above: Alt+F2 -> kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst -> Run -> Enter password -> I get another error dualogue saying "Command 'kate '/boot/grub/menu.lst'' not found".

Any idea's?

Thanks in advance.

James

[kubicle]

Re: How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst

When I use Konqueror to locate the menu.lst file -> right click -> actions -> Edit as root I have to do this twice.

That's a known bug, the stock solution is to change sudo timeout to zero (I'd recommend ignoring this for now)

So, on to the 2nd method as above: Alt+F2 -> kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst -> Run -> Enter password -> I get another error dualogue saying "Command 'kate '/boot/grub/menu.lst'' not found".

This is a bit odd, are you sure you entered exactly kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst?
And you haven't removed kwrite or kate?
To troubleshoot, could you run the commands in konsole (and post the output of):

which kate

and

sudo which kate

In the meantime, you could try editing with nano in konsole (It's a CLI editor, but fairly simple to use):

sudo nano /boot/grub/menu.lst

[Qqmike]

Re: How do I Edit \boot\grub\menu.lst

On this one: “When I use Konqueror to locate the menu.lst file -> right click -> actions -> Edit as root I have to do this twice.”

I’ve also had that problem since, in fact, 6.10. My workaround is to . . . to do it twice . . . until it opens.
(A bit frustrating because the first (and failed) attempt takes some time, but you get used to it.)