[paulb100]

Ive installed ubuntu 8.10 alongside vista , now all was well with dual-boot but I wanted to change it so Vista was default and would load if i didnt choose ubuntu within 5 seconds...

I followed these instructions to the hilt and they never worked?
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_vista_installed_first.htm?page=4

when i choose ubuntu it just displays GRUB on the screen with no options..??

my menu.lst files =

# NeoSmart NeoGrub Bootloader Configuration File
#
# This NeoGrub menu.lst file should be located at \NST\menu.lst of the boot drive.
# Please see the EasyBCD Documentation for information on how to create/modify entries

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
uuid ddcc8f13-1e42-457d-a481-8c8fd17f1445
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=ddcc8f13-1e42-457d-a481-8c8fd17f1445 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
uuid ddcc8f13-1e42-457d-a481-8c8fd17f1445
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=ddcc8f13-1e42-457d-a481-8c8fd17f1445 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, memtest86+
uuid ddcc8f13-1e42-457d-a481-8c8fd17f1445
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

can anyone help with this?

thanks

 

[Bartender]

There's a neat little app called start-up manager available at the Ubuntu repositories.
You can install it manually via the terminal

sudo apt-get install startupmanager

or get it from Synaptic. I don't remember exactly what I typed into the Search box in Synaptic.

here's one link
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/10/ubuntu-tip-use-startup-manager-to-edit-your-boot-menu/

 

[paulb100]

thanks but im totally NOOB with Linux - I dont know how to compile or anything like that - ive already got problems with ATI graphics RUN files - its driver for my laptops on board gfx but i dunno how to install em...

also - i cant boot into ubuntu now

 

[Bartender]

I thought APC had pretty good guides but I'm beginning to wonder. Those are stupid, unnecessarily complicated directions.

Maybe you can use part of the mess they gave you. Use the EasyBCD disc to rebuild the Vista MBR. If that doesn't work, there are millions of posts about rebuilding the MBR. Once you do this Vista should be bootable but Ubuntu won't. Then either wipe out Ubuntu partition and start over, or see if you can just reinstall Ubuntu to the existing partition. That should set up GRUB correctly.
You could probably just repair GRUB, but reinstalling Ubuntu might just be easier.
When you've got the dual-boot working again, go into Ubuntu, find start-up manager on the repositories, and install it. I don't remember off the top of my head where you'll find Start-Up Manager after you install it - I think it's under System>Administration.

APC really screwed up with those complex directions.

 

[wmorri]

Bartender, APC, has a decent guide but they do give you any help with configuring grub, the last time I looked.

paulb100, I am concerned that you didn't make a separate partition for you linux install. When you did your install did you choose to use your entire hdd, or just the free space? Also, when you start your computer and get to the boot-loader do you have a linux option, and something else, like Windows Vista, or Vista, or other operating system?

Cheers!

 

[eskimo9]

I have had similar (but not same) problem, and APC's instructions seemed unnecessarily complex to me too.

I had Vista installed, then installed Ubuntu to a partitioned drive, and it automatically appeared as the primary boot option. When I fired up my pc, it said i had 10 seconds to select OS or it would load Ubuntu. I did none of the neogrub stuff.

I reinstalled Vista yesterday, and now I have lost the boot options, it will only boot Vista.

How can I boot Ubuntu temporarily, and how can I change the boot OS preferences?

 

[Rome5]

You'll need an Ubuntu live CD to boot from. Once loaded, open a terminal and run the following:

[color=red]grub --no-floppy

find /boot/grub/stage1[/color]

Then post back the results, as you'll want to reinstall GRUB to the MBR. The 'quit' will exit the GRUB cli.

As for editing the OS preferences. You'll need to edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file. The two options you'll want to focus on are 'timeout' and 'default'.

timeout sets the amount of time before the default OS is loaded without user interaction. That's done by seconds
(e.g.: timeout 30 (for 30 seconds))

default is what sets the default OS to load when time expires. That's done by giving the number of the entry starting from 0.
(e.g.:

default 2

# 1st entry (#0)
title Ubuntu ....

# 2nd entry (#1)
title Ubuntu Recovery....

# 3rd entry (#2)
title Windows XP...
)

 

[Bartender]

I reinstalled Vista yesterday, and now I have lost the boot options, it will only boot Vista.

How can I boot Ubuntu temporarily, and how can I change the boot OS preferences?

Did vista install to the entire drive, or just the original partition? If just the original partition, then the answer is that vista re-wrote the master boot record to its own liking. GRUB stage 1 is gone. There are about a million guides to reinstall GRUB.

If vista installed to the entire drive, then you'd just reinstall Ubuntu.

Changing the boot preferences is really confusing the first time you do it manually, but it's not actually that hard.
Google "change default OS ubuntu"
for guides to do it manually via command line. I really liked start-up manager when I was using Ubuntu 8.04. I recently upgraded to 8.10 and couldn't find start-up manager anymore. But I'm on dial-up so a lot of little projects get all discombobulated.
Anyone with broadband can check for me? Is start-up manager still available in repos?
Well, OK, here's a link indicating it is still available -
http://www.clububuntu.com/2009/01/how-to-boot-faster-to-ubuntu-810.html
For those of you who aren't comfortable with the command line, startup manager is a safer way to change the default OS.