Dual boot defaults to wrong OS

[MASONTX]

I tried to set up my first dual boot, Ubuntu 10.04 already on drive, added Dream Linux 4 beta 6.3. Now the default is Dream Linux, and the boot option flies past so fast that if you don't have your finger on the down arrow and press immediatly when the screen flashes, you go to Dream. I did a search that said to run grub-mkconfig and add the second os to the file. I got

"avid@david-desktop:~$ sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
[sudo] password for david:
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Dreamlinux4 (4.0) on /dev/sda3
done"

Another thread said to use chroot, but no instructions. I am not knowledgable in command line, and am unsure how to proceed. What I want to accomplish is Ubuntu as the default OS, and more time to decide before the default is loaded.

Thanks for any help.

[MASONTX]

Don't know if this will help, but a google suggestion produced:

david@david-desktop:~$ grub-install -v
grub-install (GNU GRUB 1.98-1ubuntu7)

Does this mean Dream changed Ubuntus grub 2 to an earlier version?

david@david-desktop:~$ sudo /etc/default/grub
sudo: /etc/default/grub: command not found

[Lakshmipathi]

Hi ,
Can you access the /boot/grub/grub.conf file?
It will have entries like

default = 0

title distro-1
root somepath
kernel somepath

title distro-2
root somepath
kerner somepath

title distro-3
root somepath
kerner somepath

This will boot into distro-1. If you change the "default" to 2

default=2

will boot into distro-3.

If you want to increase the time at grub menu . change

timeout=5

option.
Here it will wait for 5 seconds before booting into distro. mentioned by default option.

HTH

[MASONTX]

Is this what you mean
sudo: /boot/grub/menu.lst: command not found
david@david-desktop:~$ sudo /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig
Generating grub.cfg ...
#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
saved_entry=${chosen}
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-24-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic root=UUID=45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-24-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-24-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic root=UUID=45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic
}
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-22-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic root=UUID=45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-22-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-22-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic root=UUID=45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic
}
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-21-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=UUID=45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-21-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-21-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=UUID=45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 45a195e8-4e56-4e4c-81db-5eb07dac4b8f
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
Found Dreamlinux4 (4.0) on /dev/sda3
menuentry "Dreamlinux GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.34-dream-4 (on /dev/sda3)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,3)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 63b47c78-16f6-4d96-82ab-f2999590eed9
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34-dream-4 root=UUID=63b47c78-16f6-4d96-82ab-f2999590eed9 ro quiet splash vga=791 selinux=0
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.34-dream-4
}
menuentry "Dreamlinux GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.34-dream-4 (recovery mode) (on /dev/sda3)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,3)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 63b47c78-16f6-4d96-82ab-f2999590eed9
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34-dream-4 root=UUID=63b47c78-16f6-4d96-82ab-f2999590eed9 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.34-dream-4
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
done



Also, how do you get the output to print in those little boxes I see in posts?

[Lakshmipathi]

Is this what you mean

quote
david@david-desktop:~$ /boot/grub/grub.cfg
bash: /boot/grub/grub.cfg: Permission denied
david@david-desktop:~$ sudo /boot/grub/grub.cfg
sudo: /boot/grub/grub.cfg: command not found
david@david-desktop:~$ sudo /boot/grub/menu.lst
sudo: /boot/grub/menu.lst: command not found
david@david-desktop:~$ sudo /etc/default/grub
sudo: /etc/default/grub: command not found
david@david-desktop:~$ sudo /etc/default/grub
sudo: /etc/default/grub: command not found
david@david-desktop:~$ sudo /boot/grub/menu.lst
sudo: /boot/grub/menu.lst: command not found
david@david-desktop:~$ sudo /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig
Generating grub.cfg ...

You need to have root permission to perform these task.
First take a backup,

cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /tmp

You need to edit this file.(

gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

If you don't have gedit try nano or vi

nano /boot/grub/menu.lst

make the above said changes to default and timeout options ,save,exit and reboot.
Did that work? else - Post the content of file

cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

Also, how do you get the output to print in those little boxes I see in posts?

While reply to post , check the symbol next to '#' and write the test into it.

[MASONTX]

You lost me. I thought sudo was the same as root in Ubuntu.
Make what changes?
I can get to menu.lst, but it is a blank page with a blinking cursor, what do I need to enter?

[MASONTX]

@david@david-desktop:~$ sudo cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
cat: /boot/grub/menu.lst: No such file or directory@

[Lakshmipathi]

You lost me. I thought sudo was the same as root in Ubuntu.
Make what changes?
I can get to menu.lst, but it is a blank page with a blinking cursor, what do I need to enter?

Sorry,I didn't realize you have sudo power . Yes,sudo is enough for root access.

Seems like you are using grub version 2. Earlier ubuntu used to have file under /boot/grub/menu.lst .
Please check topic "Configuring GRUB 2" https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2


It says editing /etc/default/grub file ,GRUB_TIMEOUT=10 for increasing time and
For default boot distro - edit GRUB_DEFAULT=0 - It Sets the default menu entry by menu position. As in GRUB, the first "menuentry" in grub.cfg is 0, the second is 1, etc

[MASONTX]

Thank you, but it is 3 in the morning here, so I will have to try the latest tomorrow night. It is past time I got to bed.

[Lakshmipathi]

Thank you, but it is 3 in the morning here

that's the sign of someone getting addicted to Linux

, so I will have to try the latest tomorrow night. It is past time I got to bed.

Good night.