How to defragment my hard drive on Ubuntu?

Asked by sanath

My 40 GB hard disk is partitioned as C and D, 20 GB in each. I have installed Ubuntu in drive D, after installing Windows XP in Drive C. Grub first loads Ubuntu. How to change the order so that the default is Windows XP?

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu firefox-3.0 Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Nikolas Poniros
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Nikolas Poniros (nponiros) said :
#1

please post the contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst so i can tell u what to write in it so grub boots winXP by default. thx!

Revision history for this message
sanath (gsanath) said :
#2

Dear Nikholas,
Have attached the .lst file.
Is it ok? Pl reply.
Sanath

2008/11/26 Nikolas <email address hidden>

> Your question #52575 on firefox-3.0 in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox-3.0/+question/52575
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Nikolas requested for more information:
> please post the contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst so i can tell u what to
> write in it so grub boots winXP by default. thx!
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox-3.0/+question/52575
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

--
gsanathkumar

Revision history for this message
sanath (gsanath) said :
#3

Posted the contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst below
sanath

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## 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 change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=b3cd604a-aa32-4e36-be56-697dda0a4534 ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,2)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-17-generic
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-17-generic root=UUID=b3cd604a-aa32-4e36-be56-697dda0a4534 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-17-generic
quiet
savedefault

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-17-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-17-generic root=UUID=b3cd604a-aa32-4e36-be56-697dda0a4534 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-17-generic

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=b3cd604a-aa32-4e36-be56-697dda0a4534 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
quiet
savedefault

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=b3cd604a-aa32-4e36-be56-697dda0a4534 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic

title Ubuntu, memtest86+
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hda1
title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

Revision history for this message
Best Nikolas Poniros (nponiros) said :
#4

change this part here

## 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 change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

remove the 0 and put 6 in its place. it should be like this

## 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 change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 6

u will have to do this as root. to do it type in a terminal

gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

make the change and save. now grub should boot windows by default.

one thing though. i do not know if adding a new grub entry or removing one will change the "default 6" accordingly to lets say "default 4" if u remove one of the kernels u have now. in case it doesnt change it automaticaly do it manualy by counting the menu entries. now u have 7 entries so the last one is number 6 because the count starts from 0 (u can tell which lines are entries if they start with the word "title"). hope that this solves ur problem!

cheers
Nikolas

Revision history for this message
sanath (gsanath) said :
#5

Thanks Nikolas

Sanath

Revision history for this message
Nikolas Poniros (nponiros) said :
#6

no problem :)

Revision history for this message
Vikram Dhillon (dhillon-v10) said :
#7

In Ubuntu you don't really have to worry about this, ext4 takes care of most
of defragmenting problems so you should be fine for the most part.

Regards,
Vikram Dhillon

There are lots of Linux users who don't care how the kernel works, but only
want to use it. That is a tribute to how good Linux is.
Linus Torvalds

On Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 11:34 PM, Jennifer <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Question #52575 on firefox-3.0 in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox-3.0/+question/52575
>
> Summary changed to:
> How to defragment my hard drive on Ubuntu?
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are an answer
> contact for Ubuntu.
>