Ubuntu
grub package

dual boot ubuntu 9.04 and XP, both (OS)s are slow to load after, I edited the grub boot loader file in ubuntu

Asked by intj

good morning everyone:

This is my grub boot loader, for a dual boot ubuntu 9.04 and Win XP pro, after I edited it yesterday evening.
I had a duplicate line of Win XP in boot menu, and ubuntu had become my default OS.
Now they both work, duplicate line of XP is gone, XP is default again. boot menu is nice and clean.
Just one problem. They both load very slowly.

How could I fix the loading speed of My (OS)s?

# 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 use 'savedefault' 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=0ea9723e-235d-423a-b7b1-533bce284b82 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=0ea9723e-235d-423a-b7b1-533bce284b82

## 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

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## 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

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.

title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1

title Other operating system:
root

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid 0ea9723e-235d-423a-b7b1-533bce284b82
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=0ea9723e-235d-423a-b7b1-533bce284b82 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 0ea9723e-235d-423a-b7b1-533bce284b82
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=0ea9723e-235d-423a-b7b1-533bce284b82 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid 0ea9723e-235d-423a-b7b1-533bce284b82
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

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intj
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Revision history for this message
pablitofuerte (pablitofuerte) said : 		#1

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

Change the timeout value. Note that this is the time the grub menu is showed, it isn't related with your (OS)s speed, just with the time it takes to start the boot secuence.
I

Revision history for this message
intj (intj-nt) said : 		#2

Hello pablito:

I put the "timeout 2" before both OSs , it said unrecognized command before Xp and was very long for ubuntu. maybe longer than before.

Where would I put the timeout and what number should I put. "timeout 2" is it good and where would it go?

Revision history for this message
pablitofuerte (pablitofuerte) said : 		#3

Putting the "timeout 2" before both OSs will give errors (fix it).
First, make a backup of your menu list:

sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst-BACKUP

Then clean the values you entered and search the proper string

sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

Search the string "timeout" a change the value
...............................
## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 2
...............................

If you feell more confortable to set all this values with a GUI install "startupmanager"

sudo apt-get install startupmanager

You can see some screenshots on it's homepage:
http://web.telia.com/~u88005282/sum/screenshots.html

Revision history for this message
intj (intj-nt) said : 		#4

hello pablito:

I did what you said and then went to terminal again, and entered

"sudo apt-get install startupmanager" and enter, then rebooted.

I got into a loop, that wouldn't allow me to boot into anything, neither Win XP nor Ubuntu.

I completely lost the use of my computer for a few hours. When the shock and despair of this wore off, I realized that i could use the Win XP disk, and its recovery console to fix my MBR and my Boot system. So I used FIXMBR command and FIXBOOT command there. Then booted up into Win XP again. and now I am sending you this reply.

I haven't decided yet to install Ubuntu again, but of course I can use my USB drive, and WUBI on it, to boot into Ubuntu anytime, just takes longer a bit.

So please what is this GUI startup manager, and how could one install it safely, without geting into a loop? I saw no GUI. It got me into a weird command line, which couldn't find a way out of, for a few hours at least.

The loop was a paragraph of code, something like this: (I don't remember it all now)

[ Minimal BASH like command......
########################
#######################
####################### grub>

I looked at all the help menu, and read it and tried it all, to no avail. for a few hours.
grub>help

It wasted a few hours of my time today, but I am out. the worst is over.

Revision history for this message
pablitofuerte (pablitofuerte) said : 		#5

Don't play with your grub options on menu.lst if you don't know what you are doing. Thats why I recommend you "startupmanager"

sudo apt-get install startupmanager

After install it, Use it!
You can see some screenshots on it's homepage:
http://web.telia.com/~u88005282/sum/screenshots.html

Remenber that I recomended you to make a backup from your menu.lst
sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst-BACKUP

So if anything goes wrong, you can allways boot-up with a LiveCD and restore your original-backuped menu.lst
sudo mv /boot/grub/menu.lst-BACKUP /boot/grub/menu.lst

Revision history for this message
intj (intj-nt) said : 		#6

Actually I never had a live CD. Originally. This was a USB installation. I booted from a USB drive, to install WUBI on my Win XP Pro, and then made it a permanent installation.

And now I am back using the USB temp installation again as a program, on my Win XP.

I am just stuck now with 2 healthy unknown partitions ( 2.33 GB and 173 MB) on a 37 GB drive which is hosting XP.

Revision history for this message
intj (intj-nt) said : 		#7

I don't know. no matter what I do, I fail to install startup manager on my ubuntu. I am following all the instructions here, and yet I fail every time.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/StartUpManager

Maybe because this was a WUBI installation. or does it matter at all how you installed ubuntu.

Revision history for this message
Jeruvy (jeruvy) said : 		#8

37GB is very tiny for two OS's. Since your original post noted you are running slow my guess would be the disk is out of free space, badly fragmented or incurring errors, maybe all the above which is why you're having issues.

Since you installed via wubi, all it does is create a virtual disk within your Windows System. This virtual disk is probably badly fragmented on the NTFS file system. You should consider defragging within Windows and running 'CHKDSK /f' to see if there are any errors on the disk.

Ultimately I would suggest using the 37GB disk strictly for Windows as its the primary OS on that drive, deleting the wubi installed virtual disk (after uninstalling of course) and then get another disk for doing a real install of Ubuntu on.

Good luck,

Revision history for this message
intj (intj-nt) said : 		#9

Hello Jeruvy:

Thank you for the advice.
I actually have only a 12 GB used by Win Xp and another 3 GB used by the WUBI, the rest of the 37 GB is actually free. around 22 GB free space.

I ran the Win XP Defrag and Check Disk (with Fix Files feature) last night. The difference of loading speed is not visible.

I will take you last advice about installing Ubuntu on a seperate Disk.

And I conclude my question here therefore.

Revision history for this message
intj (intj-nt) said : 		#10

This is a wonderful forum. there are lots of chances for learning.

However, there are lots of advice coming to an answer, as well, that sometimes might not be correct advice.

It is very hard for a newbie like myself here, who doesn't know anything about Ubuntu yet, to decide who he should listen to.

Just something for everyone to think about, especially for Ubuntu staff and old timers.