Ubuntu
grub2 package

File /boot/grub/menu.lst missing in ubuntu 9.10

Asked by F. Smts

Binary package hint: grub-installer

I installed ubuntu9.10 w/o any difficulty from a CD on a computer with MS-XP installed. But when I wanted to customize the grub installer, the file /boot/grub/menu.lst is not found. I looked around with "ls" but no file starting with menu was in the directory /boot/grub. The root password was accepted w/o a problem.

The computer has a Dual Core 2.93 GHz/sec processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard disk with a 100GB MS-XP partition and a 250GB Data partition with the remainder of 150GB unallocated prior to the ubuntu installation.

I would like to change the default OS choice to MS-XP until I learned enough about Ubuntu. How can I achieve my objective?

I have used command line UNIX/Linux for over 40 years but never went to X-Window.

My preferred boot would use a floppy to open Ubunto and no floppy to start MS-XP (or the other way around). I have that on an ancient computer with a command line Linux system, but I forgot how I did it. Is that Lilo? What Ubuntu installer would I need to do the same for Ubuntu?

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Ubuntu grub2 Edit question
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Solved by:
Lars Ljung
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This question was originally filed as bug #493317.

Revision history for this message
Lars Ljung (larslj) said : 		#1

Thank you for taking the time to report this issue and helping to make Ubuntu better. Examining the information you have given us, this does not appear to be a bug report so we are closing it and converting it to a question in the support tracker. We appreciate the difficulties you are facing, but it would make more sense to raise problems you are having in the support tracker at https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu if you are uncertain if they are bugs. For help on reporting bugs, see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs .

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Best Lars Ljung (larslj) said : 		#2

Starting with Ubuntu 9.10 the file /boot/grub/menu.lst is no longer used. The default OS can be set by changing /ect/default/grub. I believe you can use something like GRUB_DEFAULT="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition", but the string must be an exact match. And you must run "sudo update-grub" to apply the change. Have a look at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1195275 for more details.

I used to use that floppy trick many years ago and I'm sure it's still possible.

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Raiden (raiden1964) said : 		#3

you can install startupmanager in synaptic or ubuntu software manager and configure grub using program with gui

Revision history for this message
F. Smts (f-smits) said : 		#4

Thanks for the prompt reply. I solved my problem but GRUB_DEFAULT="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" however did not work. Entering GRUB_DEFAULT=4 did the trick since XP is the 5th entry.

Do remember that the official instruction for
Customizing your dual-boot setup still states:

"Changing the default operating system to boot

You can decide which operating system will be started automatically if you have not chosen one from the boot menu within a certain time (see the section called ôChanging the boot menu timeoutö for more information on this).

1. Press Applications --> Accessories --> Terminal.

2. The Terminal screen will appear. Type the following into the Terminal, entering your administrative password if prompted:

cd /boot/grub
sudo cp menu.lst menu_backup.lst
sudo gedit menu.lst"

with no mention that it does not apply to version 9.10! Thanks for straitening me out!

Revision history for this message
F. Smts (f-smits) said : 		#5