More Dual Boot problems

[DaYee]

I have installed Mandrake 8.1 with Win98. The systems boots to a Linux screen which allows
me 5 seconds to pick the operating system. I want to lenghten the time out and pick the default OS. I have edited /etc/lilo.conf for a timeout of -1 which should be forever. The system still starts Linux in 5 seconds. There is a timer that counts down from 5.

Is there another lilo.conf in a dual boot system, or what is up?

[Spot]

I'm curious about your -1 setting...according to man lilo.conf:
delay=<tsecs>
Specifies the number of tenths of a second the boot loader should wait before booting the first image. This is useful on systems that immediately boot from the hard disk after enabling the key*board. The boot loader doesn't wait if `delay' is omitted or is set to zero, but its action may be affected if prompt and timeout are specified.
prompt
The boot loader will issue the boot: prompt and wait for user input before proceeding (see time*out below). Unattended reboots are impossible if `prompt' is set and `timeout' isn't.
timeout=<tsecs>
sets a timeout (in tenths of a second) for keyboard input at the boot: prompt. "timeout" only has meaning if "prompt" is mentioned. If no key is pressed for the specified time, the default image is automatically booted. Similarly, password input is aborted if the user is idle for too long. The default timeout is infinite.

Also, did you run lilo -v after you made the changes? No changes will take effect until you do so.

[trommaster]

Also, did you run lilo -v after you made the changes? No changes will take effect until you do so.

lilo -v??
i always used just "lilo"

[Aaron_Adams]

I've also only ever used '$ lilo'

To set the default OS, all you should have to do is make that the first one declared in the /etc/lilo.conf file. I'm quite sure that's how it works. The top one is the one that is always highlighted. So if you wanted Mandrake to be the default just have the following first:

image = /vmlinuz ( whichever image )
label = Linux
root = /dev/hda1 ( whichever device )
read-only

If you want windows OS to be default, just put the it's part first.

If I'm wrong, Jim will know!

[Spot]

lilo -v??
i always used just "lilo"

the -v switch though not a necessity, increases the verbosity of the output, giving the user more information about what's being done - never a bad thing for someone who might be new.

note: -v doesn't mean 'verbose' for all commands

[JimH]

To set the default OS, all you should have to do is make that the first one declared in the /etc/lilo.conf file. I'm quite sure that's how it works. The top one is the one that is always highlighted. So if you wanted Mandrake to be the default just have the following first:

image = /vmlinuz ( whichever image )
label = Linux
root = /dev/hda1 ( whichever device )
read-only

If you want windows OS to be default, just put the it's part first.

If I'm wrong, Jim will know!

It will boot the first image listed unless you use the "default=labelname" option.

Jim H

[Aaron_Adams]

It will boot the first image listed unless you use the "default=labelname" option.

Jim H

I did not know that. I'm glad I do now though.