help with CentOS grub and other bits...

[5trider 0]

Hi,

 

I have recently repartitioned my hard drive which had Windows 2000 to install CentOS. this has worked but i have managed to set it to boot into CentOS by default, not windows which i wanted. How exactly do i alter this?? I thought that I had to edit grub by getting in from the dual boot window (pressing e once you have stopped the boot at the point to choose which way to boot). this gives three options the third of which is for windows. the code visible is (for each option in turn);

 

root(hd0,2)

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.1.EL ro root=/dev/Volgroup00/LogVol00rhgh→initrd /initrd -2.6.9-22.0.1.EL.img

 

root(hd0,2)

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.EL ro root=/dev/Volgroup00/LogVol00rhgh→initrd /initrd -2.6.9-22.EL.img

 

rootnoverify (hd0,0)

chainloader+1

 

Also I have a problem with my ethernet card which sometimes works fine allowing internet access from CentOS but sometimes it doesn't (It appears inactive and does not respond to PINGing) it always works in windows. It is a 3comm ethernet card but the friend who maintains my computer thinks it is an obscure model that may not be well served by the driver that comes with CentOS??

 

Finally I want to use a memory stick which appears as drive G in windows without hassle in CentOS but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Do i need to include it in the 'path' and if so how??

 

You can tell i'm new to this can't you!

 

thanks in anticipation.

 

 

[danleff 0]

I don't know CentOS and it's grun file. Can you post your Grub file? It's easy to change the boot default.

 

If your Grub works like most, edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file while in CentOS using your favorite editing tool as root user.

 

Look for the line near the beginning of the file that says;

 

default 0

 

Change it to;

 

default 2

 

This assumes that Windows is the third boot entry, as you posted.

 

If this works, then we can move on to the USB stick.

[5trider 0]

Hi Danleff,

 

thanks for getting back to me. I'm afraid that I don't fully understand what to do...

 

I have located /boot/grub/menu.lst but using emacs I can't open it 'File is not readable /boot/grub/menu.lst' I am logged in as root user so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong!

 

cheers,

 

 

[5trider 0]

Oops!

 

I forgot to say, I don't know how to post the Grub file (maybe because I can't open to edit I can't?). the code I put up before was what I thought was the grub file which I accessed as the dual boot option window came up and I pressed 'e' to edit. If this is the grub file then I have posted what i can see to post!

 

thanks again!

[danleff 0]

Accessing grub from the menu when the system boots does not change the menu permanetly. It is only for testing out different commands to see if they work.

 

When you are in CentOS, access a root console. If you open a terminal window (again, I don't know how CentrOS is set up and if you are using Gnome or KDE as your interface) and get root. Type in;

 

su

 

enter your password (enter key again)

 

Type in

 

emacs

 

Navigate to the /boot/grub/menu.lst file and open it.

 

Or you can type in;

 

emacs /boot/grub/menu.lst

 

Make sure that you are not opening, or attempting to open the backup file, menu~.lst.

 

Edit the line that as I suggested and save the file. Reboot and see if Windows is now default.

[5trider 0]

Many thanks Danleff your advice was perfect and we now have boot up to Windows as default - result! Right, I'm ready to tackle the memory stick now if you are able to give me some more advice. I would also like to nail down the intermitant fault with the access to web / e-mail which i think is due to the problem with the 'inactive' ethernet card (3c590).

 

looking forward to hearing back from you again.

 

5trider

[5trider 0]

Hi,

 

problem with intermittent fault with access to web and e-mail solved by replacing ethernet card with better supported model. Would still love to hear how to use my memory stick since I can't do that at present.

 

Cheers!

[danleff 0]

USB memory sticks sometimes are a problem. What make and model is it?

 

Is the original filesystem on it?

 

Did you reformat the disk at some point to other than fat16?

 

CentOS should pick it up right off. But, I found this thread on the CentOS forum.

 

Try following the advice given by the post by theorist.

 

Note the use on the thread of the command dmesg

 

You can run this as root user in a terminal window to get some useful information.

 

Also, the command fdisk -l is also useful and can let you know if the stick is seen and what the mount point is.

 

That is the letter l, not the number one in the command after fdisk.

 

If this is the only USB hard drive or stick that you are using, then it should return the value like sda1 as the device name.