[LBo] Changing Boot Default

[Lynn Gallup]

Howard,
I was unable to run < $ su > to change my user status. Simply nothing 
happened when I tried it, no message, no change in the screen appearence, 
nothing. So, using the file manager I looked to see if such a file as "su" 
even existed. It did, in the directory "bin". Attempting to open it from the 
file manager also produced nothing.

So, just to punish Linux for its uncompromising obstinency, I tried to open 
ANYTHING. The results were always the same - a blank stare.

As this technique was proving to be a somewhat repetitious and boring 
exercise, I gave up and went to YaST anyway. I followed your instructions 
and I am very happy, indeed thrilled, to report that it worked perfectly - I 
actually changed the boot default.

Since I made the installation of Linux, this is the very first indication 
that I, as an ordinary mortal, actually am able to approach the Linux-god 
and have a wish granted. Joy and Hallelujah!
Thanks,
Lynn

---
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 08:48:13 -0500
> From: "Lynn Gallup" <lgallup at mn.rr.com>
> Subject: [LBo] Modifying Menu.1st
> To: "LinuxBasics" <qna at LinuxBasics.org>
> Message-ID: <000601c6914b$8491f310$647ba8c0 at GallupComputer1>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I would like to change the file </boot/grub/menu.1st> to make the boot 
> default Windows instead of Linux. This requires changing the param 
> <default 0> to <default 1>. However (using the editor KATE or KWRITE) I 
> cannot access the file <menu.1st> because I receive an error message 
> advising that I "do not have read access to this file".
>
> Does anyone know how I give myself read access to this file? I am using 
> the SUSE Linux V10.
>
> Thanks and regards,
> Lynn
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 10:00:13 -0400
> From: Howard Rosen <hrosen33 at highstream.net>
> Subject: Re: [LBo] Modifying Menu.1st
> To: qna at LinuxBasics.org
> Message-ID: <6.0.3.0.0.20060616095359.03b67bc0 at pop3.highstream.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Lynn,
>
> You do not have read access to the file because you are logged in as
> user-name.  Do a command line command thus:
>
> $ su
>
> You will be asked to enter your system administrator or root
> password.  Enter it and then proceed now as sys admin or root.
>
> By-the-way.  I am running SuSE 9.3 and my default was, as yours is, to
> Linux and the next 3 choices are Windows, floppy or Linux FailSafe.  I 
> also
> wanted to make a change of order to Windows as the default.
>
> Okay, I opened Yast.  I was then asked to enter roots password.  When Yast
> opened - it is a slow poke as others have also said - I moved to System 
> and
> then Boot Loader.  In Boot Loader I was very easily able to select the
> default and also move a line of the Loader Up or Down.  None of that
> business of editing files.  Yast took care of it.  I was a scared puppy
> about doing this with Yast, but no more.  It was very straight forward.
>
> Howard