changing boot options in linux

[confused!!]

Recently I installed Open SUSE 11.1 that was shipped in this month's Digit DVD. I am a total Linux noob but I was able to install it very easily. Now my problem is that Linux is the default choice in the boot options. I want to make Windows my deafault OS to boot . how to do it???

[Ecstasy]

Even I'm a newbie when it comes to linux but i think you need grub installed.

Any of the linux boys can clear this one please?

[Rahim]

Hum hain na
Graphical way:
Open Yast and navigate to System > Boot Loader and select Windows and Set it as "Set as Default". Click OK and thats done!

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/grub.html

[talktorishav]

very nice answer,
If you want to learn more, as pointed out but a member A nice GRUB tutorial I stumbled upon

[confused!!]

Ok got your point a_rahim..But now I am in a bigger problem. I opened YAST..it asked for my password..and ALAS ..it is not accepting my password. Now what wrong have I done here. How in the world it is not accepting my password..Has somebody changed it ..have I forgotten it..am I too confused!! between my passwords..I cannot believe I forgot my password when I have installed it 6 days back..Ok so LINUX is very secure..What do I do now..How to retrieve/reset my password..Do I need to reinstall ..I am too confused!! Somebody help me

[drsubhadip]

just press enter without typing anything...
it will work..

[Rahim]

Enter your "root" password and NOT YOUR password when prompted.
You are logged in as normal user while "root" is like Admin a/c in Linux and root password is required to change system settings in Linux. I am sure you have created a root password while installing openSUSE 11.1 and then created a new normal a/c for you later. There is nothing to panic. Linux is different and it works differently.

[confused!!]

Hmm..but I think I forgot my root password..Now tel me the procedure how to uninstall and reinstall Linux..

[Rahim]

Wait a minute...you can reset your root password without uninstalling the OS. Ket me search.

OK here it is How to reset/recover the ROOT password in openSUSE

[Ecstasy]

I haven't forgotten my password but just for information sake I wanted to ask, does this work on F10 also?

[Rahim]

^Ecstasy: Step by Step to Reset/Change Root Password on Fedora 10

[Ecstasy]

Okay cool, thanks.

[confused!!]

Originally Posted by a_rahim

Wait a minute...you can reset your root password without uninstalling the OS. Ket me search.

OK here it is How to reset/recover the ROOT password in openSUSE

I don't know why but this one does not seem to work Meanwhile I am trying all the possible passwords I could have set

[Rahim]

^Why whats wrong?

1. Reboot the system
2. When you see the Grub menu, highlight your Fedora installation with the arrow keys and press ‘e’ to edit.
3. Again use the arrow keys to highlight the line saying ‘kernel’ at the beginning and press ‘e’ again, which will let you edit that line.
4. Append a space at the end of the line and type ’single’ without the quotes there. Press the Enter key.
5. Now press ‘b’ which will take you to the Linux single user mode where you’ll have privileged access without typing a password.
6. Now you do a passwd, and change your root password. Then reboot. You are done.

[confused!!]

He He I finally remember my password

BTW thanks for all the support a_rahim

[red_devil]

@confused!! ... just for the sake of my knowledge ... why would you keep complicated passwords for your linux machine ?? if you are the only user, then its alright to keep something as simple as the distro name itself [i do that :-P]

[Rahim]

^Ignore this post

[Liverpool_fan]

^
Ya it will then take out the fun out of forgetting your password, sweating that it is lost and then whooping in delight as you find the solution and it works...

[confused!!]

Actually it was a very simple password.Its just that it totally went out of my mind

[confused!!]

Hey A_rahim..the code that you provided...I had typed those but now I am not able to mount my windows drive..what may be the problem..I googled but every result was too complex for me..Need Help

[Rahim]

^What code? I hope you have installed ntfs-3g and ntfs-config packages.
Post the contents of /etc/fstab file here.
Open a terminal and enter

cat /etc/fstab

There should an entry for ntfs drives(your windows partition) Mine is

/dev/sda1 /media/winxp ntfs-3g defaults 0 0

Have you installed Windows in the first partition?

Whats the error? Open a terminal and become root by entering this command

su

and give the root password and press enter (the password wont be highlighted)
Then enter [code] mount -a[.code] This will give the error whether the mount point is not there or ntfs-3g is an unknown format etc.

[confused!!]

Bhains ki aankh..It automatically got corrected...Now I am able to access my windows drives... I guess my problem was that windows did not shut down properly. So my drives were not accessible. Now when it got properly shut down, its now up and running again..

Whatever thanks for the quick reply

[Rahim]

^Mereko gussa aa raha hai!!

You could use force option in /etc/fstab file to mount ntfs partitions even if Windows is not shutdown properly. But many advise against it though.

[khattam_]

Originally Posted by a_rahim

^Mereko gussa aa raha hai!!

You could use force option in /etc/fstab file to mount ntfs partitions even if Windows is not shutdown properly. But many advise against it though.

yes.. if you have hibernated Windows and mount a drive and make changes, the changes may not get reflected or your files might be corrupted when you start windows.. beware... so use force mount manually only and only when you are sure that you have not hibernated or using for read only...

[stellarbpo]

Thanks for the information.This is really useful.