ubuntu help.

shaunak · 02-10-2006, 02:28 PM

Hi,
imm running ubuntu and vista on my system but grub ist working and i cant boot into vista noramly!
Also my screen resolution is stuck at 640 at 60hz! no other options are available in the drop down list. how do i change it?
help.

mehulved · 02-10-2006, 03:37 PM

For the resoultion part, just type

Code:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

And go on with the required values. Your monitor's handbook will come handy here or just look up those things that you don't understand on the net.
Then kill and restart the X Server.
I don't know what bootloader Vista uses but it should work fine with grub. I guess many people dual boot Vista and Linux.
What exactly is going wrong with grub? If you give so less info we can't really know what's exactly going wrong.

JGuru · 02-10-2006, 03:38 PM

@Shaunak, what do you mean? - You installed Ubuntu, now GRUB is not working?
Ubuntu has problems with a some monitors. It works perfectly with SamSung, ViewSonic, etc.,
First tell me your PC specifications. Do you have a ATI Radeon GC?

shaunak · 02-10-2006, 04:43 PM

Found the problen with grub
>GRUB is set to 3 seconds, by which time my monitor dosnt start up, thus i dont see the menu. so ill increase the time by going to /boot/grub/ and change menu.lst [am i right?]
>reso problem solved by xconfig.
new qusetion>should i install KDE?

By the way thanks for the replies and sorry for the lack of info

mehulved · 02-10-2006, 05:23 PM

Yeah just chage the time in menu.lst for grub timeout.
Just give the command I gave previously, it will help you reconfigure your display settings.

shaunak · 02-10-2006, 05:40 PM

Oh no more troubles!
my menu.lst dosnt have the option of windows!
heres my complete menu.lst file:

Code:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default        0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout        15

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title        Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root        (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader    +1
#
# title        Linux
# root        (hd0,1)
# kernel    /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hda5 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,4)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title        Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386
root        (hd0,4)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda5 ro quiet splash
initrd        /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
savedefault
boot

title        Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386 (recovery mode)
root        (hd0,4)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda5 ro single
initrd        /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
boot

title        Ubuntu, memtest86+
root        (hd0,4)
kernel        /boot/memtest86+.bin 
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

Windows is installed on dev/hda1.
i want windows to be chosen by default.
the only changes i have done here is changed time out.
And i cant save either.

JGuru · 02-10-2006, 06:03 PM

Open the Terminal Window & type:

$ sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

Change the value of default from '0' to '5' . Now save the file.

Here's what your 'menu.lst' file should look like:

Code:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default        5

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout        20

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title        Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root        (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader    +1
#
# title        Linux
# root        (hd0,1)
# kernel    /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hda5 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,4)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title        Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386
root        (hd0,4)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda5 ro quiet splash
initrd        /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
savedefault
boot

title        Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386 (recovery mode)
root        (hd0,4)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda5 ro single
initrd        /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
boot

title        Ubuntu, memtest86+
root        (hd0,4)
kernel        /boot/memtest86+.bin 
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

mehulved · 02-10-2006, 06:40 PM

@JGuru Option 5?
I only see entries for 3 booting options in the copy of menu.lst you have provided.
Give this command in the terminal

Code:

sudo nano -w /boot/grub/menu.lst

and add the following lines

Code:

title        Windows Vista
root        (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader    +1

And change default to 4. You can change timeout to say 30, that will give you 30 secs time period before automatically choosing default entry.
I hope that does work cos I have no clue of Vista's bootloader as I said earlier too.