Ubuntu

Default Booting Using Grub

Asked by Tirrex_Falcon

Only because my brain works this way...

Is there a way to make Grub auto load Windows unless the user interrupts the boot and selects a Ubu kernel?

Here is where my mind is. Say that you wanted your system to boot into Windows so that the casual user would never know that Ubu was installed on your system. But during the boot the system pauses and waits for the user to hit a key or combination of keys, the pause would only last 5-10 seconds or something like that just enough to execute the keys but not long enough to raise suspicion, to bring the boot menu up. You could also do this to hide Windows as well if you wanted.

I don't know my brain is just acting weird today so I thought I would ask and see if it is doable or has been done.

Thanks

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Uwe Geuder
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Octavio (torn-acl) said : 		#1

One of the easiest ways I've used to "hide" a linux system from a "casual" user is to install it to a separate hard drive. Make sure you install the bootloader to the MBR of that new drive. Then make sure the disk that contains the "non-hidden" operating system is set to boot first in your cmos/bios . Now you can use you bios to control which operating system boots. Most motherboards have a boot-list shortcut key you can press right before the bootloader kicks in. Hit that key, select your drive with linux on it and your on your way. Sneaky, sneaky... If you don't hit that key, the "non-hidden" operating system boots without any trace of your other operating system.

Silly, but it works.

The disk would probably still be visible to windows as a disk that needs to be formated. But there's ways around that too. Also, this method sucks if your motherboard doesn't have a boot-list shortcut key.

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Best Uwe Geuder (ubuntulp-ugeuder) said : 		#2

> Is there a way to make Grub auto load Windows unless the user interrupts the boot and selects a Ubu kernel?

Yes. See the file /boot/grub/menu.lst. It is well commented.

You probably want to modify the options

default
timeout
hiddenmenu

You need sudo -e to edit menu.lst.

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Tirrex_Falcon (matthew-tidd) said : 		#3

Thanks Uwe Geuder, that solved my question.