Deleting Linux..

[AtomicFuse]

Hello, I've installed Kubuntu in a seperate partition on my computer so I can dual boot between XP/Linux. I don't think it's as easy as deleting the partition in Partition Magic?
Any help would be much apreciated.
Thanks,
Atomic

[Splash]

you'd be right - what boot manager did you install?

[AtomicFuse]

Well I made the new partition in Kubuntu itself, so it uses this GNU Grub thing (if that makes any sense) and I can select the OS's from the 'GNU Grub' menu that pops up when I boot my system....

[directhex]

boot a windows nt5 cd (2k, xp, 2k3)

go to recovery console

type "fixmbr" and "fixboot"

that should remove grub. then you can delete the partitions themselves from any partition editor

[AtomicFuse]

Thanks for the help! That's great, but I'm only doing this because in Grub it boots Linux by default and I want it to boot into XP by default. So that would be ideal if that was at all possible?

[directhex]

Thanks for the help! That's great, but I'm only doing this because in Grub it boots Linux by default and I want it to boot into XP by default. So that would be ideal if that was at all possible?

boot your linux system. as the super user, run a text editor and edit the file /boot/grub/menu.lst. on kubuntu, this means you probably want to find some kind of run dialog and type "kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst", from your normal user account

on the line marked "default 0", change it to "default saved"

if it isn't there already, for the windows entry at the bottom, ensure the word "savedefault" appears on a line on its own, after the title and before the "chainloader +1"

save, quit, reboot

[AtomicFuse]

Thanks, I can't see what to change and I don't want to make my computer 'un-bootable' I couldn't find default 0 and the savedefault was after the title and before chainloader :-s
Here's my current menu.lst file:

# 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 10

## 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/sda2 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,1)

## 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 2.6.15-23-386
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/sda2 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386
savedefault
boot

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-23-386 (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/sda2 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386
boot

title Ubuntu, memtest86+
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

Sorry it's so long, if anyone could perhaps edit it so as it would boot XP first I would much appreciate it

[aidanjt]

Set 'default' to 5. on reboot grub will boot windows by default

[directhex]

I couldn't find default 0

## 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

right there?

Set 'default' to 5. on reboot grub will boot windows by default

but if a new kernel comes in from a security update, that'll change. using "default saved" is a safer bet

[AtomicFuse]

Ok so now it looks like this:

## 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 saved

But when i try and exit and save it says

The document could not be saved, as it was not possible to write to file:///boot/grub/menu.lst.
Check that you have write access to this file or that enough disk space is available.

[directhex]

Ok so now it looks like this:

## 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 saved

But when i try and exit and save it says

i already told you, you need to be the superuser when editing the file - only the system's root user can alter critical system files.

i gave you an exact command to run which would start your editor as the root user (allowing you to save) 5 posts ago

[AtomicFuse]

yeah sorry, it does work, i changed it to default saved and it is still exactly the same. i think its because on the menu.lst its sais on unbuntu "savedefault" so it would that would be the default boot?

[directhex]

yeah sorry, it does work, i changed it to default saved and it is still exactly the same. i think its because on the menu.lst its sais on unbuntu "savedefault" so it would that would be the default boot?

you're right, i didn't spot that

delete that line.

[directhex]

actually, reading the grub documentation more thoroughly, it seems "savedefault" means "boot this option next time if i select it this time", as long as it's used in combination with "default saved". if you pick windows, then it should pick windows again. if you pick linux, it should pick linux again. etc.

[AtomicFuse]

Yeah you are right, thanks for your help directhex, i deleted the default line from the kbuntu and so it is with windows xp. and changed default to saved default. so now xp is highlighted in grub automaticaly yay! thanks again!