I did not get any response when I asked this query before. It would be great if someone knows how to get a more straightforward display of the available operating systems at bootup, especially if it is someone besides myself who turns the machine on.
When I installed Debian 2.2r2 on my laptopI configured Lilo to give a choice of three operating systems: 1. Debian, 2. Redhat, and 3. Windows/Dos. Debian is the default. When I press the tab key at the boot prompt the display of the options is rather chaotic in appearance, like this: debian 1 2 redhat 3 dos Is there a way I can change this into a simple list of the three options, with the numbers and labels in the same order for each? I would appreciate any advice here. In case it helps, I am appending my /etc/lilo.config file below. # /etc/lilo.conf - See: `lilo(8)' and `lilo.conf(5)', # --------------- `install-mbr(8)', `/usr/share/doc/lilo/', # and `/usr/share/doc/mbr/'. # +---------------------------------------------------------------+ # | !! Reminder !! | # | | # | Don't forget to run `lilo' after you make changes to this | # | conffile, `/boot/bootmess.txt', or install a new kernel. The | # | computer will most likely fail to boot if a kernel-image | # | post-install script or you don't remember to run `lilo'. | # | | # +---------------------------------------------------------------+ # Support LBA for large hard disks. # lba32 # Specifies the boot device. This is where Lilo installs its boot # block. It can be either a partition, or the raw device, in which # case it installs in the MBR, and will overwrite the current MBR. # boot=/dev/hda # Specifies the device that should be mounted as root. (`/') # root=/dev/hda4 # Enable map compaction: # Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single # read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the # map smaller. Using `compact' is especially recommended when # booting from a floppy disk. It is disabled here by default # because it doesn't always work. # # compact # Installs the specified file as the new boot sector # install=/boot/boot.b # Specifies the location of the map file # map=/boot/map # You can set a password here, and uncomment the `restricted' lines # in the image definitions below to make it so that a password must # be typed to boot anything but a default configuration. If a # command line is given, other than one specified by an `append' # statement in `lilo.conf', the password will be required, but a # standard default boot will not require one. # # This will, for instance, prevent anyone with access to the # console from booting with something like `Linux init=/bin/sh', # and thus becoming `root' without proper authorization. # and thus becoming `root' without proper authorization. # # Note that if you really need this type of security, you will # likely also want to use `install-mbr' to reconfigure the MBR # program, as well as set up your BIOS to disallow booting from # removable disk or CD-ROM, then put a password on getting into the # BIOS configuration as well. Please RTFM `install-mbr(8)'. # # password=tatercounter2000 # Specifies the number of deciseconds (0.1 seconds) LILO should # wait before booting the first image. # delay=20 # You can put a customized boot message up if you like. If you use # `prompt', and this computer may need to reboot unattended, you # must specify a `timeout', or it will sit there forever waiting # for a keypress. `single-key' goes with the `alias' lines in the # `image' configurations below. eg: You can press `1' to boot # `Linux', `2' to boot `LinuxOLD', if you uncomment the `alias'. # # message=/boot/bootmess.txt prompt single-key # delay=100 timeout=100 # Specifies the VGA text mode at boot time. (normal, extended, ask, <mode>) # # vga=ask # vga=9 # vga=normal # Kernel command line options that apply to all installed images go # here. See: The `boot-prompt-HOWO' and `kernel-parameters.txt' in # the Linux kernel `Documentation' directory. # # append="" append="apm=on" # Boot up Linux by default. # default=debian #default=redhat image=/vmlinuz label=debian read-only # restricted alias=1 #image=/vmlinuz.old # label=LinuxOLD # read-only # optional # restricted # alias=2 # If you have another OS on this machine to boot, you can uncomment the # following lines, changing the device name on the `other' line to # where your other OS' partition is. # # other=/dev/hda4 # label=HURD # restricted # alias=3 #the stanzas below i base on rh linux: image=/redhat/redboot/vmlinuz-2.2.16-22 label=redhat read-only root=/dev/hda5 alias=2 other=/dev/hda1 label=dos alias=3 ----- End Included Message -----