Subj : Re: How to Modify menu.lst file when I don't have permission
To   : alt.comp.linux,comp.os.linux,alt.os.linux
From : Juhan Leemet
Date : Mon Sep 20 2004 01:54 pm

On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 08:44:04 -0400, jch wrote:
> I've just installed Suse on my machine which already had Fedora and XP. I've 
> some how managed to screw up the menu.lst file and now I can't boot into 
> anything but XP which entirely defeats the purpose of having installed Linux 
> to begin with. I can access the file system with my Knoppix disk and I can 
> get to the menu.lst file but I can't write to it. I don't have permission. 
> The file is set as rw -- -- --. I can read it by mnt/hda6/boot/grub and 
> vi'ing the file but I can't change anything.
> How can I edit the menu.lst file and thus solve my boot up problems? 
> Thanks.

Haven't played with these menus for a while. ISTR the recommended way was
to leave your working linux entry, just rename it to linux.bak (or
something) and then define a new entry (e.g. for a new kernel). That way,
if your new kernel is busted (been there, done that) you can still boot
the old configuration with the old kernel.

Maybe modern distros don't need that with their safe mode(s) and/or
recovery boot(s), etc.

-- 
Juhan Leemet
Logicognosis, Inc.

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