Dual booting question for the linux peeps

massahwahl

massahwahl

VIP Member
Im getting nervous here as Im preparing to install android X86 to our Dell Duo tablet. I cleared a 100gig partition on the disc for it but when I go to install it is showing three different partitions, one I assume is the recovery partition, one is the actual windows partition and the one is identified as an 'OEM partition' in windows but its only about 40Mb large. So my unallocated space is not showing up so Im going to to format it with gparted to try and identify it.

My main concern is whether or not when I install this with the Grub bootloader if its going to be 1st on the list or second. My wife uses this more than I do so I dont want to ruin her windows partition or make an extra step for her when she turns it on. How can I ensure that windows remains the top partition?
 
You will have 3 partitions if I remember correctly. You are correct in thinking that it is the small partition is for Windows files. Just leave it alone.

Linux will be the top entry but you can change the settings in the grub loader. I am not sure if the file will be in the same location as it is on my Linux desktop but I have to go to

gedit /etc/default/grub

*gedit is my text editor. Use your own.

that will open up a text file that you should be able to edit. Find the entry

GRUB_DEFAULT=0

Set 0 to whatever entry windows is. So 0 is the first entry, 1 is the second entry and so forth. Save and close the file. Run sudo update-grub to get the modified file working.

Be careful if you get another Kernel from Android. The grub loader will grab all of them and you the numbers will be skewed until you delete the old entries or update the menu to reflect the new positioning in the menu.
 
Last edited:
make sure you run update-grub as root, or with sudo ie. sudo update-grub. probably the same deal with gedit as well.

The time it lets your choose on the boot menu can be changed as well, you'll see the option in the file somewhere.
 
Thanks for the correction with the sudo command. I completely forgot to add that in.

The timeout will be on the same file under GRUB_TIMEOUT set it to any number of seconds that you want the Grub loader to sit in the menu for. set it to -1 to hold until a choice is made.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top