[Bug #557] Rotating default boot? Possible feature

[nobody]

=================== BUG #557: LATEST MODIFICATIONS ==================
http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?func=detailbug&bug_id=557&group_id=68

Changes by: Dan Harkless <address@hidden>
Date: 2002-Oct-18 10:11 (GMT)

            What     | Removed                   | Added
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  CC |                           | dan_harkless




=================== BUG #557: FULL BUG SNAPSHOT ===================


Submitted by: None                      Project: GNU GRUB                       
Submitted on: 2002-Jun-07 00:18
Category:  Configuration                Severity:  Major                        
Priority:  None                         Bug Group:  Feature Request             
Resolution:  None                       Assigned to:  None                      
Status:  Open                           Release:                                
Reproducibility:  None                  Planned Release:                        

Summary:  Rotating default boot? Possible feature

Original Submission:  As operating systems are becoming extremely stable these 
days (even in the MS world), the only times I actually reboot my computer are 
to switch to that /other/ operating system.  When I reboot again, it's to get 
back into my nice Linux environment.

While I do have Linux as default, would it ever be possible to have GRUB rotate 
the default boot between 2 or more partitions?  Then, by default, it would boot 
into a different operating system from what you just restarted in.

Is this a feature that other people would like to see?

Follow-up Comments
*******************

-------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2002-Oct-01 12:07             By: hno
I'll second this patch. Much easier than having a forest of grub configuration 
files like I proposed below, and can be used to solve a number of interesting 
things including kind of emulation of the lilo -R option as requested in Bug 
#1241

Regards
Henrik

-------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2002-Sep-11 16:07             By: hno
You should be able to do this with a two stage menu system and using the 
savedefault option, without any changes to the existing GRUB code


Create three grub config files, making up a two levels directory structure



-- grub.conf ---
default saved
hiddenmenu
timeout=0
title Alternative 1
        configfile (hd0,0)/boot/grub/alt1.conf
title Alternative 2
        configfile (hd0,0)/boot/grub/alt2.conf

--- alt1.conf ---
default 2
timeout=10
title Alternative 2
        configfile (hd0,0)/boot/grub/alt1.conf
title Alternative 1
        kernel ...
        savedefault

--- alt2.conf ---
default 2
timeout=10
title Alternative 1
        kernel ...
        savedefault
title Alternative 2
        configfile (hd0,0)/boot/grub/alt2.conf


Regards
Henrik

-------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2002-Jun-16 22:08             By: None
--- stage2/builtins.c.ORIG      Sun Jun 16 21:10:05 2002
+++ stage2/builtins.c   Sun Jun 16 23:50:24 2002
@@ -3197,7 +3197,8 @@
 #if !defined(SUPPORT_DISKLESS) && !defined(GRUB_UTIL)
   char buffer[512];
   int *entryno_ptr;
-  
+  int entryno = 0;
+
   /* This command is only useful when you boot an entry from the menu
      interface.  */
   if (! (flags & BUILTIN_SCRIPT))
@@ -3205,6 +3206,12 @@
       errnum = ERR_UNRECOGNIZED;
       return 1;
     }
+
+  /* Get entryno, if specified. Otherwise the current */
+  if (! safe_parse_maxint (&arg, &entryno))
+    {
+      entryno = current_entryno;
+    }
   
   /* Get the geometry of the boot drive (i.e. the disk which contains
      this stage2).  */
@@ -3231,10 +3238,10 @@
   entryno_ptr = (int *) (buffer + STAGE2_SAVED_ENTRYNO);
 
   /* Check if the saved entry number differs from current entry number.  */
-  if (*entryno_ptr != current_entryno)
+  if (*entryno_ptr != entryno)
     {
       /* Overwrite the saved entry number.  */
-      *entryno_ptr = current_entryno;
+      *entryno_ptr = entryno;
       
       /* Save the image in the disk.  */
       if (! rawwrite (boot_drive, install_second_sector, buffer))
@@ -3256,8 +3263,9 @@
   "savedefault",
   savedefault_func,
   BUILTIN_CMDLINE,
-  "savedefault",
-  "Save the current entry as the default boot entry."
+  "savedefault [NUM]",
+  "Save the current entry or the entry number NUM "
+  "as the default boot entry."
 };


-------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2002-Jun-16 22:05             By: None
Can test with this little patch ? It realize the shiva suggestion.

-------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2002-Jun-11 00:45             By: shiva
I think this could be done by accepting a parameter in savedefault: the name of 
the boot section to save as the default for the next boot.

It would also be nice to have a userland utility that sets the default from a 
running OS, so you could create desktop shortcuts to boot a different OS next 
time.


CC List
*******

CC Address                          | Comment
------------------------------------+-----------------------------
dan_harkless                        | 



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