Kentaro Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Is there a way to avoid pressing F8 to boot Mac? I installed Mac alongside Windows XP using the chain loader method, but everytime, I want to boot the mac, I must press F8 as quickly as possible, otherwise, it will go back to the same Windows XP boot menu. Darwin bootloader is responsible. So I guess, if we can change the default OS in Darwin, then this problem will be solved. I have searched the forum and elsewhere, but can't find a suitable solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammjet Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 I would suggest enabling the Darwin bootloader and then disabling the Chain0 by removing the Chain0 line from your boot.ini. Setting the timeout parameter will force the Darwin (OSX) bootloader to appear. Set the OSX partition active and boot into OSX. Edit the boot.plist file at "/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist" and add the following: <key>Timeout</key> <string>10</string> You can edit the file by dragging it to the Desktop and editing it with TextEdit, then dragging it back, answering the 2 resulting dialogs - Authenticate and yes to replace, then followed by using Disk Utility to repair permissions on the OSX partition. Or you can do it via Terminal with this command: sudo nano /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogabean Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Well for me.. the best option was simply to install OS X after Windows. That made the darwin loader default to OS X. changed timeout to 0 and put acronis on. of course you can attempt to mess with the boot options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mebster Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Is F8 used only when XP is your active partition? At the moment OSX is my active partition and when darwin loads I have like 10 seconds to press any key to show all operating systems or it loads OSX. So i press any key before the end of the countdown and then select XP or OSX if I still want to. Where exactly in all of this is the F8? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammjet Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Is F8 used only when XP is your active partition? At the moment OSX is my active partition and when darwin loads I have like 10 seconds to press any key to show all operating systems or it loads OSX. So i press any key before the end of the countdown and then select XP or OSX if I still want to. Where exactly in all of this is the F8? If you have the "timeout" parameter set to "10" in boot.plist, you get the 10 second countdown. If the parameter isn't set, the boot will go immediately to the default partition, which may not be OSX. To interrupt that, you would have to quickly hit F8 to get to the bootloader to choose the desired partition. The moral of the story is to set the timeout parameter in boot.plist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mebster Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Hi dude, i understand why F8 is pressed. But are we talking about in Darwin? Because if it is then i just press any key during the 10 seconds countdown to view the partitions. I didn't edit any boot.plist to give me a 10 seconds countdown. So I’m surprised that other people need to given I used the same OSX patched DVD as many others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammjet Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Well, my boot.plist doesn't have the timeout paramter set - and I've never modified it. And I do not get the menu. I use Acronis for my bootloader. I have to instruct numerous people everyday how to add the timeout parameter to their boot.plist so they can even see that menu. Otherwise, the default partition boots immediately. And if that default partition happens to be Windows, it frustrates and confuses them immensely. I don't know how yours got set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mebster Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 How's Acronis? I've heard it's slower than using wingrub but that it looks better. I've been trying to get Wingrub set up but got into problems. I remember you tried to help me out even though you said you've never used it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammjet Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 How's Acronis? I've heard it's slower than using wingrub but that it looks better. I've been trying to get Wingrub set up but got into problems. I remember you tried to help me out even though you said you've never used it. Acronis is slow, but I have other things I run on boot, so my boot takes a while. I just go get something to drink and when I get back, things are ready to go. Who really cares what the bootloader looks like. Ideally, you are going to see a bootloader for all of 10 seconds while it counts down to a boot or else you select another partition. Then you never see it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrupted Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 If you add: Quiet Boot No ..I think..that's the option that forces the darwin menu to appear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentaro Posted September 9, 2006 Author Share Posted September 9, 2006 I have tried Acronis Bootloader, and yes it is quite slow compared with NT Bootloader and GRUB. So I switch back to NT Bootloader for 2 reasons. 1. Speed 2. Flexibility. I install 6 different OS each one has a bootloader in its own partition. So in case I want to upgrade (e.g. from Ubuntu Dapper Drake to Edgy Elf), I just install it in its own partition without touching other OS or messing up the bootloader. Plus, I can do a reinstallation of WinXP as well. That's the moral of the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentaro Posted September 9, 2006 Author Share Posted September 9, 2006 the timeout option works for me, but not quiet boot. DaxTsurugi, it should be <key>Quiet Boot</key> <string>No</string> rather than the other way round. I tried the above and it just turned back to NT Bootloader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
br0adband Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 If you're running OSX and some other OS, you have no real reason to use any other bootloader than the Darwin one included with OSX. I see so many people using the chain0 thing (necessary for multiple physical drives if you install OSX on something other than the main/primary drive), Acronis, GRUB, LILO, BootMagic, etc etc... and I still don't understand it. I currently have 5 OSes on this 80GB hard drive, and they were installed in this order: WinXP Pro Win2K3 OSX .7 WinFLP Vista The only thing I've had to do is change the active partition to the OSX one each time (meaning after it was installed and then again after WinFLP and one last time after Vista) and it handles all the OSes without breaking a sweat or giving me any issues whatsoever. I can't comprehend or understand why you'd install yet another piece of software in the MBR when the Darwin boot loader does everything the others do and does it better for OSX. /me is stumped... and he's never used anything but the Darwin bootloader bb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wondergod Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 I like acronis cause its easy to turn off and on... Like Ram said I don't really care that it looks pretty just that it works and its easy to edit...and Acronis works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mebster Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 When you say Acronis is slow, can you describe exactly how long it takes. And exactly the process of it too. I mean is it slow in displaying a large (win xp) like logo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammjet Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 I can't comprehend or understand why you'd install yet another piece of software in the MBR when the Darwin boot loader does everything the others do and does it better for OSX. Darwin chooses one of the OS's as its default - the one it will start up with no user intervention. How do you change that default? In the other bootloaders, that is a piece of cake. When you say Acronis is slow, can you describe exactly how long it takes.And exactly the process of it too. I mean is it slow in displaying a large (win xp) like logo? Based on an old thread here, Acronis keeps it's startup info in a hidden zipped file. Every time you start up, it has to unzip the file to get the information including all of the screen graphics. First there is a text screen giving you options to bypass the GUI and go straight to the default boot. Then there is a semi-GUI screen saying wait a minute - I assume the graphics are being created. Then the GUI appears and the countdown begins. Probably a good 10-15 seconds for that to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentaro Posted September 15, 2006 Author Share Posted September 15, 2006 WinXP ProWin2K3 OSX .7 WinFLP Vista The only thing I've had to do is change the active partition to the OSX one each time (meaning after it was installed and then again after WinFLP and one last time after Vista) and it handles all the OSes without breaking a sweat or giving me any issues whatsoever. Can Darwin boot Vista? Vista uses a new bootloader, and I suppose only Vista bootloader can boot it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wondergod Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 Yea it shows Mac OS and one Windows, when you select Windows, the Vista boot loader will come up and give you the option of "Earlier version of Windows" which is XP, and Vista. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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