Grub2: How to *REALLY* set the default OS

[rgaelzer]

On my home desktop I have F16 (on sda) and Windows (on sdb) installed in separate hd's.
I want to configure grub2 to boot Windows by default because most of the folks here still follow Mr. Gates' path.

My current /etc/default/grub file is as follows:
================================
GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="Fedora"
GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"
GRUB_DEFAULT="Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sdb1)"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="rd.md=0 rd.dm=0 KEYTABLE=br-abnt2 quiet SYSFONT=latarcyrheb-sun16 rhgb rd.lvm.lv=vg_quasar/lv_swap rd.luks=0 rd.lvm.lv=vg_quasar/lv_root LANG=en_US.UTF-8"
====================================

Every time I run
grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
as root and reboot, grub is set to boot Windows as desired.

However, as soon as a new kernel is installed, the default OS goes back to Fedora. It seems that when a new kernel is installed, rpm does not bother to check on the /etc/default/grub settings.

Is there a workaround that could fix this?
Thanks

[sea]

Installing a kernel via updates, uses grubby to change grub settings.
So the only workaround i'm aware of is this, if the updates include kernel updates, run grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg right after the updates are done and before rebooting.

Not what you wanted to hear, sorry.

[PabloTwo]

You could try using the numerical menu entry order instead of the menu title.
Assuming you have 3 saved kernels and no "recovery" entries as per your grub file, making W7 the fourth menu entry,

GRUB_DEFAULT=3

Menu entries count from zero (0), so "3" would be the fourth menu entry item. Then run the "grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg" command again. You're next kernel update will tell if grubby behaves any better or not with this method.

[Gangrif]

So, maybe you've seen this already...
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/GRUB_2

But it says that you're supposed to edit the default using grub-set-default.


That being said, i just spend half an hour trying to get their directions to work.... and failed. Not sure what i'm doing wrong.

[sea]

You'd probably have better chances to have changes work, while you edit /etc/default/grub directly.
(As long you have made a backup of that file before editing of course)

[gr0undzer0]

You need to set the grub-default to saved. Then if you update the kernel run:

>os-prober
>grub2-mkconifg -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

that will put whatever submenu / entry settings you made before in. You may already know this and I may be answering a different question then your asking but that's as permanent as I've gotten it. The default doesn't change but the config needs to be run again.

---------- Post added at 09:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:21 PM ----------

You need to set the grub-default to saved. Then if you update the kernel run:

>os-prober
>grub2-mkconifg -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

that will put whatever submenu / entry settings you made before in. You may already know this and I may be answering a different question then your asking but that's as permanent as I've gotten it. The default doesn't change but the config needs to be run again.

[errorxp]

Why was there a need to replace grub anyway? It didn't have problems like this and was much easier to edit.
Grub2 = Fail