XP as default boot How?

[nebtem]

If you in root shell, just enter:
vim /boot/grub/menu.lst
or
nvi /boot/grub/menu.lst

vim or nvi is editor on command prompt

I did this and I get nothing. I now know why I use XP. This is very difficult. All I weant to do is to change the default to saved (last system loaded) or the XP as default system Me and my family use XP all the time but I want to try linux and work with it so I only want it to load when directed not as default. There must be a way to do this. I can see what I have to do but I can not get it done
what my system has:

# menu.lst - See: grub(, info grub, update-grub(
# grub-install(, grub-floppy(,
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 5


What I want:

# menu.lst - See: grub(, info grub, update-grub(
# grub-install(, grub-floppy(,
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
default saved

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

But my system will not allow me to save any changes to the file

[Markus]

Quick way: sudo sed -i '/default\t/s/0/saved/' /boot/grub/menu.lst
Or if you are root (prompt ends with # instead of $): sed -i '/default\t/s/0/saved/' /boot/grub/menu.lst
The above assumes you have a tab after default, but quoting it here removed it.
If still doesn't work, post the output of the following commands:
ls -l /boot/grub/menu.lst
mount
whoami

[ckyip]

Linux (GNU Linux) is some how different from window XP system.
I guess you want something like window XP control panel.
But linux something like control panel in graphical mode may not include low level setting.
For example the boot loader.
Your have to edit low level setting not in window XP control panel editing way.

I guess you cannot edit the menu.lst because of some reason:
1. file read only permission?
chmod 777 /boot/grub/menu.lst

2. not save your changes after editing because your don't know how to use editor in command prompt?
after editing, to save changes:
press 'Esc', ':wq'

etc...

[nebtem]

Thanks all. I appreciate your help but I have no idea how to do this. I'll try a few more times then I will have to re install XP if I can not get it to work. I would have liked working with Linux but I guess its not a program for nontech people like myself.