configurable bootloader

i'm trying to find a way to do the following:

machine boots
shows splash screen or some form of screen saying it will boot winXP
if no keys are pressed, boot continues, end
if a configurable hotkey is set it will bring up a list of other bootable partitions

the use is so that i can have a ghost image on the machine along with the ghost client but hidden, and if i choose to, i can boot into that partition to reghost. but i dont want anything on screen to show the kids this, or give them options.

i have tried XOSL which nearly does it, but on the boot screen it says "booting windows xp, press esc to cancel" and if you press esc it then brings up a list of other bootable options. granted you can password protect these but it means that machines could be stuck on that screen with kids saying its an error.
im after one that will just say "booting" and to the best of the users knowledge that is it, unless the hotkey is pressed.

are there any free bootloaders out there that will do this?

I believe I've seen this achieved with GRUB, although how you go about doing it I don't know I'm afraid

Try grub4dos Grub4dos tutorial - Grub4Dos Wiki

Lots of tutorials on how to do it with a usb stick. Works the same for a hard drive.

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Originally Posted by pete

Try grub4dos Grub4dos tutorial - Grub4Dos Wiki

Lots of tutorials on how to do it with a usb stick. Works the same for a hard drive.

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will that boot hidden and allow hotkeys etc?

Have a look at Plop. I've never used it but know that there is some hotkey functionality. I don't know if it will do what you want though.

I know you've said that you didn't want it to show options but we pxe boot syslinux which gives us option of local boot, wds etc... with all but the local boot needing a password if you select it.

Ben

xosl can show a list of all boot options and password protect them which is fine. i just have a vision of juinor school kids especially seeing the box saying press esc to cancel xp and pressing it, then sat there with the bootloader screen complaining its frozen.
it still seems the best option so far, as i can set the timeout for that screen down to something like 2 secs knowing that it will be slightly too fast to read, but ill know which hotkey to press

i was just hoping for a way to hide the majority of it....

GAG, the Graphical Boot Manager

This looked pretty useful last time I went searching.

TBH i would setup FOG its a freeway ghost alternative with all the stuff you are after built in

Toby

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Originally Posted by MK-2

are there any free bootloaders out there that will do this?

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A second recomendation for FOG - it sorts out pretty much exactly what it sounds like you're trying to do. It even comes in handy as an easy way to configure which clients are booting from which PXE image, so you can have some machines boot in to FOG to reimage, some to boot as thin clients, etc.

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David Hicks

one question with fog, can it be accessed at the machine with the PXE boot (f12) or can it only be done via a remote task?
also, does it support ghosts .gho images?

a*se, didn't realise fog was linux based. at the moment we have no machines spare to put linux on, hence the need for ghost which can sit on a server or desktop