Default operating system

This can be set in the lilo configuration file /etc/lilo.conf . Mine (lilo version 0.21.5.1-4MDK) looks like this:

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
vga=normal
default=linux
keytable=/boot/us.klt
lba32
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux
root=/dev/hda3
append="mem=96M"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=failsafe
root=/dev/hda3
append="mem=96M failsafe"
read-only
other=/dev/hda1
label=windows
table=/dev/hda
other=/dev/fd0
label=floppy
unsafe

The four "label=" entries define the names of the boot choices. The default operating system to boot is specified by the option "default=" at the top of the file. In the absence of the "default", the first label to appear in /etc/lilo.conf is booted by default.

Don't forget to re-run the command

lilo

after any changes to the /etc/lilo.conf file.

There are also GUI utilities to configure lilo. For example, try, as root, in an X terminal:

klilo &