How can I edit Chameleon to default boot from Windows 7?

[minoso58]

I recently set up a dual hard drive system. One HD has a Windows 7 OS installation, the other HD a MAC OS X installation using the iBoot/Multibeast method.
I want to use the Chameleon boot loader, but I would like to edit it to default boot from the Windows 7 hard drive if the user does not intervene and manually select a partition to boot from. Are there any files I could edit to accomplish this?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Rory]

I recently set up a dual hard drive system. One HD has a Windows 7 OS installation, the other HD a MAC OS X installation using the iBoot/Multibeast method.
I want to use the Chameleon boot loader, but I would like to edit it to default boot from the Windows 7 hard drive if the user does not intervene and manually select a partition to boot from. Are there any files I could edit to accomplish this?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

What you need to do is edit the com.apple.boot.plist that is in the extra folder of the drive chameleon is installed. It has a line with defaultPartition which you need to edit the key for. It is not done by the bios allocation. And tbh I couldn't work out how it was done.
My windows drive is on sata 0, but putting 0,1 makes it boot the drive that chameleon is installed on. But anyway, thats how.

 

[SJ_UnderWater]

In Terminal run "diskutil list", then note the number of your Win7 drive and partition.
Edit /Extra/com.apple.boot.plist to add the following ("x" is the number of your Win7 drive, and "y" is the partition number):

<key>Default Partition</key>
<string>hd(x,y)</string>

Note: on a "regular" dual boot, with OS X then Win7, the partitions will be:
0:GPT, 1:EFI, 2S X, 3:Win7

To Edit a File Using VI:
In Terminal, run "sudo vi <fileToEdit>", then enter the admin password
Navigate with the arrow keys, then press "a" to being editing
Make the desired edits, then press "escape"
Type ":wq" then press "enter" to write and quit the editor.

 

[minoso58]

Thanks, guys. It worked. Although I had to tweak the hard drive number in the command. "Diskutil list" reported the Windows drive as drive "0", but "1" worked.
In the motherboard BIOS I set the MAC OS X hard drive as the primary boot disk, so maybe that made the Win 7 disk become number 1?

 

[daraio]

In Terminal run "diskutil list", then note the number of your Win7 drive and partition.
Edit /Extra/com.apple.boot.plist to add the following ("x" is the number of your Win7 drive, and "y" is the partition number):

<key>Default Partition</key>
<string>hd(x,y)</string>

Note: on a "regular" dual boot, with OS X then Win7, the partitions will be:
0:GPT, 1:EFI, 2S X, 3:Win7

To Edit a File Using VI:
In Terminal, run "sudo vi <fileToEdit>", then enter the admin password
Navigate with the arrow keys, then press "a" to being editing
Make the desired edits, then press "escape"
Type ":wq" then press "enter" to write and quit the editor.

Thanks!! I used the TextEdit method and worked flawlessly

 

[klutzo]

I'm having a similar problem. I have 2 different drives set up. One with Snow Leopard, and the other with Win 7. I'd like to boot default in Win7.

This is my plist (at least the only one I could find on the Snow Leopard drive)
According to the disk util, hd 0,1 should be the "untitled" windows drive.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Default Partition</key>
<string>hd(0,1)</string>
<key>Kernel</key>
<string>mach_kernel</string>
<key>Kernel Flags</key>
<string>arch=i386</string>
<key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
<string>Yes</string>
<key>Timeout</key>
<string>3</string>
<key>Legacy Logo</key>
<string>Yes</string>
<key>EthernetBuiltIn</key>
<string>Yes</string>

</dict>
</plist>

 

[SJ_UnderWater]

klutzo, since you didn't post a question or specific issue, im guessing it's not working? can you post the output of `diskutil list`?

 

[klutzo]

I'm doing some crunch work right now, but I'll post next time I'm in the OSX session. It's essentially just booting default to OSX, but with the plist, I thought that would make it boot to the Win 7 hard drive.

 

[SJ_UnderWater]

if your second hard drive is the windows one, it should probably be hd(1,0) or hd(1,1) depending on whether you want to boot from the MBR or the partition itself

 

[Going Bald]

I'm doing some crunch work right now, but I'll post next time I'm in the OSX session. It's essentially just booting default to OSX, but with the plist, I thought that would make it boot to the Win 7 hard drive.

Don't choose the "untitled" partition - choose the System Reserved partition. This is the one your boot files are in.