select default from remote

[Tom Davies]

Hi :)

Normally people just use the keyboard arrows (when they arrive at the boot-menu) in order to boot-up the one that is not set as default.  Windows does not like the admit that other operating systems exist and does it's best to ignore them = it's a marketing ploy allegedly.  I believe there are utilities in Windows so that it can mess around with files on an ext2 or ext3 partition but i am not sure if there is anything for ext4 yet.  There probably is but i haven't tried looking.  Windows seems quite quirky and vulnerable so i really don't like it touching my nice rock-solid linux system.

I don't really have a good answer, sorry.  My own approach would be to stop using Windows at all, especially as a server OS.  Of the top 500 supercomputers in the world less than 1% risk using Windows and over 60% use linux (as linux is mostly replacing Unix on those) and i think something like 20% use BSD (another unix-based platform) although i could be very wrong about the BSD figure.  Even on fairly small company servers they are usually on Linux, either RedHat, CentOS usually (apparently) or increasingly Ubuntu Server although Ubuntu's is command-line only.  Mostly people don't realise that and only notice what is on their desktop machines.  The job of a server machine is radically different from a desktop.  Server's don't need to play games but they do need rock-solid stability and total security which is why Windows is often seen as great as a desktop but is useless as a server.  Vulnerability to viruses and needing to reboot are acceptable for desktops but not for servers.  Perhaps try your idea of boot into linux "just this once"?

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)