Re: [Suggestion] LILO-like direct menu item access && scripting

[Marc-Jano Knopp]

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 at 10:38 (+0100), Yoshinori K. Okuji wrote:
> On Thursday 10 February 2005 22:51, Marc-Jano Knopp wrote:
> > But as your mail left a few things open (Select or execute? Normal
> > keys or keys with modifier? Single-letter-keys or strings?), the
> > discussion about this would have had to be continued anyway. :-)
> 
> I prefer to execute it when a shortcut key is pressed. Why not?

Because then it would not be possible to edit menu items blindly.
For example, I could not blindly add boot parameters to the Linux
kernel (runlevel, root=<whatever>, etc.) to override the default
settings (which I do, indeed, e.g. for my SCSI testing machine
which varying disks with varying partition layout connected, so that
fixed menu items don't help).


> I don't think strings are very useful. The purpose of shortcut keys is
> to select something instantly, then it should be a single key press.

But that's only implied by the /word/ "shortcut key". Being able to use
strings instead of single keys would make these shortcuts much more
mnemonic and thus easier to remember. E.g.

  l  - Linux 2.2
  l4 - Linux 2.4
  l6 - Linux 2.6
  f  - FreeBSD 3.x
  f4 - FreeBSD 4.x
  f5 - FreeBSD 5.x  

If you had only a single letter for selection, then you cannot choose
mnemonic shortcuts anymore, as e.g. '4' would collide for "Linux 2.4"
and "FreeBSD 4.x".


> All possible keys should be able to be assigned shortcuts. But, my idea 
> is not only for shortcuts. The functions of keys are hardcoded in the 
> current implementation, but they should be configurable. For instance, 
> if the user wants to use C-c to enter the command-line interface and 
> use c to select a menu entry, this should be supported.

This sounds good!

So I could say something like

  bind "s" select-entry-by-inputstring();

so that hitting 's' in the menu asks me for a string to select a menu
entry? Provided either a GRUB developer codes the function
select-entry-by-inputstring() or the user can do so easily by defining
the function in a configuration file.


Best regards

  Marc-Jano