Proposition for Add-on

[Michel Benoit]

Hi!

I’ve d develop an internal command for grub to help the administrators of 
pool of dual boot machine.

The problem: We have class with near 100 computers in dual boot, under 
windows we have a maintenance period in the night to automatically install 
update. For that, in grub we put Windows has the default menu-entry.

The only time the computers are in linux, is when a student is using it. 
It's not a good time to install update. To install update, security patch, 
or other package, i was forced to pass computer by computer.


To get a period for the maintenance in linux, i wrote a simple module for 
grub that select the default menu-entry depending of the time of the day.

ex. :

   I set the period from 4am to 6am with the default boot to linux.
   So i can put a script in the crontab at 4h05 to install the update.
   (you have to put a shutdown -r command in Windows task scheduler at 4.00 
am. And use a wake on lan for computer that are down)

Is it possible to integrate in in the distribution of grub, if you think it 
could help other user.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The principal module grub-core/commands/select_by_time.c

The configuration file, two option

       the simple version /etc/grub.d/98_select_by_time

                   In 98_select_by_time, you select the period of time and 
the menuentry for that period, you can use many period of time. It use the 
24 hours time format notation without colon.

       ex:

           # from 4 am to 6 am select item 3 as default
           select_by_time 0400 0600 3
           # and from 11h25 pm to midnight select item 5 as default
           select_by_time 2325 2400 5

      or

       the more complete /etc/grub.d/99_select_by_time, that use the config 
file /boot/grub/select_by_time.cfg
       With this version you don't have to know the position of the 
operating system in grub.cfg (menuitem).

       exemple of select_by_time.cfg

           select_default Windows
           select_by_time 5:00 6:00 ubuntu           # maintenance period
           select_by_time 13:00 15:00 ubuntu       # linux course
           select_by_time 19:00 2308 "Linux 3.2.0-23-generic"    # specific

–--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Right now, we are using select_by_time with 98_select_by_time, and we save a 
lot of days of work.
If you think it could be helpful for other administrator, could you put it 
in a future grub distribution (the source code is very simple).
The 99_select_by_time is optional, it's just more easy to use.

Thank's

------------------------------------------------------
Michel Benoit (morph1853)
Technicien Systèmes Ordinés
Dep. Informatique
Université de Sherbooke
address@hidden

98_select_by_time
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99_select_by_time
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select_by_time.c
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select_by_time.cfg
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