HD Install :: Grub editing

Grub seems straight forward with a couple of issues that I'd like help with. I want to maintain DSL and Boot Puppy Linux too. I found the post for dual booting. Http://damnsmalllinux.org/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST and have been through the Wiki on Grub and reviewed http://www.linuxselfhelp.com/gnu/grub/html_chapter/grub_toc.html
My issues seem to be: 1st *, 2nd **
*(basic) Editing a file that is read only. I tried to (while booted in DSL) to
ATerminal: sudo su :returns [/home/dsl]#
[/home/dsl]# beaver :launches beaver to edit.
In beaver open /boot/grub/menu.lst : (It's still read only) How do I edit or change my permission to edit menu.lst?

**because I want to run DSL and Puppy Linux from a Grub line with DSL as the default.

My working DSL is now a frugal install on hda5: backing up to myDSL=hda8.
Grub works and asks me to choose the 800 x 600 (second choice) each time I start up.  If I miss the 15 second window it boots into an unusable video mode.

I want to have my default to load DSL fb800x600 as lowram grabbing my settings from MyDSL.
I have manually edited my Grub entry a number of times but haven't got the right syntax or setting or it asks me to go through screen and keyboard setup again. Then never launching into the GUI.

The booting grub entry:(works)
Title 800x600
kernel /boot/linux24 root=/dev/hda2 quiet vga=788 noacpi noapm nodma noscsi frugal
initrd /boot/minirt24.gz  

I have a lowram 40mb Dell latitude LM laptop that requires Frame buffering
I thought I should be able to add "fb800x600 lowram" and it would boot.

My proposed: (doesn't work)
title DSL Frame buffer for Dell latitude LM (on hda5 & hda8)
kernel /boot/linux24 root=/dev/hda2 quiet vga=788 noacpi noapm nodma noscsi frugal mydsl=hda8 lowram fb800x600

title Puppy Linus 2.13 (on hda6)
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro vga=788

I'm confused due to cheat codes vs. Other boot labels. http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Cheat_Codes