OK - lets say you go from gentoo with LILO and mandrake is mounted under 'mandrake' on hda1 and the kernel is 'vmlinuz'.
Then the line for image has to look like this:

image = /mandrake/boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1

and then the label and whatever else you might need.

Hope that helps.

I switched to Grub. I got a little further with it. This is my grub menu.1st:

title linux
kernel (hd0,4)/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda6 quiet devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off vga=788
initrd (hd0,4)/initrd.img

title linux-nonfb
kernel (hd0,4)/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda6 devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off
initrd (hd0,4)/initrd.img

title failsafe
kernel (hd0,4)/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda6 failsafe devfs=nomount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off
initrd (hd0,4)/initrd.img

title Gentoo
root (hd0,9)
kernel (hd0,7)/kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r5 root=/dev/hda8 acpi=off0
initrd (hd0,7)/initrd-2.4.20-gentoo-r5

title floppy
root (fd0)
chainloader +1

I have the following setup.

Mandrake
Swap hda1
/boot hda5
root hda6
/home hda7

Gentoo
boot hda8
swap hda9
root hda10

That is the order the partitions are in also. When I select Gentoo to boot from, it starts to boot and a lot of stuff loads, really fast, then I get "kernel panic". I don't think it can find the kernel init file. I've tried different settings but same response.

I think it don't like the last line in Gentoo. It seems to find the first one then gets lost. The file is there in the /boot directory and is the right name. I just changed and am going to try another setting. So correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm going to try this other setting while you look this over. Be right back.

When I change the file, do I have to run a command? I know to run sbin/lilo for lilo. Is ther a similiar command for Grub?

That may be the problem???

Sorry don't use grub but this is what I dug out from the gentoo doc's.
Setup dor the MBR:
grub> root (hd0,0) (Your boot partition)
grub> setup (hd0) (Where the boot record is installed; here, it is the MBR)

Here is how the two commands work. The first root ( ) command tells GRUB the location of your boot partition (in our example, /dev/hda1 or (hd0,0) in GRUB terminology. Then, the second setup ( ) command tells GRUB where to install the boot record - it will be configured to look for its special files at the root ( ) location that you specified. In my case, I want the boot record on the MBR of the hard drive, so I simply specify /dev/hda (also known as (hd0)). If I were using another boot loader and wanted to set up GRUB as a secondary boot-loader, I could install GRUB to the boot record of a particular partition. In that case, I would specify a particular partition rather than the entire disk. Once the GRUB boot record has been successfully installed, you can type quit to quit

Plus I think you'll need to add /boot/ to the lines for gentoo like this:
kernel (hd0,7) /boot/kernel-bla
initrd (hd,0,7)/boot/initrd-bla

Hope that helps you.
BTW what do use a initrd for? Igot about the same hardware and don't need it.

When I run the grub and all, I get this:

grub> root (hd0,0)
Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x82

Huh?

I don't know what the init thing is for. It was in the how to so I put it in. Tried taking it out. Didn't help.

Here's the Gentoo part of menu.1st

title Gentoo
kernel (hd0,7)/kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r5 root=/dev/hda10 acpi=off0


I'm fixin to try this:

title Gentoo
kernel (hd0,7)/kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r5 root=/dev/hd0,9 acpi=off0

Well, I was. Grub don't like it either.

I tried to switch back to lilo. It won't let me. Can I shoot it now?

Any ideas? I went to the grub website. I might get it after four years of college and a few years visiting a shrink.

Thanks for the help. Got the hard part done, compiling and such, then this bootloader kicks my but.

I had the same problem with grub - I just don't get it.
The problem is that I never used a install from CD's.
You can try 'emerge unmerge grub' and then 'emerge lilo'.That should get rid of grub.
But to have a workable lilo you need to run either /sbin/lilo or lilo after that (with my box it workd with just lilo).
Just try the line like it is on the post on the top of the page.If your mount point for mandrake is called mandrake.

I got lilo back and got it to boot, sort of.

Here's what I got. Modprobe: Can't locate module /dev/BOOT

I hit ctrl D to continue. Then I got to "starting USB and PCI hot plugging". Then it hung up. What's up with that? What did I do wrong here?

Oh, I deleted the Gentoo part, in Grub, to get lilo back. Then I copied the kernel to my Mandrake /boot directory. Ran /sbin/lilo and yeee ahhh. Then the above error.

Any ideas? Does the USB thing take a really long time? Should I wait longer?



Oh, I used ext3 for the file system. Do I need to put something in lilo for that. It sort of complained during the boot. Went by fast, couldn't make out much.

In case it matters, here's the Gentoo section of lilo.conf:

image=/boot/kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r5
label="Gentoo"
root=/dev/hda10
#inird=/boot/initrd-2.4.20-gentoo-r5
append="root=/dev/hda10 init=/linuxrc"

I may just remove the commented out part. Anyway, still hacking away.

Ideas??



Thanks for your help. I still want to come to Brazil. Those rainforrests are pretty on TV. As a master gardner, I could have a field day.

The USB part normally just does a flyby but I don't use hotplugging - just got it as a module in the kernel in case I ever might need it.
Did you copy the gentoo kernel to the mandrake /boot directory?
That won't work because there is a symlink in the gentoo /boot directory pointing to the gentoo /boot partition.Disregard if the kernel is still in there,too.
Did you compile you kernel with the genkernel thingy and did you get all the options right?
If you PM me I can send you my config file - I think I still got one for a gentoo-sources kernel flying around somewhere.

If you got an initrd I would try to use it.
Never been to the Amazon - nearest I,ve been there is inside the Manaus airport waiting for a connection.I got that moquito thing going - they just love me.But the Atlantic Rainforrest starts pretty much behind my house - whats left of it anyway.You don't need to be much of a gardener here to make things grow.Stuck the christmas tree in the dirt after we were done with it and the thing grew roots again - always recycling!

I did copy the kernel there just so lilo could see it existed. Since it wouldn't see it on the other partition. I read that little trick somewhere. I just copied it not moved.

The USB hung for several minutes.

I did a stage 3 compile. 24K, remember. It seemed to have everything right. It already recognized everything, even some stuff that I'm not currectly using but let it put it there anyway. Should I chroot and check it? What should I look for?

I'll keep pluggin away. see what I can find.

Thanks again.

I went and checked the fstab for Gentoo. Oooops. I missed that step. This is what it looks like:

# NOTE: If your BOOT partition is ReiserFS, add the notail option to opts.
/dev/BOOT /dev/hda8 ext2 noauto,noatime 1 1
/dev/ROOT /dev/hda10 ext3 noatime,notail 0 0
/dev/SWAP /dev/hda9 swap sw 0 0
/dev/cdroms/cdrom0 /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,ro 0 0

The boot is ext2 according to the how to. The root is reiser. See anything wrong with this?

I'm fixin to try this puppy. he he he he he

Thanks

Root is ext3 from what it looks like but there is nothing wrong with it or reiser.Not on nforce2 boards anyway.If it is reiser you need to replace ext3 with reiserfs
Hope it works now.

I think there is something wrong with the boot partition. I managed to get in and run the fsck thing and it said it was corrupt. The problem was I didn't update the fstab for Gentoo. I missed that step and it was not even close. I think when I tried to boot the first time it messed it up. I'm going to reinstall and make sure to do the fstab this time. I may just use ext3 too. I'm going to write it down either way.

I just got me four new fans for my case. I think I'll put them in first.

Thanks for your help. I'll keep you posted.

That hurrican is kicking but up this way. I'm not close to it but I'm watching the news. Really bad stuff. 200,000 without power and it hasn't even got there yet.

Back later.

Thats why I live in Brasil - no natural desasters,nice and quiet (outside the big towns) no terrorism;besides the politicians and the local police force.Got a bunch of friends in NC though but they all live in the Charlotte area and usually are more conderned with the beer supply than the power.
Don't get blown away by your fans ;-)
Oh - wait my ex-boss has a beach house in NJ.With a little luck that gets submerged.Then he finally really has something to whine about - hehe.