Tried googling for info on this but mostly got info on linux+xp+windows.
What I want is instruction on how to use lilo to boot different linux distros -say slack,debian and redhat on a single hd but diffrent partitons.

Yes I tried,works on the default linux but when I try to boot the second or third linux distro I get errors particularly modules during boot. It seems that it does not boot to the kernel of the distro itself but the kernel of the default distro.

Thanks.

When you modified Lilo.conf did you make sure the other distributions kernels were mounted before you ran /sbin/lilo.

Post your lilo.cof file. You first have to copy over the vmlinuz and initrd files of the new distro to the default distro. They are usually found in the new distro's /boot directory. I usually copy them to a new directory in the default distro's /boot , say /boot/newdistro. When creating the entry for the new distro in lilo.conf you set the path to vmlinuz and initrd to the new distro's vmlinuz and initrd in /boot/newdistro and set up your append line to accomodate your hard ware. See my post here for details:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=99676

Thanks. Your suggestion worked for my knoppix install(of course it worked on the default slack9) but did not work with my peanut linux test partition.Peanut linux is Red hat based. It work on grub
before I installed the new slack 9.1.

Actually I came across a method wherein each distro will have linux installed on each root and everytime I start each distro it starts with its own lilo menu. I cannot recall how to do that.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Skyline
When you modified Lilo.conf did you make sure the other distributions kernels were mounted before you ran /sbin/lilo. [/QUOTE

No.How do I mount the other kernels?

It's just another way of making the new distro vmlinuz and initrd accessible to lilo. Instead of copying those files to the default distro you create an entry in fstab for the new distro root partition with a mount point of say /mnt/newdistro. Then you set the path to the new distro vmlinuz and initrd through /mnt/newdistro/boot. The new distro root partition is mounted early in the boot process through fstab and the necessary files will be available to lilo. Personally, I like to keep everything in the default /boot and leave my other distros' root partitions unmounted in the default distro.
Post your lilo.conf. There's no reason why peanut linux should not boot if you set it up correctly.
I don't recommend installing the boot loader to the distro's root. For that to work you'll need a third party multibooter like PM's boot magic. What happens is boot magic loads first and you select the OS you want to boot into. Then the OS's boot loader loads and you select again. It's an unnecessary complication and slows down the boot process.

Simple - simply mount the other distributions Root partitions into the distribution that you modify lilo.conf from - (the kernels residing in the boot directories of the respective Root partitions) - I'm currently multibooting 5 operating systems and as such like to share data between them - having them all cross-mounted means I dont have to do anything before running the map installer /sbin/lilo because the relevant kernels are always locally mounted into the distribution I modify lilo.conf from.

Keep in mind that any kernels that you want included must be locally mounted in one way or another before you create an updated map file............

This is my lilo.conf:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 300
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
vga = 791
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda6
label = Slackware
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# DOS bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
label = Win98SE
table = /dev/hda
# DOS bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-xfs
root = /dev/hda9
label = knoppix
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends

image = /boot/peanut/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda11
label = Peanut
read-only

Only peanut is not working properly. I copied the peanut vmlinuz to a dir peanut

Take a look at the following:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=100378
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=99670
should give you the right idea.

Check your peanut /boot. Normally, you have a vmlinuz-xxxx, i.e. it's followed by the kernel version number. That's the one you need to copy. Usually "vmlinuz" is just a link to "vmlinuz-xxx". If all you did is copy the link, it won't work because the linked to object won't be accessible to lilo during boot. You also don't have an "initrd=..." line for either knoppix or peanut. They both use initrd whose purpose is to load driver modules early in the boot process which may be necessary for booting. Not all distros use it; I know gentoo doesn't and apparently slack doesn't either. But if it's there, you should include it .

1. That is all there is vmlinuz(1.6mb) and it is not a sym link.

2. there is no initrd.gz....in both knoppix or peanut.knoppix boots ok.

3. I can boot to peanut with a boot floppy.

well I think I will go back to grub.I just thought I can avoid the configure-make-makeinstall routine-and learn more about lilo.

Thanks everybody.

Copy your peanut vmlinuz and initrd files from your boot floppy to your disk and see if they work; they should. Just checked my knoppix 3.3 install and initrd.gz is in its /boot. Also, vmlinuz has been a symlink in every distro I've ever installed, however on the boot floppy it's usually listed as simply vmlinuz. Please check again. Exactly what happens when you try to boot peanut?

1. The boot floppy of peanut contains files which are not readable.I do not know why this is so but the boot floppy-called rescue disk works.

2. What I know about initrd is that it is created if the file system you are using is module of the kernel.If the file system is built into the kernel then the initrd is not created.Both my slackware and knoppix has not initrd and all of them works fine.

3. Try peanut linux or else checkout the iso file. It does not have vmlunuzxxx only vmlinuz. If it is a symlink then there should be another file with a name starting with vmlinuz. Also I chekced using ls -l and vmlinuz in peanut is NOT a symlink. I honestly do not know why there is no symlink in peanut.

4. when I boot peanut using lilo the screen goes blank.

5. I am going to post at peanut forum.Perhaps this is an issue with lilo specific to peanut.

6. I have added Vectorlinux4 and it boots ok using lilo.

thanks!

That's wierd!! I've never gotten a blank screen from lilo. If it can't find or load vmlinuz you usually get an error message to that effect. If it can't mount root you get a kernel panic or no init found error message. I wonder if it's loading but just not displaying for some reason? You could try letting it sit in the blank screen for a while and see if it pops up. Instead of "vga=791" you could try editing that to "vga=normal" in the beginning of lilo.conf,; that's what I've always seen on that line but you may have special needs which require something different. Peanut, being a mini distro, may not have included the fonts to handle that video mode. Other than that I'm out of ideas.

Thanks for all the help.
I am booting using grub now. No problems so far. It is much simpler in my opinion. I just pointed grub to where the root and the boot files are and it boots any distro I have.
Menwhile I went to peanut forum and am still waiting for their response on the lilo issue.