LILO refuses to install

grautu · 10-11-2005, 05:48 AM

Hello!
1) I have installed Slackware 10.2 on /dev/hda6 (logical partition on the unique HDD /dev/hda); I did install from the bootable CD distribution and I did create bootable diskette (2 bootable diskettes, corresponding to 2 distinct installations of Slackware).
2) However installing LILO failed though I tried two different methods provided by installer: first I tried to install LILO in the superblock of /dev/hda6 and then, because of failing, I reinstalled Slackware with targeting MBR for LILO. Furthermore I did try each of these two wariants in two subvariants: the "simple" LILO install (provided as default) and the "expert" LILO install (based on a new header etc). All in all I did many attempts, including several choises for kernels to install.
3) Here are the results: (a) MBR was never modified (it always pointed to the older Win XP system); (b) The /dev/hda6 was always garbage from the booting point of view. Concretely, if pointing to /dev/hda6 from the boot diskete (by boot command "mount root=/dev/hda6 ro") I always got "kernel panic" while if pointing another way to the superblock of /dev/hda6, I always obtained a frozen black screen, with L 99 99 99 99 99 99 ... ; (c) If booting the nifty root diskette provided by Slackware (<sbootmgr.dsk>) the /dev/hda6 partition was never detected among the bootable items of my PC; (d) The only good news: booting whatever of the 2 created boot diskettes I always had access to the installed Slackware and everything was OK.
4) Now, of course, my Slackare can't remain forever as a diskette booting system; I must either solve the problem or simply give up this distribution.
5) I think it might exist a method (which I do not know) to do a kind of "mirroring-install" of LILO, from the boot diskete to either MBR or the superblock of /dev/hda6.
Any solution/hint/idea/comment is kindly appreciated.
Thanks!

Basel · 10-11-2005, 06:31 AM

Hi,

Have you tried to install lilo after booting Slackware from CD1? You need to run the following command as root:

Code:

basel@darkstar:~$ su
Password:
root@darkstar:/home/basel# lilo -v
LILO version 22.5.9, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
Development beyond version 21 Copyright (C) 1999-2004 John Coffman
Released 08-Apr-2004 and compiled at 00:18:50 on May 21 2004.

Warning: LBA32 addressing assumed
Reading boot sector from /dev/sda
Using MENU secondary loader
Calling map_insert_data
Mapping message file /boot/boot_message.txt
Calling map_insert_file

Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.31
Added Slack-2.4.31

Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.13
Added Kernel-2.6.13 *

Writing boot sector.
/boot/boot.0800 exists - no boot sector backup copy made.
root@darkstar:/home/basel#

Gort32 · 10-11-2005, 07:40 AM

First, honestly, a boot floppy is a good solution for a dual-boot system. If (when) your Windows install crashes and you have to reinstall then Windows setup can play with the MBR all it wants and you will still be able to load Linux.

Could we get a paste of a partition list?

something like this:

Code:

root@Slacklap:~# fdisk /dev/hda

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 7296.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
   (e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): p       

Disk /dev/hda: 60.0 GB, 60011642880 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7296 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1        7052    56645158+  83  Linux
/dev/hda3            7053        7296     1959930   82  Linux swap

Command (m for help):

grautu · 10-11-2005, 01:58 PM

Hi!
Thanks Basel and Gort32. I will give the reports you rquested in turn.
REPORT TO Basel

Code:

LILO version 22.5.9, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
Development beyond version 21 Copyright (C) 1999-2004 John Coffman
Released 08-Apr-2004 and compiled at 00:18:50 on May 21 2004.

Warning: LBA32 addressing assumed
Reading boot sector from /dev/hda6
Using MENU secondary loader
Calling map_insert_data
Mapping message file /boot/boot_message.txt
Calling map_insert_file

Boot other: /dev/hda1, on /dev/hda, loader CHAIN
Added Windows *

Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz
Added Linux

Writing boot sector.
/boot/boot.0306 exists - no boot sector backup copy made.

Now answering your question: Yes I was trying to install LILO after booting CD1 (according to installer's steps).
REPORT TO Gort32 Though not saying a lot, here are my partitions; I have numbered and placed these partitions manually, since having in mind further installs, later on.

Code:

   Device    Boot   Start    End         Blocks         Id      System
/dev/hda1     *           1   2550    20482843+      7   HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda4            7013   9964    23711940        5   Extended
/dev/hda5            7013   7135        987966      82   Linux swap
/dev/hda6            7136   8109      7823623+   83   Linux

Clearly there is free space for /dev/hda2, /dev/hda3, and /dev/hdaX (X>=7).
As for how bad or good the situation is, clearly there is no tragedy. However I've chosen to install Slackware not so much for having a dual boot as for understanding Linux. To this end my intention is to also install other Linux distributions and use Slackware for properly understanding their config flavor and architecture. A fortiori I should first understand Slackware and its boot process as well.
Gratefull thanks Basel and Gort32!

Basel · 10-11-2005, 02:23 PM

Hi grautu,

I was not refering to the installer or the installation environment in which you need to select a kernel,packages and do other things. All you need to do is just running the lilo command as root from the console when you are under Slackware from the floppy.

grautu · 10-11-2005, 04:11 PM

Hi Basel, thanks!
Your last answer

Quote:

I was not refering to the installer or the installation environment in which you need to select a kernel,packages and do other things.

now shows me that my install steps and what you have in mind are completely different things: during my attempts to install I only used diskettes for copying on them from my PC and never used diskettes as "master" media. So once having that understood, I need to make sure about the "master" diskette you have in mind (i.e. the one to act from): (1) Is that diskette the file <install.1> which can be downloaded from <http://slackware.at/data/slackware-current/rootdisks/>?; (2) Is that diskette the file located on CD1 at /kernels/bare.i/bzImage?; (3) Are you refering to another diskette which I do not know?
Thanks!

Basel · 10-11-2005, 11:28 PM

Hi,

Sorry if I cause any confusion. Usually if I face any problems with booting Slackware or Lilo I do the following:
* Insert Slackware CD1 and reboot my machine
* After the initial boot of Slackware CD1 usual you have to select a kernel for the installation to continue. However in your case enter the following command, Slackware CD1 will give you a hint as well: bare.i /dev/hda6 no initrd
* Slackware starts booting using the bare.i image kernel from the CD.
* Once Slackware is up and running, whether under the console or under X, su - root
* enter the root password and then run the command lilo
* Reboot the machine to make sure that Lilo got installed (not necessary if you don't get any error messages after running lilo)
* exit to continue using Slackware as a normal user

It is as simple as that.

grautu · 10-12-2005, 05:02 AM

Hi!
Thanks Basel! Unfortunately, your method is by now the third failing one in attemting to install LILO. I did try both the MBR and the superblock install. I mean

Code:

# lilo

in which case the machine's answer was

Code:

Added Windows * 
Added Linux

and

Code:

# lilo -b /dev/hda6

in which case machine's message was

Code:

Ignoring entry 'boot'
Added Windows *
Added Linux

Both variants yield no change in my system. For the time being I have no idea of what to do; maybe digging. Any way, though not useful to me, I shall most likely send a report to Slackware team. Meanwhile, any idea is kindly appreciated.
Thanks a lot!

heltreko · 10-12-2005, 05:23 AM

Could you post your /etc/lilo.conf ?

grautu · 10-12-2005, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by heltreko
Could you post your /etc/lilo.conf ?

Hi, thanks heltreko!

Code:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda6
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
  reset
# 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
# End LILO global section
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
  label = Windows
  table = /dev/hda
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/hda6
  label = Linux
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Thanks again!

grautu · 10-12-2005, 06:16 PM

The problem is solved!
Basel recipe did finally work. There are some aspects which I do not understand yet but, for the time being, my Slack is bootable as I intended to be.
Thanks a lot Basel, grateful thanks to all!

sweetnsourbkr · 10-14-2005, 11:05 AM

Now all you need to do is boot lilo in graphical mode and throw in a nice wallpaper to boot! Happy slacking!