hello all,

i've been out of the linux install world for quite some time. i'm now trying to install slack 9 on my laptop. the install went fine, but when the system reboots, i don't get the LILO menu. it just sits at a blank screen w/ blinking cursor. once upon a time in the lilo howto, they gave a troubleshooting section telling you what the different letters meant. i can't find that info in the current howto. i'm using a dell laptop. i have two partitions: 1 10gig linux native marked bootable. 2 swap part. i've installed lilo to the super block. the drive is 20gig in total. anyone have any pointers? i can boot the system by using the cd and then typing ing bare.i root=/dev/hda1...

thanks

From RH 9.0 /usr/share/doc/lilo-21.4.4/README:

LILO start message
- - - - - - - - -

When LILO loads itself, it displays the word "LILO". Each letter is printed
before or after performing some specific action. If LILO fails at some
point, the letters printed so far can be used to identify the problem. This
is described in more detail in the technical overview.

Note that some hex digits may be inserted after the first "L" if a
transient disk problem occurs. Unless LILO stops at that point, generating
an endless stream of error codes, such hex digits do not indicate a severe
problem.

(<nothing>) No part of LILO has been loaded. LILO either isn't installed
or the partition on which its boot sector is located isn't active.
L <error> ... The first stage boot loader has been loaded and started,
but it can't load the second stage boot loader. The two-digit error
codes indicate the type of problem. (See also section "Disk error
codes".) This condition usually indicates a media failure or a geometry
mismatch (e.g. bad disk parameters, see section "Disk geometry").
LI The first stage boot loader was able to load the second stage boot
loader, but has failed to execute it. This can either be caused by a
geometry mismatch or by moving /boot/boot.b without running the map
installer.
LIL The second stage boot loader has been started, but it can't load
the descriptor table from the map file. This is typically caused by a
media failure or by a geometry mismatch.
LIL? The second stage boot loader has been loaded at an incorrect
address. This is typically caused by a subtle geometry mismatch or by
moving /boot/boot.b without running the map installer.
LIL- The descriptor table is corrupt. This can either be caused by a
geometry mismatch or by moving /boot/map without running the map
installer.
LILO All parts of LILO have been successfully loaded.

You stated that you can boot using the cd then you can edit the lilo config file.
1.login as root ,startx
2.start a console and cd to /etc
3.kedit lilo.conf and set evrything as per your installed OS
4. save and type 'lilo'-VERY IMPORTANT .This loads lilo into your MBR. This will also check whether you did any errors in lilo.conf
5.reboot

i had wanted to have lilo in the superblock, not the mbr. i was able to get it to work by putting lilo in the mbr instead of the superblock.

anyone ever get lilo to install and work in the superblock?

Yes I have been dual-booting with win XP and Slack for over a year with Lilo installed to the superblock of the drive/partition it is on.

kendo,

i want to do the same. can you point me to some docs you used to set yours up?

what size drive are you using. i've never been able to get lilo to work installing it in the superblock of large drives.