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@decuser... You're probably in the best place right here for the most accurate and timely assistance when it comes to Slackware. The SlackDocs project is somewhat quiescent these days. The SlackBook is an interesting read, but far from up-to-date. AlienBob's website is very helpful. And, of course, all the READMEs that come along with Slackware and updates/upgrades are also quite helpful. Other than that, I don't know what more to tell you. I'm not even sure if there is any activity on the old Slackware IRC channel.
Because many new Slackware installs use elilo, could someone please amend this page http://docs.slackware.com/slackware:beginners_guide so that newbie slackers, and relatively newbie slackers (such as myself), have a chance to switch to a generic kernel.
I think what I need to add to the elilo.conf life is
Code:
prompt
timeout=XX
default=label
but I'm not entirely sure.
thanks
edit to add...... I think I've read somewhere that there is a shorter way to generate the relative initrd file too, but can not, for the moment find it. That amendment too would be appreciated.
Last edited by quickbreakfast; 04-19-2023 at 07:50 PM.
@quickbreakfast... thanks for the request for update on that article. Upkeep of the docs.slackware site has not been as efficient and regular as many of us dreamed when this started. I'm not sure what improvements can be made to that article, but it will probably need to be something that AlienBob (Eric Hameleers) will have to handle, and he's a busy fellow. Please be patient. Any other technical editors who are still listed as editors at docs.slackware are welcome to jump in here and assist:
Editors
V. T. Eric Layton (nocturnal.slacker)
Gerardo Zamudio (gerardo.zamudio) English, Spanish
V. Harishankar (vharishankar)
W. Dean Milner (nyteowl)
Marcin Herda (sycamorex) Polish
Geoff Austin (mrclisdue)
Dugan Chen (dugan)
Hazel Russman (hazel)
Moses Elie (escaflown) English, French
Emilio Hodge (whiz)
zithro (zithro) French, bits of German and Spanish.
Matthew Fillpot (mfillpot)
Pat Volkerding and a few others who assist him with Slackware do a wonderful job of explaining many things (including changing kernels, LILO, other things in the "Readme" files on every Slackware ISO (and in the Package list on the main Slackware page).
Also, to be honest, I don't see that the information on docs.slackware.com regarding switching to a generic kernel is out-of-date in any way. That method still works fine, as far as I know. It's been a while since I piddled with this stuff. I'm still running Slack 14.2 because I have some issues with the new version of Xfce. That switch to generic has pretty much been the same procedure for as long as I can remember.
As far as LILO goes, it is VERY easy to customize by the user. My LILO is a "custom" and looks like this:
Code:
# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
lba32 # Allow booting past 1024th cylinder with a recent BIOS
# Append any additional kernel parameters:
append=" vt.default_utf8=0"
boot = /dev/sda
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
# Boot BMP Image.
# Bitmap in BMP format: 640x480x8
bitmap = /boot/slack.bmp
# Menu colors (foreground, background, shadow, highlighted
# foreground, highlighted background, highlighted shadow):
bmp-colors = 255,0,255,0,255,0
# Location of the option table: location x, location y, number of
# columns, lines per column (max 15), "spill" (this is how many
# entries must be in the first column before the next begins to
# be used. We don't specify it here, as there's just one column.
bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
# Timer location x, timer location y, foreground color,
# background color, shadow color.
bmp-timer = 65,27,0,255
# Standard menu.
# Or, you can comment out the bitmap menu above and
# use a boot message with the standard menu:
#message = /boot/boot_message.txt
# Wait until the timeout to boot (if commented out, boot the
# first entry immediately):
prompt
# Timeout before the first entry boots.
# This is given in tenths of a second, so 600 for every minute:
timeout = 50
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# Ask for video mode at boot (time out to normal in 30s)
#vga = ask
# 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
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/sda1
# initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
label = Slackware
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/sdc1
label = Windows
table = /dev/sdc
# Windows bootable partition config ends
My system is using four separate drives with two operating systems (Slackware & Windows). I only have that Windows installed for gaming. Also, it is "crippled"... NO Network Access. I'm not running a generic kernel at this time, so I have no need for an initrd, which you'll notice is commented (#) out in the LILO above.
What, specifically, are you trying to do on your system with regards to kernels/LILO? The more detailed information you can provide, the easier it will be for one of the Slack "Gurus" (which I'm definitely NOT) here at LQ.org to assist you better.
Also, to be honest, I don't see that the information on docs.slackware.com regarding switching to a generic kernel is out-of-date in any way.
I didn't say it was out of date.
Quote:
That method still works fine, as far as I know.
And as far as I know too.
The page I originally linked makes no mention of Elilo, that I can see, and I'd like someone to amend the page to refer to Elilo.
Quote:
What, specifically, are you trying to do on your system with regards to kernels/LILO? The more detailed information you can provide, the easier it will be for one of the Slack "Gurus" (which I'm definitely NOT) here at LQ.org to assist you better.
Help people who are distro hopping or escaping windoze or running a eufi system to amend Elilo their computer so that kernel choice is easy.
I've asked, hoping to help others, that is all I can do.
Edit to add. I have just noticed, there is a man page or lilo, but no man page for Elilo
Last edited by quickbreakfast; 04-21-2023 at 10:51 PM.
The page I originally linked makes no mention of Elilo, that I can see, and I'd like someone to amend the page to refer to Elilo.
The internals of elilo may be very different from those of lilo, but the configuration interface is identical as far as I know. When I started with Slackware, I used Patrick's eliloconfig script to create the first elilo.conf file, then edited it by hand to add my other systems, using the existing stanza as a model. Anyone who is used to lilo could do the same. The trouble is, it's so long ago now that I did this, I doubt if I could write a reliable instruction page for it.
Thank you, @quickbreakfast... that was 'specific' enough. Sorry for any misunderstanding on my part re: your first post here.
As to the elilo thing, my current system does NOT utilize EUFI, and I've never had any experience with it, so... others here will have to step up to answer your queries.
To create an account you must speak with alienbob via email and then he will create an account for you. BUT, even if all these goes good you will not have Access to edit or correct most of pages...
So imo forget it...
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