Exect format error upon booting from full install on External Multiboot BIOS/UEFI HD

fredmyra · 08-25-2021, 02:19 PM

I am trying to install Slackware64-current on a Toshiba Canvio Extern hårddisk 1 TB. My goal is to have a multiboot disk able to boot through as many firmwares as possible, both in UEFI and in BIOS modes.

The disk already hosts a partition with Manjaro. This is because of my earlier experiences with Multiboots in internal disks, when some other distros were unable to boot Manjaro. Since then I have adopted Manjaro as my Grub-maintainer, and it has worked fine.

I am installing through a Fujitsu Lifebook

Code:

#  /etc/fstab

UUID=2118a5d9-f3af-48ec-9bdb-70ee45dfe9b1     swap             swap        defaults         0   0
UUID=c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c     /                ext4        defaults         1   1
UUID=c3c03d75-49cd-4e61-8669-eef46d66d792    /dev/sdb7        /media/andra_OS  ext4        defaults         1   2
UUID=17a0c229-1a24-4a95-a08d-ccd5503092d3    /media/myStorage ext4        defaults         1   2
UUID=8851-03c3      /boot/efi        vfat        defaults         1   0
#/dev/cdrom      /mnt/cdrom       auto        noauto,owner,ro,comment=x-gvfs-show 0   0
/dev/fd0         /mnt/floppy      auto        noauto,owner     0   0
devpts           /dev/pts         devpts      gid=5,mode=620   0   0
proc             /proc            proc        defaults         0   0
tmpfs            /dev/shm         tmpfs       defaults         0   0

Code:

# some entries in grub.cfg at Slackware64 (stable)

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Slackware-14.2 GNU/Linux' --class slackware-14.2 --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c' {
	load_video
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_gpt
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd1,gpt8'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt8 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt8 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt8  c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c
	fi
	echo	'Loading Linux 4.4.14 ...'
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-huge-4.4.14 root=UUID=c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c ro  
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/boot/initrd.gz
}
submenu 'Advanced options for Slackware-14.2 GNU/Linux' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c' {
	menuentry 'Slackware-14.2 GNU/Linux, with Linux 4.4.14' --class slackware-14.2 --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-4.4.14-advanced-c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c' {
		load_video
		insmod gzio
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt8'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt8 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt8 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt8  c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c
		fi
		echo	'Loading Linux 4.4.14 ...'
		linux	/boot/vmlinuz-huge-4.4.14 root=UUID=c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c ro  
		echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
		initrd	/boot/initrd.gz
	}
	menuentry 'Slackware-14.2 GNU/Linux, with Linux generic (recovery mode)' --class slackware-14.2 --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-generic-recovery-c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c' {
		load_video
		insmod gzio
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt8'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt8 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt8 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt8  c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c
		fi
		echo	'Loading Linux generic ...'
		linux	/boot/vmlinuz-generic root=UUID=c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c ro single 
		echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
		initrd	/boot/initrd.gz
	}
}

### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-simple-cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
	insmod part_gpt
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd1,gpt10'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
	fi
	linux /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb10
	initrd /boot/initrd.gz
}
submenu 'Advanced options for Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0)' $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-advanced-cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
	menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0) (on /dev/sdb10)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/boot/vmlinuz--cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt10'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		fi
		linux /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb10
		initrd /boot/initrd.gz
	}
	menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0) (on /dev/sdb10)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/boot/vmlinuz--cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt10'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		fi
		linux /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb10
		initrd /boot/initrd.gz
	}
	menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0) (on /dev/sdb10)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/boot/vmlinuz-generic--cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt10'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		fi
		linux /boot/vmlinuz-generic root=/dev/sdb10
	}
	menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0) (on /dev/sdb10)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/boot/vmlinuz-generic-4.4.14--cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt10'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		fi
		linux /boot/vmlinuz-generic-4.4.14 root=/dev/sdb10
	}
	menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0) (on /dev/sdb10)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/boot/vmlinuz-generic-5.13.12--cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt10'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		fi
		linux /boot/vmlinuz-generic-5.13.12 root=/dev/sdb10
	}
	menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0) (on /dev/sdb10)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/boot/vmlinuz-huge--cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt10'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		fi
		linux /boot/vmlinuz-huge root=/dev/sdb10
	}
	menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0) (on /dev/sdb10)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/boot/vmlinuz-huge-4.4.14--cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt10'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		fi
		linux /boot/vmlinuz-huge-4.4.14 root=/dev/sdb10
	}
	menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0) (on /dev/sdb10)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-/boot/vmlinuz-huge-5.13.12--cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
		insmod part_gpt
		insmod ext2
		set root='hd1,gpt10'
		if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		else
		  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
		fi
		linux /boot/vmlinuz-huge-5.13.12 root=/dev/sdb10
	}
}

Manjaro was installed for BIOS-UEFI dual booting according to the tutorial at https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtop...0194a#p1744547
and boots fine in both modes.

Slackware was installed according to (https://medium.com/netdef/using-a-us...t-4b1051f1eb56) which has worked for installing multiboot external disks - one SSD in UEFI/EFI mode, which I normally use on my macbook and one HD which I normally use on the Fujitsu Lifebook. I also use them occasionally in other machines, on demand.

The installation went swiftly but when I tried to boot it, after updating Manjaros grub, I got format exec errors which I immediately recognized as identical to what originated my thread . So I tried what had led me past the format exec errors before, but this time without any success.

Rootdelay at boot, fstab specified in UUID, root specified in UUID att linux line in grub.cfg did not help. The making of 2 initrds / one according to ": "mkinitrd -c -k 5.13.12 -m ext4"." - and another

Code:

mkinitrd -c -k 4.4.14 -m ext4:usbcore:sd_mod:ehci_hcd:uhci_hcd:ohci_hcd:usb_storage:scsi_mod -f ext4 -r /dev/sdb3

according to post #9 in https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...3/#post6215285 which had been the solution to my first experience with these errors. did not help either.

I tried all the available kernels, with intrds, and tried the huge kernels with and without initrds. Huge kernels resulted always directly into kernel panic. Non-huge kernels resulted invariably in the format exec error and when exiting the shell offered to try solving it then went into kernel panic.

So I reformatted the partition and went through the whole thing again, getting exactly same results.

Next I installed Slackware64 (stable) in another partition, as a test. Installation went fine, but then I met almost exactly the same errors all the way and felt it was time to come here and ask for help.

I tried still one desperate idea, and for the first time in my life installed a bootloader from from Slackware (the stable version) an it was grub. And OMG it booted Manjaro - once I supplied a bit missing in the initrd line for Manjaro - namely "initramfs-5.10/x86_64.img". Manjaro is booting only in Bios mode, I have not installed grub for UEFI yet in order to avoid having to consider too many factors at this point.

Slackware however is presenting the exec format errors. And now I have run out of ideas except for recreating partition table and installing as single UEFI as another test.

But I have already missed on this issue once, as I did pass the format exec errors in the past but never solved the error that followed it as a consequence of its fixing, and now I would like once and for all understand what is happening here.

So I will cross my fingers and wait for counsel.

I will place some examples of the error messages in the next posts.

Alien Bob · 08-25-2021, 02:33 PM

The first answer in that earlier thread of yours already gave you the explanation for the "exec format error" you are seeing and which are harmless: these messages will occur when you boot a huge kernel with an initrd.
Once you switch from the huge kernel to a generic kernel these "exec format error" messages will stop.

fredmyra · 08-25-2021, 03:35 PM

Quote:

The first answer in that earlier thread of yours already gave you the explanation for the "exec format error" you are seeing and which are harmless: these messages will occur when you boot a huge kernel with an initrd.
Once you switch from the huge kernel to a generic kernel these "exec format error" messages will stop.

Thank you for quick reply, but it is not working this time. I tried, as described, all initrds * I made myself 2 for current and 2 for stable and the errors are strickingly similar across alll of them.

Quote:

I tried all the available kernels, with intrds, and tried the huge kernels with and without initrds. Huge kernels resulted always directly into kernel panic. Non-huge kernels resulted invariably in the format exec error and when exiting the shell offered to try solving it then went into kernel panic.

All examples from Slackware64 *stable)

1) 1a_def.jpg - at booting right after installing, before any postinstall.

2) mkinitrd1_mount_t.jpg - failed attempt attempt to by/pass format exec error, under the first named mkinitrd.

3) mkinitrd_final.jpg - The making of the second mkinitrd

4) finalUUd_w15.jpg - attempt with root delay, 2nd initrd, root=UUID=....

5)final_mount_o2.jpg - 2nd initrd, uuid,rootdelay attempt to mount w parameter -o

quickbreakfast · 08-25-2021, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredmyra

Code:

#  /etc/fstab

UUID=2118a5d9-f3af-48ec-9bdb-70ee45dfe9b1     swap             swap        defaults         0   0
UUID=c715e9e5-d7cb-4809-ab42-bbebfd9c906c     /                ext4        defaults         1   1
UUID=c3c03d75-49cd-4e61-8669-eef46d66d792    /dev/sdb7        /media/andra_OS  ext4        defaults         1   2
UUID=17a0c229-1a24-4a95-a08d-ccd5503092d3    /media/myStorage ext4        defaults         1   2
UUID=8851-03c3      /boot/efi        vfat        defaults         1   0
#/dev/cdrom      /mnt/cdrom       auto        noauto,owner,ro,comment=x-gvfs-show 0   0
/dev/fd0         /mnt/floppy      auto        noauto,owner     0   0
devpts           /dev/pts         devpts      gid=5,mode=620   0   0
proc             /proc            proc        defaults         0   0
tmpfs            /dev/shm         tmpfs       defaults         0   0

I find the third line of your fstab curious.

What is the

Code:

 /media/andra_OS

doing there? I thought it should be the format style.

And the extra empty spaces before the

Code:

/boot/efi

seem strange. Perhaps it's a typo, but I reckon the spaces shouldn't be there....... I always tab from one listing to another.

Are you sure the partitions are formatted correctly?

Alien Bob · 08-26-2021, 07:51 AM

Your screenshots clearly show the exec format errors and duplicate symbols already owned by the kernel. This means your kernel has these drivers already compiled in. When the initrd tries to load these drivers as modules, the kernel complains. It means that your kernel is a huge kernel. Even when you think it is a generic kernel... it is not.

I also see that after generating the initrd you seem to ignore the "please re-run lilo" prompt. Everytime you change kernel or re-generate an initrd, you need to re-run lilo. If you fail to do so, lilo will keep using the same old kernel plus initrd.
Until you delete them of course (in which case your computer will just fail to boot).

colorpurple21859 · 08-26-2021, 09:22 AM

at the grub menu highlight the first current menu entry press e for edit and change to

Code:

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry 'Slackware Linux (Slackware 15.0)' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-gnulinux-simple-cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a' {
	insmod part_gpt
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd1,gpt10'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt10 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt10 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt10  cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
	fi
	linux /boot/vmlinuz-generic root=UUID=cbfbc57f-5ada-4a5c-861f-4f62ad47688a
	initrd /boot/initrd.gz
}

ctrl-x to boot

fredmyra · 08-26-2021, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Your screenshots clearly show the exec format errors and duplicate symbols already owned by the kernel. This means your kernel has these drivers already compiled in. When the initrd tries to load these drivers as modules, the kernel complains. It means that your kernel is a huge kernel. Even when you think it is a generic kernel... it is not.

Thanks for clarifying a point I was totally unaware of.

Quote:

... after generating the initrd you seem to ignore the "please re-run lilo" prompt.

It is to be a multiboot and I have chosen to use grub, and I am sure I did run the

Code:

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cg

everyone of the many times I run mkinitrd. I may have missed one or two, but it would be impossible miss many.

Anyway, quickbreakfast has pointed some gross misshandling, on my part, of one fstab. I will certainly have to clear up things there before I look again at the problems with initrds.

fredmyra · 08-26-2021, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quickbreakfast
What is the
Code:

/media/andra_OS

doing there?

Code:

/media/andra

was my answer when unexpectedly asked by the installer where did I want to mount my FAT data partition, which I thought of as channel to exchange data with non-linux systems.

Thanks for pointing it out. It seems like my fstabs are bad. Really bad ! I will work on them a while and will certainly return, for better or worse.

quickbreakfast · 08-26-2021, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredmyra

It seems like my fstabs are bad. Really bad ! I will work on them a while and will certainly return, for better or worse.

if you are not sure about writing, or editing, an fstab file, then here is a link https://www.howtogeek.com/444814/how...file-on-linux/ which may go some way to helping you ammend an fstab.

fredmyra · 09-01-2021, 07:48 PM

I have been working full time on this project for the last 8 days. Have experienced many,many for me strange errors and read much.

I am attaching some unorganized private notes with the links to their original posts, hoping that it may save some other newbies some searching time. I feel that these posts have helped me to better understand Slackware (and Linux) .

The Slackware.current64 (15.0) has finally booted in Bios mode. I still have to solve the UEFi side.

quickbreakfast was right. There were problems in the fstab. I fixed the conceptual errors a few days ago but missed a typo in the root's UUID.

To my fellow newbies: I had not the patience to look for a way of increasing the fonts in my small and old display, which has many dark spots which really make it difficult to read. And my vision is not that good .

So I never caught the b which should have been a 6. Visually, that is.

I had to go a long detour and discover it conceptually, i.e. by making too many mistakes until one then made obvious to me that there must be something wrong with root's UUID in the fstab.

And I report how it went, once again for the sake of fellow newbies:

After getting messages that "/mnt could not be found in fstab" for way too many times , even when I tried huge kernel - with and without initrd.gz (the default one) -
I tried making the initrd as instructed in the original repository, but got the same error. Then I tried suggestions from different posts with many different combinations of parameters always getting the same error and being confused as to which factor I must change.

In my final desperation I followed post #197 of https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...ml#post6141641 which suggested, "just for fun", a heavy approach like "cannons to kill flies" and then got a message of "invalid UUID" and there I could ,for the first time, see the typo in my fstab.

So this is definitely solved although, I suspect, not in elegant manner.

I will now try to make my initrd leaner. I am thinking of comparing listings of builtin modules, /lib/ directories in initrd-trees and lsmod and try to figure out a list of modules to go in my ideal mkinitrd. Will be thankful for tips.

My question now is: do I mark this as solved now and make a new thread for the making of a leaner inirdt ?

Once again thanks for the great support !

fredmyra · 09-03-2021, 11:44 AM

I have made an initrd for the Stable version (installed in another partition) in the same way as described in post #19, and it is booting now. There were no errors in the fstab file, so the problems, which yielded exactly the same errors as in the current version must have been due to the initrd, as Bob Alien explained in post #2.

I have one question now, which I will post in another thread, if told so: if I install grub now in one or both of the Slackware versions must I in the case of Grub for uefi använda option "- removable" ? Arch Linux documentation says it is a must for external hard disks, but does it apply to Slackwares too ?

quickbreakfast · 09-03-2021, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredmyra

if I install grub now in one or both of the Slackware versions must I in the case of Grub for uefi använda option "- removable" ?

Perhaps I'm too much of a slacker to understand your mind set. But if lilo is works to boot your system, why on earth would you make work for yourself by replacing something which works for something that may not?

Three other points.

My slackware 14.2 terminal permits copying and pasteing, makeing copying/writing UUID's in the fstab really easy.

My slackware 14.2 terminal allows changes to fonts types and size plus terminal colours. Perhaps yours does too, which might reduce eye strain.

My fstab uses /dev/sda? not UUID's further reducing the chance of typo's in my fstab.

fredmyra · 09-04-2021, 01:29 PM

Thanks for the tips quickbreakfast !

Quote:

But if lilo is works to boot your system, why on earth would you make work for yourself by replacing something which works for something that may not?

I am multibooting, and would thus have to learn lilo/elilo in order to boot other distros, and just the thought of booting Manjaro from another distro'ś grub terrifies me.

Although in this project I have been able to boot it from Grub on Slackware. It was actually the first time I had a bootloader on Slackware. So I have never booted from lilo/elilo.

fredmyra · 03-30-2022, 01:56 PM

I have finally been able to boot Slackware from my External USB Harddisk which was the underlying subject of this thread, which I marked as SOLVED a while ago.

I find I made it in an interesting way and wanted to share it in hope that it may inspire other newbies that face a similar challenge.

Not knowing whether it would be right to post it here I am posting it at a new thread : https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...68#post6342768