Lilo - Writing to MBR - Curious Problem
 

Laptop - Windows2k and Red Hat 7.2 - 1 drive install
fdisk /mbr after install of 7.2 b/c of screw up
I now have to use a boot disk to start linux - not all bad
Updated to Lilo version 21.4.4

I am now trying to repair the lilo.conf file. When I run # /sbin/lilo, it appears to write to the mbr, but upon restart, nothing is changed?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!(Am i not writing to the MBR, if so why not?

Thanks

what does the output of lilo -v -v say? what does your lilo.conf say?

/sbin/lilo -v -v output
 

/sbin/lilo -v -v output :::::

Lilo version 21.4-4, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
'lba32' extensions Copyright (C) 1999,2000 John Coffman
Reading boot sector from /dev/hdq
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Secondary loader: 11 sectors.
Mapping message file /boot/message
Message: 46 sectors.
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10
Setup length is 10 sectors.
Mapped 1569 sectors.
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.7-10.img
RAM disk: 646 sectors.
Added 2.4.7-10
Boot other: /dev/hda1, on /dev/hda, loader /boot/chain.b
Mapped 6 (4+1+1) sectors.
Added dos
Fatal: No images have been defined.
Removed temporary file /boot/map~

/dev/hdq??? presumably that should be hda...

It is hda...see below
 

Lilo version 21.4-4, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
'lba32' extensions Copyright (C) 1999,2000 John Coffman
Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Secondary loader: 11 sectors.
Mapping message file /boot/message
Message: 46 sectors.
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10
Setup length is 10 sectors.
Mapped 1569 sectors.
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.7-10.img
RAM disk: 646 sectors.
Added 2.4.7-10
Boot other: /dev/hda1, on /dev/hda, loader /boot/chain.b
Mapped 6 (4+1+1) sectors.
Added dos
Fatal: No images have been defined.
Removed temporary file /boot/map~

are you sure you've got the kernel images spelled correctly in lilo.conf?

I think so...
 

I think so. The problem is that when I run /sbin/lilo it is not writing to the MBR, at all. I am stumped. There is a good chance that I am not writing it to the correct place, but it seems correct.

Here it is again
 

/sbin/lilo -v -v:::::::
LILO version 21.4-4, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
'lba32' extensions Copyright (C) 1999,2000 John Coffman

Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Secondary loader: 11 sectors.
Mapping message file /boot/message
Message: 46 sectors.
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10
Setup length is 10 sectors.
Mapped 1569 sectors.
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.7-10.img
RAM disk: 646 sectors.
Added 2.4.7-10
Boot other: /dev/hda1, on /dev/hda, loader /boot/chain.b
Mapped 6 (4+1+1) sectors.
Added dos
Fatal: No images have been defined.
Removed temporary file /boot/map~

Post the contents of /etc/lilo.conf.