Major problem (LILO)

Mahony · 04-09-2004, 08:00 AM

Hello,
I have been having trouble recently with my computer and I had to install Windows (noooooooo). Anyway, Windows overwrited my MBR and now I need to install it again to access Linux (if I still can). I formated my Swap partition and installed windows onto that. Does anyone know how I could boot into Linux?

Thank you

I have some very important data there, please help.

dopefish · 04-09-2004, 08:04 AM

I assume your using slackware cos thats what it says your distribution is.
Load up your slackware install cd and login
create a folder to mount your linux installation to then mount your linux installation to it e.g.
mkdir /mnt/linux
mount /dev/hda2 /mnt/linux
then chroot to /mnt/linux
chroot /mnt/linux
and type lilo

Mahony · 04-09-2004, 08:14 AM

Unfortuantly I don't have a my Slackware install CD but I think I have a Debain CD, a College Linux CD and a Knoppix CD ... I'm not sure I'll have to look, is there anyway I could do it from one of them?

dopefish · 04-09-2004, 08:18 AM

College linux is based on slackware so possibly
Knoppix definitely

Mahony · 04-09-2004, 08:48 AM

Damn! I can't find my knoppix CD. I do however have a College Linux CD, what could I do with this? When I use it, is says "boot:" what should I type here?

dopefish · 04-09-2004, 08:54 AM

Press enter then follow the instructions i gave before

Mahony · 04-09-2004, 09:04 AM

Then it starts to install...

dopefish · 04-09-2004, 09:19 AM

Ok i thought seeing as it was based on slackware it might install like slackware. You could always try your debian cd, not sure if that will work

Mahony · 04-09-2004, 09:46 AM

Is there any other way?

dopefish · 04-09-2004, 09:53 AM

You could try writing a kernel to a floppy and booting with that
when it comes up with the boot prompt type
root=/dev/hda3

Mahony · 04-09-2004, 10:02 AM

How exactly would I write a kernel to a floppy?

dopefish · 04-09-2004, 10:09 AM

in linux use dd
#dd if=kernelnamehere of=/dev/fd0
in windows you can use rawrite

Mahony · 04-09-2004, 10:17 AM

rawrite doesn't work

dopefish · 04-10-2004, 10:45 PM

It should ive never had troubles with it. What are you typing?

emetib · 04-10-2004, 11:24 PM

linux root=/dev/hda3
if that's your linux root partition anyway. that will boot into linux for you. /sbin/lilo will reinstall your lilo on the mbr if that's where you had it before. you might want to look at your /etc/lilo.conf to make sure that you have a windows boot prompt in it. if not add-

other=/dev/hda1
label="windows"

that's pretty much off of memory, since i dont' have any windows i really can't specify it perfectly. someone else should be able to.

cheers.