LinuxQuestions.org - trying to format using small linux install and lilo

i am building a tool that i can use to format any machine from within the operating system. the package will be a *.msi that will copy a small linux install to the root of the active partition, enters a new default entry in the windows 'boot.ini' file to boot from a lilo boot sector and the lilo boot sector will load the kernel image that boots linux. the linux install (from a ramdisk) will do nothing except format the hard drive.

at least... this is the project goal.

i've been able to write a lilo boot sector but have not been able to boot the tools i've been trying to use to format the drive. i've tried booting to Darik's Boot And Nuke and tomsrtbt with no success. i have several questions regarding this.

1) how can i ensure the OS is loaded into a ramdisk and does not at all use the drive during the format process?
2) is there a small distro i can boot from the hard drive with fdisk~ish tools available
3) is there some way i can boot to the aforementioned mini installs with lilo? (all have linux kernels)

any other information is of course welcome also :D

edit: oops, should have added this before

lilo.conf

Code:

boot=/dev/hda

map=/map

default=nuke

read-only

prompt

timeout=20



image=/boot/vmlinuz

initrd=/boot/initrd

label=SuSE_Linux

root=/dev/hda2

read-only



image=/nuke/kernel.bzi

initrd=/nuke/initrd.gz

label=NuKe

root=/dev/hda2



image=/tomsrtbt/bz2bzImage

label=tomsrtbt

root=/dev/hda2

addition:

tomsrtbt

Code:

Partition check:

 hda: hda1 hda2 hda3

NTFS version 000607

EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.

VFS: Mounted root (ext3 filesystem) readonly

Freeing unused kernel memory: 92k freed

Darik's Boot and Nuke

Code:

RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0

Freeing initrd memory: 153k freed

VFS: Mounted root (cramfs filesystem).

Mounted devfs on /dev

cramfs: wrong magic

FAT: bogus logical sector size 0

Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 03:02