[SOLVED] Configure lilo to boot grub

dluco · 08-05-2013, 11:30 PM

Hi,
I've been using grub for quite a bit, but now I'm using lilo due to its simplicity. However, lilo doesn't detect my other distros very well.

So, my question is:
Is it possible to have lilo boot to grub?

Note: I have lilo installed to the mbr and the grub.conf file is on /dev/sda8

Thank you in advance!

SAbhi · 08-06-2013, 01:09 AM

First of all LILO is a boot loader and its config file resides under /etc/lilo.conf and not grub.conf.

here is the default lilo config file:

Code:

boot=/dev/had               # should points to the MBR or first hard disk
map=/boot/map                     # has boot map, do not mess with this
install=/boot/boot.b              # has a bootstrap file, do not mess with this
prompt                            # prompt to choose between available kernel images 
timeout=50
message=/boot/message          
default=Linux                     # default OS to be used

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2       # image section-first line contains path to Linux kernel image
  label=Linux                     # label for OS type
  read-only
  root=/dev/hda6                  # path for OS installation directory
  initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.2-2.img # path for initrd image

you can add other OS with:

Code:

other=/some/path/to/kernel/image  # Image section for other kernel's use only if required
 lable=some_os
 [parameters]
 root=/some/path/to/installation/dir

save and exit.
NOTE: do not forget to apply changes afte editing the lilo.conf file.

run as a superuser or root:

Code:

/sbin/lilo

output should be something like:

Added linux *

EDIT: you have to strictly follow the comments I mentioned inline with the config file.

pan64 · 08-06-2013, 01:37 AM

Yes, lilo and grub are both boot loaders, you can select anyone, but you cannot mix them and has no real meaning to boot one of them with the other one (although you can install both of them and switch between them - forth and back, but that will not solve your problem)

brianL · 08-06-2013, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dluco

Note: I have lilo installed to the mbr and the grub.conf file is on /dev/sda8

If grub is installed on /dev/sda8, then just add this to lilo.conf:

Code:

other = /dev/sda8
  title = whatever distro you're running

Then run lilo. Easy.

dluco · 08-06-2013, 11:07 AM

I know it's redundant and more work than it's worth, but I'd still like to be able to go from lilo to grub, if only to learn more about the two.

When I tried to put

Code:

other = /dev/sda8
  label = <whatever>

into lilo.conf, it complained and said /dev/sda8 had no valid bootsector.

Do I need to point lilo to the actual grub.conf on sda8?

jpollard · 08-06-2013, 05:00 PM

The problem is that Fedora (specifically) will not install grub2 anywhere but the MBR (you have to force it, and doing so is not something supported). so finding that sda8 doesn't have a valid bootsector is not a surprise.

SAbhi · 08-06-2013, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dluco

I know it's redundant and more work than it's worth, but I'd still like to be able to go from lilo to grub, if only to learn more about the two.

When I tried to put

Code:

other = /dev/sda8
  label = <whatever>

into lilo.conf, it complained and said /dev/sda8 had no valid bootsector.

Yes that error is correct, because in that particular section if you have seen my post, I clearly mentioned to give a path to the image file or a boot sector should be given since /dev/sda8 is your grub location and not a valid boot sector for lilo it ends up with that message.

Quote:

Do I need to point lilo to the actual grub.conf on sda8?

well I will again suggest to go proper way and don't try to try a hack into anything until you know it completely.

The current scenario is you don't exactly know how a boot loader works and you are trying to do experiments on it. Better to get the hands on first.

cheers

brianL · 08-07-2013, 05:23 AM

dluco
You say grub.conf is on /dev/sda8, but is grub itself actually installed there? If it is, the method I mentioned in post #4 should work, I've used it many times.

dluco · 08-07-2013, 11:05 AM

Alright, I figured out how to do it. Instead of going from grub(2) to lilo, I went the other way, ie. from grub to lilo.

I reinstalled lilo to the root partition of sda9 (where I have Slackware) and then reinstalled grub to the mbr.

To boot to LiLo from the grub screen, I added a menu entry for lilo in 40_custom:

Code:

menuentry "lilo" {
	insmod chain
	insmod ext4
	set root=(hd0,9)
	chainloader +1
}

Although grub says "file not found" when I boot to lilo, it still works.

jpollard · 08-07-2013, 11:26 AM

I don't think you need the insmod ext4... Lilo isn't part of a filesystem the way grub is.

dluco · 08-07-2013, 12:17 PM

Thanks! Taking out the ext4 line fixed everything. It now goes straight from grub to lilo without any problems!

Just to be complete (and to help anyone else doing something similar), this is the menu entry in /etc/grub.d/40_custom to boot lilo from grub:

Code:

menuentry "LiLo" {
    insmod chain
    set root=(hd0,X)
    chainloader +1
}

where X is the partition that lilo is installed to.

jpollard · 08-07-2013, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dluco

Thanks! Taking out the ext4 line fixed everything. It now goes straight from grub to lilo without any problems!

Just to be complete (and to help anyone else doing something similar), this is the menu entry in /etc/grub.d/40_custom to boot lilo from grub:

Code:

menuentry "LiLo" {
    insmod chain
    set root=(hd0,X)
    chainloader +1
}

where X is the partition that lilo is installed to.

And hd0 is the disk drive it is installed on.

dluco · 08-07-2013, 11:00 PM

Although the original purpose of this thread (booting lilo to grub) does not correspond with the apparent solution/compromise (booting grub to lilo), I think I'll mark this as solved.

SAbhi · 08-07-2013, 11:13 PM

Please mark the thread as Solved.