Dual Boot Mandrake & Mepis

pongmaster · 09-03-2004, 07:34 PM

I've installed Mepis on my slave drive - hdb.
Root partition is on hdb1.
I've (tried) to configure lilo to point to the root partition of Mepis (hdb1) but I still cant get it to boot. I partially used info in the Mepis Grub conf file to setup lilo, but when it comes to booting Mepis I get this error:
Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to the kernel.
Here's my lilo config file.

Code:

# File generated by DrakX/drakboot
# WARNING: do not forget to run lilo after modifying this file

boot=/dev/hda
default="linux"
prompt
nowarn
timeout=100
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz
	label="linux"
	root=/dev/hda1
	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
	append="devfs=mount acpi=ht splash=silent"
	vga=788
	read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
	label="linux-nonfb"
	root=/dev/hda1
	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
	append="devfs=mount acpi=ht"
	read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.3-7mdk
	label="263-7"
	root=/dev/hda1
	initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.3-7mdk.img
	append="devfs=mount acpi=ht splash=silent"
	read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-smp
	label="linux-smp"
	root=/dev/hda1
	initrd=/boot/initrd-smp.img
	append="devfs=mount acpi=ht splash=silent"
	read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
	label="failsafe"
	root=/dev/hda1
	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
	append="failsafe acpi=ht devfs=nomount"
	read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7
        label="Mepis"
        root=/dev/hdb1
        initrd=/boot/grub/initrd.mepis
        read-only

Bit lost on what to do next - I can post any other necessary files if required.
Any help much appreciated.

snatale1 · 09-03-2004, 10:08 PM

If you boot your first MDK CD like your doing an install pick upgrade, Nothing will really get changed but it will detect the other Linux installation and set grub for you.

pongmaster · 09-04-2004, 07:37 AM

Nope, didn't work.
Mandrake uses lilo as standard - it just tried to re-install the lilo config that I already had.
Any more suggestions?

comprookie2000 · 09-04-2004, 08:16 AM

Did you run /sbin/lilo what did it say?

Skyline · 09-04-2004, 09:43 AM

Which method did you use to make Mepis's kernel etc accesible to LILO before running /sbin/lilo from Mandrake?

pongmaster · 09-04-2004, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by comprookie2000
Did you run /sbin/lilo what did it say?

Ah, yes, now I get an error message. Initially I was using drakboot to configure lilo, but running it from the console gives errors:

Code:

# /sbin/lilo
Added linux *
Added linux-nonfb
Added 263-7
Added linux-smp
Added failsafe
Fatal: open /boot/grub/initrd.mepis is not a directory
#

Quote:

Which method did you use to make Mepis's kernel etc accesible to LILO before running /sbin/lilo from Mandrake?

I didn't realise I had to - I've never tried to boot two different distro's before. If this is the case, I didn't do anything to Mepis' Kernel. I just installed it on the slave drive, installed Mepis' bootloader on the root partition and booted back into Mandrake to edit lilo.
I honestly thought it would be as easy as that - it looks like I was mistaken.
must do more

Skyline · 09-04-2004, 10:15 AM

Do this:

Go into Mandrake - su to root user in Konsole and:

Create mount point:

Code:

mkdir /mnt/mepis

Then mount Mepis's root partition - (presuming it's on ext3 - substiute if different)

Code:

mount -t ext3 -o rw /dev/hdb1 /mnt/mepis

Now Mepis's root partition is mounted, have a quick check of the PATH's to the kernel and initrd file - they should be like the entry below - ie ( have a look in /mnt/mepis/boot....... etc etc and see if those files are there - if not then post back if you're not sure)

Then use a text editor as root user in Konsole still to edit /etc/lilo.conf

Code:

kedit /etc/lilo.conf

Then edit the Mepis entry to : (having checked the PATH's first of course)

Code:

image=/mnt/mepis/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7
        label="Mepis"
        root=/dev/hdb1
        initrd=/mnt/mepis/boot/grub/initrd.mepis
        read-only

Then Save the /etc/lilo.conf file

Then type:

Code:

/sbin/lilo

and reboot.

pongmaster · 09-04-2004, 04:51 PM

That did it, thanks Skyline.