How to boot from boot partition instead of MBR?
 

I want to have one XP and two Linux OS in a single hard disk.

I created a boot partition 100MB.

First i install winXP as usual,

second Bodhi Linux, bootloader on its own partition and the boot partition.

Thirdly Slackware, bootloader on its own partition too.

but when i reboot, it only straight boot with winXP. No selection avaliable for the other 2 OS.

Bodhi bootloader is GRUB while slaceware is using LILO. i want to use LILO. How should i go about it?

The reason you boot straight into XP is that you installed it after your Linux distributions or you refreshed the master boot record (MBR) on the drive after the Linux install from the XP system.

One big question is why you want to use LILO. Whenever someone wants to go retro, that usually means that they have some specific requirement in mind and, without knowing that requirement, any recommendations are highly risky.

While you can put the /boot structure GRUB uses for configuration and later stage boot code on its own partition, there is usually no need for this these days.

Since you have a system with GRUB, that is probably the easiest way to go. Boot a Linux system off CD or USB and then re-initialize the GRUB that is there - see Drive upgrade: Ubuntu and Windows 7 dual boot main drive for examples. A Grub re-initialization (command: grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/newroot /dev/sdx) will update the MBR with GRUB code that will look in the /mnt/newroot location for additional code and configuration on drive sdx (these variables need to be substituted appropriately when re-initializing). The GRUB configuration will also be updated to find any bootable systems on your drive so that they will show in the boot menu.

Another thread like this suggested http://members.iinet.net.au/~herman546/p6.html as a help and that page does look like a good place to start to understand the boot process.

If you wanted lilo as the bootloader you should have specified to install lilo on the mbr rather than in a partition which would then require another bootloader to pass the boot sequence to lilo which would then boot your OS's.

as you have only just installed these, I'd recommend reinstalling slackware and installing lilo onto the mbr. Alternatively you could edit boot.ini in windows to chainload lilo and grub. I did something similar before but i had the boot option of windows or linux. if i chose linux it would chainload grub which would give me the choice of distro.

how to edit the boot.ini, what should i write in?

i am afraid if i install it in MBR i wouldn't be able to load XP again, this was what happened. i would rather do some chainload here.

Edit 1: NO special reasons to stick with LILO, just thought that if my last sequence of OS installation is Slackware i will be playing with LILO. But now i am with Grub already.

Edit 2: It's alright guys. i reinstall Bodhi Linux which is having GRUB, and install it onto BMR. Boot safely. Trying how to fixing my internet connection with Slackware now.

Thank you guys!