How to start linux without boot disk

chanws0 · 12-10-2003, 12:04 AM

Hi,

I have just installed RH linux 8.0 on a PC originally installed with R H linux 7.0.
After the installation, it can only reboot / start up with a boot disk. I have tried to change the file in /etc/lilo.conf

but I think I do not get the /boot set correctly
How to find the first hard disk ? Or how to tackle this problem if I want it start linux automatically once I reboot?

Thanks~

Regards,
chanws0

Glock Shooter · 12-10-2003, 12:12 AM

After making the changes to your /etc/lilo.conf are you doing a /sbin/lilo to write the changes to the MBR??

chanws0 · 12-10-2003, 12:17 AM

Yes.
but it prompt me the following

Warning: /dev/sdb2 is not on the first disk
Added linux *
Added linux-up

I don't know how to check the first disk

Thanks alot

Rgds,
chanws0

Glock Shooter · 12-10-2003, 01:45 AM

Why don't you go ahead and post the contents of your lilo.conf and tells us what devices you have and what is master/slave.

DavidPhillips · 12-10-2003, 07:12 PM

if its scsi for the first disk then sda would work

/sbin/lilo -b /dev/sda

this should be in the lilo.conf file as

boot=/dev/sda

chanws0 · 12-10-2003, 11:43 PM

Here is my lilo.conf

prompt
timeout=50
default=linux
boot=/dev/sda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
linear

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-14smp
label=linux
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.18-14smp.img
read-only
append="root=LABEL=/"

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-14
label=linux-up
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.18-14.img
read-only
append="root=LABEL=/"

and my filesystem is
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdb6 507732 216134 265385 45% /
/dev/sdb1 99134 23091 70924 25% /boot
/dev/sdb5 4377384 34332 4120692 1% /home
none 515500 0 515500 0% /dev/shm
/dev/sdb2 9461256 3898984 5081660 44% /usr
/dev/sdb7 1032072 142668 836976 15% /var
/dev/fd0 1430 1349 81 95% /mnt/floppy

Glock Shooter · 12-10-2003, 11:51 PM

I think all you need to do is change your boot=/dev/sda to boot=/dev/sdb

chanws0 · 12-11-2003, 04:16 AM

But it still prompts me the following:

Warning: /dev/sdb is not on the first disk
Added linux *
Added linux-up

My Question is how to find the first disk

Many Thanks.

Regards,
chanws0

DavidPhillips · 12-11-2003, 09:31 PM

According to your posts it was complaining about /dev/sdb2 not being on the first drive.

/dev/sdb2 is your /usr partition, which should not be an issue.

was it boot=/dev/sdb2 before?

try replacing "root=LABEL=/" with "root=/dev/sdb6"

then run this

/sbin/lilo -C /etc/lilo.conf -b /dev/sba