Lilo Grub will not start Linux does not boot
 

Really a newbie! When I try to boot, I get a message like "Invalid hard drive partition, enter command (e.g. C:/Windows/command.com) C> "
Lilo does not start. I've also tried GRUB, but get the same message. It seems like LILO/GRUB are not found and never start. I am able to boot from floppy.

I have Adaptec SCSI controller with/BIOS.
SCSI ID=0, 4.3G HD with WIN98SE
SCSI ID=1, 4.3G HD with LINUX
MASTER IDE, 2.5G HD w/no OS (just user files)

My MB BIOS is set to boot from SCSI. When the SCSI BIOS is set to boot from ID=0, WIN98SE runs just fine. When I change to ID=1, fails.

I have installed LILO several times on SCSI1 (MBR)...on IDE (MBR)...on SCSI1 /root. All the while changing my MB BIOS to boot from IDE...SCSI...all with no results. I have tried every configuration imaginable and all with the same message. "Invalid hard drive partition, enter command (e.g. C:/Windows/command.com) C> "

I looked at the grub/lilo conf files. Nothing looks to weird. But I don't think I'm to that step yet since I can't even get them to start.

Please help!

Jano

Tried installing to the mbr of SCSI0, while pointing the grub root to SCSI1, and set bios to boot from SCSI0?

If I install LILO or GRUB on SCSI0 MBR and it is screwed up, how then do I get WIN98SE to run? How do I return the MBR to its original state? I don't even want to start having to re-install WIN98SE.

I'm scared!!!:eek:

No, what happens if you install lilo/grub into SCSI0 mbr is that it will replace a standard MBR that does nothing but load the bootsector of the active partition, which is the win98 partition in your case. The MBR is programable thus it is possible to load a more sophisticated bootloader, such as lilo/grub, into it. Lilo/GRUB of course is also able to load the win9x bootsector(which is actually a bootloader as well) through the means of chainloading(which is something even nt os loader used in nt/2k/xp is not capable of).
for lilo a typical lilo.conf entry looks like this

other = /dev/hda1
label = win98se

of course you want to subsitude /dev/hda1 with your scsi device

for GRUB:

title Win98
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

grub is not particular concerned about the type of device, but the order which the bios sees the drives, so if you set the bios to boot from scsi0, the first scsi harddisk will most likely be (hd0), the second zero in the above example is the partition number, which similar to the drive number which starts on 0 in grub naming convention.

Oh and in order to restore that standard MBR which I mentioned, all you have to do is boot with a dos bootdisk(just use the one created in win98) then do a fdisk /mbr.

Dang, you are good! That's exactly what I wanted to know. Installing RH9 is really a hobby/learning process and it very new to me. Thanks!

If anyone else can add anything please reply!!!!