LILO Slackware Issues

IronStomach · 06-25-2007, 02:24 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but I've just tried to install Slackware for the first time and I've run in to some problems. Basically, I'm running a dual-boot system with Windows Vista and I have the hard drive partitioned thusly:

0-6184 (5GB): unused
6185-102257 (79.5GB): Windows Vista install
102257-136460 (28.3GB): Slackware install
6.3: Linux Swap Space

I've managed to get through the installation, and I can get through all of the configuration except for the LILO setup, which gives an error no matter what I try (advanced setup: tried installing to MBR, Root partition, installing to /dev/hda or /dev/hda2):

Code:

/ect/lilo.conf:

Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda2
#compact          #faster, but won't work on all systems. 
prompt
timeout = 50
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773

(other VESA framebuffer console stuff)

# ramdisk = 0     #paranoia global setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/hda2
  label = slackware
  read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only f
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
  label = Vista
  table = /dev/hda
#Windows bootable partition config ends

The error message reads:
LILO INSTALL ERROR #1
Sorry, but the attempt to install LILO has returned an error...

Moreover, the lilo.conf file never gets written, so I can't edit it afterwards. Any suggestions at all would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

gilead · 06-25-2007, 02:39 PM

Not being able to save /etc/lilo.conf could be the problem. Are you editing as root (or using sudo)? Are you getting an error when you try and save /etc/lilo.conf? Can you post any errors you see when editing the file as well as the output of lilo -v?

IronStomach · 06-25-2007, 03:04 PM

Hmm... well, the original error was using the Slackware setup process. When I boot (using sata.i root=/dev/hda2 noinitrd ro after DVD startup) login as root, I can get access to the lilo.conf file, which is different from the one given in the initial setup. lilo -v gives:
LILO version 22.7.1, Copyright (C) 1992-1998...
Released 17-Sep-2005 and compiled at 00:33:53 on Aug 8 2006.

Reading boot sector from /dev/hda2
using MENU secondary loader
Calling map_insert_data

Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz
added slackware *

edit: sorry, forgot some stuff:
boot other: /dev/hda1, on /dev/hda, loader CHAIN
Device 0x0300: inconsistent partition table, first entry
CHS address in PT: 1023:137:12 --> LBA (16443137)
LBA address in PT: 10242048 --> CHS (637:137:13)
Fatal: either FIX_TABLE or IGNORE_TABLE must be specified
If not sure, first try IGNORE_TABLE (-P ignore)

And here's the new lilo.conf file:

Code:

# Start LILO global section
lba32 #allow booting past 1024th cylinder with a recent BIOS
boot = /dev/hda2
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems. 
prompt
timeout = 50
# VESA framebuffer console @1024x768x256
vga = 773

(more console stuff here)

# ramdisk = 0 #paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda2
label = slackware
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
  label = Vista
  table = /dev/hda
#Windows bootable partition config ends

synapse · 06-27-2007, 06:23 AM

boot = /dev/hda2

should be

boot = /dev/hda

Regards

j0hnnyb0y · 06-27-2007, 11:43 PM

The boot=/dev/hda2 had me a little confused also. I defer to the expertise of the previous post as I am not an expert myself, as far as fixing the problem at the command line. But I have installed recent versions of slackware on different computers multiple times and never had to do any command line editing, for lilo. Worse case scenario you could always reinstall the Slackware. Pick the simple install of lilo and pick install to your MBR. Well that is just another option.