LILO / XP dual boot problems
 

hi,

im probably just being stupid, but when i boot my computer up i dont get any option of booting into linux, it just goes straight into windows xp.

i have redhat 8 and i setup LILO in the installation process. Do i have to press a key during boot or should a screen come up?

Many thanks,

Charlie

Where did you install lilo? In the mbr or on the linux partition? If it's on the linux partition you need to make that partition bootable with cfdisk or fdisk, whatever is on the cd. I suppose you can use the RH cd as a rescue boot cd too? Check the manual (it's online on the RH site), you can probably boot using the cd and then you have to add an option at the boot-prompt, something like linux root=/dev/hda3 or whatever your linux partition is. Then when you're in linux, check your /etc/lilo.conf and run lilo. Then you should have a screen come up at next boot with options for booting either linux or windows (depends on what exactly is in /etc/lilo.conf).

You should install LILO to the root of the primary partition, not to the MBR. If you created a boot/rescue disk during Red Hat installation, use that to boot with, and then once in Red Hat, verify your lilo.conf is the way you want it, and run lilo (or /sbin/lilo to "install" the LILO configuration.
Also, make sure your 'timeout' value in lilo.conf is greater than zero, as '0' will skip directly to your default OS on boot, without a menu.

hi,
here is a copy of my lilo.conf file:

***********8
prompt
timeout=50
default=DOS
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
restricted
password= <snip>
message=/boot/message
linear

image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-14
label=linux
root=/dev/hda3
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.18-14.img
read-only
append="hdd=ide-scsi root=LABEL=/"

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=DOS
table=/dev/hda

**********************

i added the bottom line, table=....., and the root=/dev/hda3 bit cos it was in my book, but it didnt change anything.

also, when i run lilo, i get this output

******************
Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Warning: device 0x0302 exceeds 1024 cylinder limit
Fatal: sector 78159371 too large for linear mode (try 'lba32' instead)

*******************

i have yet to try lba32, hmm might be worth trying, ill try that tomorrow.

i installed lilo to the MBR, how do i install it to the root of the primary partition?


thanks for the replies,

Charlie

you have to make your primary partitions less then 1024
cylinders of the hd

Check your BIOS and make sure LBA is enabled (should be on the same line that lists the hard drive's specs). A computer capable of running XP probably was made after 1997. Most BIOS since then do not have the 1024 restriction.

You should install XP first after RH so that it wont override your MBR, so that RH should be the dominant MBR.

Sorry to point this out, but this statement is a bit confusing. Do you mean the user should install XP first, then Red Hat? If so, I agree, as that's what I've seen written hundreds of times, and it's worked in my experience. Also, if the BIOS is not restricted by the 1024 boundary, it's usually best to install the boot loader to the primary partition, not to MBR.

thnaks for replies, how do i do this?

cheers,

Charlie

The 'boot' line in lilo.conf tells the system from where to boot; this is where LILO is installed. So in your configuration above, it's /dev/hda, which is the first available drive on your system. This is may or may not be good, as that appears to be your DOS (Windows) drive, but you need to verify that the drive is indeed bootable.
Here's a quote straight from the LILO Mini-HOWTO:
Check out the Mini-HOWTO for more info, specifically this page:
http://www.linux.org/docs/ldp/howto/mini/LILO-2.html

thanks for the help guys, replacing "linear" with "lba32" (as suggested by the error message originally, silly me) worked. i think it is probably best if i leave it be now as it seems to be functioning fine.

anyway thanks for the rapid and informative (and newbie friendly) replies. :)

Charlie

I have just done the same thing - install Mandrake Linux v9 with Win XP.
I have Win XP running, it is easier to install Win XP first.
Then I install Linux on a different partitiion.

refer to http://www.littlewhitedog.com/reviews_other_00011.asp for specific instructions
:study: