Slackware partition scheme help

bigbooty · 03-19-2011, 06:34 AM

Hi there,

I have currently decided to re-install Slackware onto my laptop. Only problem is, after installing LILO through the Slackware installation, it doesn't want to start.

My current scheme:

/sdb1/swap +4G
/sdb2/boot +200M

/sdb3/var +3G
/sdb4/ / +4G

I was debating whether i should just boot from '/' leaving '/boot' currently in it's original place. But when it comes down to severe paranoia and security, i don't like to risk it. Even if there is a one in a million chance of anything actually happening.

The problem seems to me; that after installing LILO, parts of the program are installing in '/' still, causing it not to start?

I have tried Grub, and I'm still getting the same problem.

If i haven't supplied enough information, let us know.

~booty

hilyard · 03-19-2011, 07:28 AM

IDK if this will help, but
try making /boot the first partition (sdb1)
and / the second (sdb2)
Plus, how big is your hard drive? Root (/) should probably be a minimum of nine GB and add an extended partition to include both /tmp and /var (4.6GB and ?, respectively)

disturbed1 · 03-19-2011, 08:01 AM

Lilo was most likely installed to the MBR of /dev/sda, along with the wrong root declaration in /etc/lilo.conf.
At the Lilo prompt you hit TAB to enter commands. You'll need to select (type in) the kernel name and root=/dev/sdb1. See attached screen shot.
Post your /etc/lilo.conf (wrapped in code tags).

And why is your swap so large? --edit-- I see your using a laptop, and most likely need to suspend

bigbooty · 03-19-2011, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disturbed1

Lilo was most likely installed to the MBR of /dev/sda, along with the wrong root declaration in /etc/lilo.conf.
At the Lilo prompt you hit TAB to enter commands. You'll need to select (type in) the kernel name and root=/dev/sdb1. See attached screen shot.
Post your /etc/lilo.conf (wrapped in code tags).

And why is your swap so large? --edit-- I see your using a laptop, and most likely need to suspend

Hi there mate,

I don't even get the LILO prompt. It just acts like a boot-loader hasn't even bothered about installing.
I get the black screen with a dash(similar to when your typing, you usually have the animated hyphen) if that makes sense?

Although LILO installs successfully during the Slack installation...

disturbed1 · 03-19-2011, 11:49 AM

Does your laptop have two physical hard drives? Or is /dev/sdb a usb/external drive?

bigbooty · 03-19-2011, 11:55 AM

Internal HD which is 16.g, then the 8G USB stick i'm installing it with.
I should of edited the first post; it's actually a notebook, not a laptop. -.-
A nasty habit i have gotten into.

bigbooty · 04-24-2011, 12:45 PM

Erik_FL · 04-24-2011, 02:10 PM

It looks like you are trying to use "lilo" on the second hard disk "sdb". The BIOS usually doesn't boot directly to the second hard disk. How are you planning to boot the second hard disk? Are you going to change the BIOS default boot disk, or are you going to chain to the second hard disk from a boot loader already installed on the first hard disk?

When you change the BIOS default boot disk you may find that the drive assignments change. To boot by changing the BIOS default disk, you should install LILO with the default boot disk in the BIOS set to the second hard disk. That will probably make it appear as "sda" and not "sdb". Always install boot loaders with the BIOS configured as it will be when you are going to use those boot loaders. If you're not going to change the BIOS default boot disk then none of this paragraph applies to your situation.

If you're chain booting to the second hard disk, then make sure that you install LILO to the MBR of the second hard disk "sdb" or the partition boot sector of "sdb2". Then configure your existing boot loader to chain to that boot sector. Although you can install LILO to the MBR of "sda" that will require that both "sda" and "sdb" are present in order to boot anything.

Do you have an existing LILO or GRUB boot loader on "sda"? If so, you can load Slackware using that boot loader and avoid chaining to LILO on the second hard disk.

It will be helpful if you can post the contents of your "/etc/lilo.conf" file. To do that you will need to boot some operating system. You may find it easier to use a Linux boot CD with a graphical environment, such as Puppy Linux. Use the boot CD to get on the Internet and post the "lilo.conf" file.

You can also type out or edit "lilo.conf" using the Slackware installation CD. Boot the Slackware CD. Then type in commands to mount your partitions and change the root to the OS you are installing.

Code:

mkdir /mnt/hd
mount /dev/sdb4 /mnt/hd
mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/hd/boot
mount /dev/sdb3 /mnt/hd/var
chroot /mnt/hd
mount -t proc none /proc
mount -t sysfs none /sys

To type out "lilo.conf" you can do this.

Code:

cd /etc
more < lilo.conf

To edit "lilo.conf" do this.

Code:

cd /etc
nano lilo.conf

To re-install "lilo" with a modified configuration type in the "lilo" command.

Code:

lilo

When you have finished making changes un-mount the partitions and restart the computer.

Code:

umount /proc
umount /sys
exit
umount /mnt/hd/var
umount /mnt/hd/boot
umount /mnt/hd

You mentioned a thumb drive. When you boot from a thumb drive, the BIOS may make that "sda". That could cause a problem because when you remove the thumb drive, the BIOS will change the drive assignment of "sdb" to "sda". I'm not sure if LILO will work correctly. You may have to use GRUB, or patch the LILO boot sector with the correct BIOS drive ID (80 hex instead of 81 hex).

Erik_FL · 04-24-2011, 02:53 PM

I think that you will need to add some information to "lilo.conf" so that it knows the BIOS drive ID that will be used for device "/dev/sdb".

Code:

disk=/dev/sdb
  bios = 0x80

The reason that is required is because the BIOS ID will be 80 hex when LILO is booted even though the BIOS ID was 81 hex when LILO was installed. After you get Slackware to boot from the hard disk, you should remove those two lines. They will be incorrect when re-installing LILO from Slackware booted on the hard disk.

Also, since device names during boot will be different than when installing, LILO, make sure that you have the correct name for the root device.

Code:

root=/dev/sda4

The reason that it has to be "sda4" is because it will be called "sda4" when LILO actually boots the operating system even though it was called "sdb4" when LILO was installed.