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-   -   where to install LILO (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/where-to-install-lilo-526269/)

w0lv3rin3 02-06-2007 10:56 PM
where to install LILO
 
hey, just a question.

What do you guys think would be the best place to install LILO

MBR or to the HDD.

if so, could you please give a small explaination on why you u install it to the MBR or to the HDD.

apparently people say when you install it to the MBR, it can make your system unstable, y is that, i havnt had ney problems when I installed it to the MBR.

kdrlx 02-06-2007 11:05 PM
why lilo ? i think grub is the way to go forward .. and frankly since grub can boot almost any OS known to man, i would say install grub to the MBR ..

J.W. 02-06-2007 11:14 PM
I have always installed lilo to my MBR, and have never had any problems at all. I've seen reports of problems if it's installed to the MBR, but this has never been an issue to me. YMMV

pixellany 02-06-2007 11:22 PM
Why would a bootloader be unstable in the mbr and not in the partition boot sector????

If you use GRUB, you will find more people who can help.

It does take some focussing to get GRUB set up correctly, but I have NEVER seen it be unstable.

Finally, note that something needs to be in the mbr of the drive that the BIOS believes is #1. If that is the Windows loader and not GRUB, then you have to jump thru a couple more hoops to get from the Windows loader to GRUB in the Linux partition.

wahming 02-06-2007 11:25 PM
It's not grub/linux that goes unstable, it's occasionally windows, antivirus/antispyware software. In any case, I find that I tend to reinstall Win quite often compared to linux, and I'd rather not have to reinstall grub to the MBR (Win wipes the MBR when reinstalling) every time I do so.

biniou 02-07-2007 02:02 AM
It's normal that you have to reinstall windows more often than linux, as it is less stable ;)

An argument about Lilo vs Grub is not relevant here (both run very well and I prefer lilo, just a matter of taste).

There should be no problem putting it on your MBR ...

If you use lilo on your MBR and have to reinstall windows (and thus crush your MBR), you can boot from a liveCD or boot disk and tell kernel (the one on your liveCD) to mount your installed root partition on / (just use root=/dev/hda2, if / is on hda2). then you just have to run "lilo" as root to reinstall lilo on MBR, just configured as previously ;)
(I think this works with grub also, typing "grub-install", but I'm really not sure about it)

wahming 02-07-2007 02:15 AM
"grub-install /dev/hda", or wherever it is you're installing grub to.

Junior Hacker 02-07-2007 03:53 PM
Some smart boot managers will control MBR and boot many OS's who's boot loader should be installed in 1st sector of /boot in / partition. Because I use a boot manager, I always install boot loaders in / partition.

Another reason why you would select that option.

stealth_banana 02-07-2007 05:22 PM
I use LILO as I just like it and its very simple to use, besides I don;t want to change.

As for the windows overwriting the MBR, when I compile a new kernel, I do (as root)

mkrescue --iso

then burn it to a CDRW I keep just for the purpose, if anything goes wrong with the MBR (usually windows being its normal self) just chuck the cd and boot from that straight into my system, and try and remember to run lilo before I turn off the PC.

Junior Hacker 02-07-2007 06:12 PM
biniou

I don't mean to ruffle feathers here, but I am a speed & performance specialist regarding Windows systems. As a repair person, pretty much all my customers are all teeth when I see them down the road after re-building their system. The first words out of their mouths are usually the same, "this computer never ran so fast, even when it was new". I do basic bench mark testing before, during and after the re-build and present that to them also.
Having said that, on my personal system, I can re-build in less than ten minutes with the help of smart boot manager, but it is extremely rare that I do that to my Windows installations compared to my Linux systems (truth be told). Because I know how to keep Windows in top shape. Microsoft would hate me if I give away too many tips. Why? I feel Microsoft got as big as they are through marketing strategy, keeping that in mind, I also feel their system is designed in such a way that they can capitalize on the average computer user's lack of technological knowledge. For those (most) who are in a fast passed society making good money, they have no time to play with something they no nothing about except surf and read e-mail, so they are more likely to hand down the computer to their children or whoever and just buy another one.
Do you see the marketing strategy?. Why make your system fool proof? will the customer return a year or two down the road to buy another if it was? Same goes for the auto industry and most industries that adopted the "disposable" strategy to get your money as often as possible. It is not the operating system that is unstable, it is human nature "the operator" that renders a Windows system seemingly unstable.
By design.

kdrlx 02-08-2007 12:07 AM
Quote:
biniou

I don't mean to ruffle feathers here, but I am a speed & performance specialist regarding Windows systems. As a repair person, pretty much all my customers are all teeth when I see them down the road after re-building their system. The first words out of their mouths are usually the same, "this computer never ran so fast, even when it was new". I do basic bench mark testing before, during and after the re-build and present that to them also.
Having said that, on my personal system, I can re-build in less than ten minutes with the help of smart boot manager, but it is extremely rare that I do that to my Windows installations compared to my Linux systems (truth be told). Because I know how to keep Windows in top shape. Microsoft would hate me if I give away too many tips. Why? I feel Microsoft got as big as they are through marketing strategy, keeping that in mind, I also feel their system is designed in such a way that they can capitalize on the average computer user's lack of technological knowledge. For those (most) who are in a fast passed society making good money, they have no time to play with something they no nothing about except surf and read e-mail, so they are more likely to hand down the computer to their children or whoever and just buy another one.
Do you see the marketing strategy?. Why make your system fool proof? will the customer return a year or two down the road to buy another if it was? Same goes for the auto industry and most industries that adopted the "disposable" strategy to get your money as often as possible. It is not the operating system that is unstable, it is human nature "the operator" that renders a Windows system seemingly unstable.
By design.
Oh .. so that's why we need to choose lilo over grub ...

biniou 02-08-2007 03:13 AM
Junior Hacker, I agree with you that a well maintained Windows box used by some knowledgeable guy can run fast and good (my Windows box has been running perfectly for years without reinstall), but Windows offers more possibilities to mess up the system ;)

But it's off subject !

The choice for Grub or Lilo is based on personal tastes, I think ... And the place to install it doesn't really matter ... But I think if you don't have another bootloader (or don't want to use it), MBR is a safe choice ...

w0lv3rin3 02-08-2007 03:24 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior Hacker
biniou

I don't mean to ruffle feathers here, but I am a speed & performance specialist regarding Windows systems. As a repair person, pretty much all my customers are all teeth when I see them down the road after re-building their system. The first words out of their mouths are usually the same, "this computer never ran so fast, even when it was new". I do basic bench mark testing before, during and after the re-build and present that to them also.
Having said that, on my personal system, I can re-build in less than ten minutes with the help of smart boot manager, but it is extremely rare that I do that to my Windows installations compared to my Linux systems (truth be told). Because I know how to keep Windows in top shape. Microsoft would hate me if I give away too many tips. Why? I feel Microsoft got as big as they are through marketing strategy, keeping that in mind, I also feel their system is designed in such a way that they can capitalize on the average computer user's lack of technological knowledge. For those (most) who are in a fast passed society making good money, they have no time to play with something they no nothing about except surf and read e-mail, so they are more likely to hand down the computer to their children or whoever and just buy another one.
Do you see the marketing strategy?. Why make your system fool proof? will the customer return a year or two down the road to buy another if it was? Same goes for the auto industry and most industries that adopted the "disposable" strategy to get your money as often as possible. It is not the operating system that is unstable, it is human nature "the operator" that renders a Windows system seemingly unstable.
By design.
thats 100% true; Ive had my windows machine running for 1 yr, no bogg downs, dicided to go to linux, want a change, sick of windows for now


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