12.0 Lilo Failed Install
 

Hmm, I have downloaded both the cd and dvd images with no errors and all checksum tests passed. Both images created without error (I have done this before) and both do boot. Now the weird part, both give the same error when lilo attempts to install, Lilo can not be written to disk, please use a boot floppy to...whatever.

What has changed, because I fell back to 11.0 and no issues, lilo installed and I could boot into Slack.

What has changed in lilo between 11.0 and 12.0 and how do we fix the issue?

What is your partition table? Did you try "expert" option to install LILO?

Partition table is the same for Slackware 11.0

/dev/hda1 (set for swap)
/dev/hda2 (the rest of the drive)

Yes, this is very lazy, but has been very effective, especially when your drive is over 10 gb.

I have always used expert mode to install lilo.

One more item, I never write to the MBR.

Been using Slackware since almost the 1st release, 199x something, and this is one of the few times that I have seen the lilo install fail.

I have 2 harddisk of 80 GB, Slackware 12.0 is on third partition on primary master harddisk, Slackware 11.0 is on fourth partition on primary slave harddisk, but I have no problem installing LILO.

You should try to install LILO to the MBR.

That would be difficult since I also boot about 3 other flavors of linux with a boot manager (GAG, see freshmeat.net) that lives on the MBR and REALLY would not like to loose change that.

Like I said, has anyone found out if lilo has changed? I am asking because 11.0 and older ALL install to root partition without a problem, at least back to 9.0

If you're a seasoned Slack user and run multiple distros, it might benefit you to take a serious look at grub. Hands down a better way to boot your multi-OS system.

Hmm, interesting...
 

How do you boot a linux partition/installation without a boot sector/loader installed/activated, pretty tricky.

Also note, Grub is not distributed with Slackware.

I have also posted the original issue to the Slackware team at www.slackware.com which basically is:

What has changed with lilo between Slackware versions 11.0 and 12.0?

grub-0.97-i486-3 in extra/grub

ftp://slackware.mirrors.tds.net/pub/slackware/slackware-12.0/extra/grub

or Slackbuild + source:
ftp://slackware.mirrors.tds.net/pub/slackware/slackware-12.0/extra/source/grub

OK.

How do you install a package when you can't boot up the system? Floppy boot is not available with 12.0, at least not directly, and I do not have a thumb drive to boot from.

All fine suggestions, but useless until you get your system to boot, at least so far.

Boot from the CD or DVD. There is an example how to boot up your install. I think it should be something like "hugesmp.s root=/dev/hda2 rdinit= ro" in your case if I remember right. This boots up your installed system although it takes the kernel from CD/DVD. Then you can (un)install and modify what you like.

Thanks, that may be the ticket, at least to get 12.0 working.

I am still wondering what changed in lilo to prevent it from installing during the system install. It is a very frustrating and unnecessary change.

maybe you just set too long name for the system?

Same name used as on previous version installs. Like I said, never been an issue before.

For one thing, Slackware 12.0 comes with lilo 22.8 whereas Slackware 11.0 comes with lilo 22.7.1.

To know what changed between those versions, boot from CD and then read file:

/usr/doc/lilo-22.8/CHANGES

I'm not technical enough to understand the changelog but you may find what you're looking for.

Cheers

Thanks for the excellent suggestion.

I reviewed the changelogs and sure enough they changed lilo 2.8 to default install to the MBR. Betting they did not check the code to install elsewhere when chosen.

Thanks to all for your suggestions, will get 12.0 working yet.

NUTS. Lilo still errors on install, but my boot manager, GAG (see freshmeat.net) does not seem to mind. But unfortunately the boot of the new kernel halts at the line "Releasing free kernal memory, 124xx" or something like that.

So far 12.0 has been a real challenge, but I will work it out....dedicated slack user.

have you tried GRUB yet? there's a package in the extra folder.

Still using LILO, but I finally got it to go. Hmm, will have to look thru the source code for lilo, someone may have changed it to limit the size of the "/" partition, for some unknown reason.

I state this because the original error for lilo on v12 occurred on a ~40 gb partition, when I attempted to reduce it to ~20 gb, same error. Then when I reduced it to ~10 gb, no problem, installed and is up and running.

What an 'undocumented' issue, very MicroSoft like. Come on guys, document all, especially open source.

Finally Resolved, Maybe
 

I finally have had more time to attempt some things to resolved my failed lilo install on v12.

I moved the swap partition to the end of the drive instead of the beginning and TA-DAH !! It worked.

Betting they recoded/fell back to having lilo in the first sectors of the drive, not sure why though.

Oh well, in case anyone else has the same issue, create your /boot or / partition at the beginning of the drive or take your chances and use the MBR (yuck !!!).

I had no lilo problems, but I did have problems booting off the DVD and CD since I have an old BIOS.

I usually create a 2 gig / at the beginning, then the swap then the rest is one big partition and mark it for the LVM. Then in the LVM, I partition out a /usr, /opt, /var, /home and whatever else.