installation of lilo during slackware 14.0 dvd setup

dumdadum · 07-21-2013, 09:20 AM

Hello,

I boot the dvd of slackware 14.0, so I can be able to install slackware 14.0 on a usb key. I saw somewhere that lilo.conf has to be edited.

boot=/dev/sdb
root=/dev/sdb2

Those two lines are to be added when exactly during the setup process? Do I skip the lilo installation wizard from the setup process and do it manually from the command line? Do I run /sbin/lilo after installing all the packages of slackware "full installation" process?

I want to be sure I dont touch the hda windows xp partitions because the computer isnt mine. I want to use this computer only to make a slackware installation on the usb drive and then boot the slackware os from that usb key. sdb2 is the root partition and I'll make sure the boot flag is attributed to that partition.

Any help anyone?

Thanks,
Dumdadum

Gerard Lally · 07-21-2013, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dumdadum

I boot the dvd of slackware 14.0, so I can be able to install slackware 14.0 on a usb key. I saw somewhere that lilo.conf has to be edited.

boot=/dev/sdb
root=/dev/sdb2

Those two lines are to be added when exactly during the setup process? Do I skip the lilo installation wizard from the setup process and do it manually from the command line? Do I run /sbin/lilo after installing all the packages of slackware "full installation" process?

When you are prompted for a location for LILO just install it to the root partition - /dev/sdb2. Not to the MBR, in other words. Make sure the bootable flag is set on /dev/sdb2, and do not format the partition with the XFS filesystem, since the system will not boot when LILO is on a root partition formatted with XFS.

dumdadum · 07-22-2013, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gezley

When you are prompted for a location for LILO just install it to the root partition - /dev/sdb2. Not to the MBR, in other words. Make sure the bootable flag is set on /dev/sdb2, and do not format the partition with the XFS filesystem, since the system will not boot when LILO is on a root partition formatted with XFS.

During the installation process of slackware 14.0, there is a part that allows me to create, in the expert install mode of lilo, a fresh lilo.conf file. I added the root linux partition with the wizard, being /dev/sdb3 after checking it out with fdisk, and the proof is there, "boot" and "root" options in the lilo.conf file point to /dev/sdb3, /dev/sdb3 being the root partition. Here is what the /etc/lilo.conf file looks like after the installation:

Quote:

lba32
boot = /dev/sdb3
compact
bitmap = /boot/slack.bmp
bmp-colors = 255,0,255,0,255,0
bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
bmp-timer = 65,27,0,255
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
append=" vt.default_utf8=0"
prompt
timeout = 300
vga = normal
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/sdb3
label = Linux
# Linux bootable partition config ends

I try to boot the installation of slackware from the usbkey thinking all is well, nothing happens. Any ideas why? Do I need to add or remove any option in my lilo.conf file and run liloconfig again? If yes, any ideas what can be done? I just hope it wont touch the windows XP partition on the hd of the computer if I run liloconfig manually...

Maybe the fstab file isnt ok? I checked it out, here's what it looks like:

Quote:

/dev/sdb2 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/sdb3 / ext4 defaults 1 1
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/fat32 vfat noauto,owner,rw 0 0
/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom auto noauto,owner,rw, 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner,rw 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0

Thanks for the help,
Dumdadum

Gerard Lally · 07-22-2013, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dumdadum

I try to boot the installation of slackware from the usbkey thinking all is well, nothing happens. Any ideas why? Do I need to add or remove any option in my lilo.conf file and run liloconfig again? If yes, any ideas what can be done?

Have you enabled booting from USB in BIOS? Does your system support this?

Quote:

I just hope it wont touch the windows XP partition on the hd of the computer if I run liloconfig manually...

If you are unsure then just turn off the computer, disconnect the hard disk, turn on the computer again and proceed to install Slackware to USB.

dumdadum · 07-23-2013, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gezley

Have you enabled booting from USB in BIOS? Does your system support this?

If you are unsure then just turn off the computer, disconnect the hard disk, turn on the computer again and proceed to install Slackware to USB.

I managed to install slackware on the usb key. Lilo installation wizard asked where to install the lilo boot loader, I chose /dev/sdb on the master boot record of my usb key. The lilo screen appears, I choose to boot the linux partition, and then, I get a error message during the boot process. To answer your question, yes the bios allows boot from usbkey. Here is the error message that I get until it freezes the boot process:

Quote:

VFS: cannot open root device "sdb3" or unknown block(0,0)
please append a corrext "root=" boot option
kernel_thread_helper + 0x6/0x10

The caps lock and stop scroll lights of the keyboard go blinking and the os doesnt continue to load anymore, I need to push the power button to reboot.

When I run the lilo command from the command prompt, I get these two error messages:

Quote:

LBA32 addressing assumed
/dev/sdb is not the first disk

Once again, here are the fstab and lilo.conf files:

Quote:

lilo.conf:

lba32
boot = /dev/sdb
compact
bitmap = /boot/slack.bmp
bmp-colors = 255,0,255,0,255,0
bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
bmp-timer = 65,27,0,255
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
append="hugesmp.s root=/dev/sdb3 vt.default_utf8=0"
prompt
timeout = 300
vga = normal
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/sdb3
label = Linux
# Linux bootable partition config ends

fstab:

/dev/sda1 /mnt/windowsxp auto noauto,owner,ro 0 0
/dev/sdb2 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/sdb3 / ext4 defaults 1 1
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/fat32 vfat noauto,owner,rw 0 0
/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom auto noauto,owner,rw 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner,rw 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0

What can be the problem/solution?

Thanks again,
Dumdadum

Didier Spaier · 07-23-2013, 03:11 PM

The problem is that at boot time your USB key is not always allocated the same device name, i.e. it's not always /dev/sdb3

So plug in your USB key, run 'blkid' to know its UUID, then in /etc/fstab replace

Code:

/dev/sdb3  /  ext4  defaults  1  1

with

Code:

UUID=<blkid's output, without the quotes>  /  ext4   defaults  1  1

PS I almost forgot! do that also in /etc/lilo.conf

Code:

root = "UUID=<blkid's output, without the quotes>"

instead of

Code:

root = /dev/sdb3

dumdadum · 07-23-2013, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didier Spaier

The problem is that at boot time your USB key is not always allocated the same device name, i.e. it's not always /dev/sdb3

So plug in your USB key, run 'blkid' to know its UUID, then in /etc/fstab replace

Code:

/dev/sdb3  /  ext4  defaults  1  1

with

Code:

UUID=<blkid's output, without the quotes>  /  ext4   defaults  1  1

PS I almost forgot! do that also in /etc/lilo.conf

Code:

root = "UUID=<blkid's output, without the quotes>"

instead of

Code:

root = /dev/sdb3

I managed to add the UUID's in fstab and lilo.conf, I ran "lilo" again, got 4 errors, still saying that sdb isnt the first hd. So I boot up slackware, and still I get the two lights blinking on my keyboard.

Whats wrong then?

Thanks for the help,
Dumdadum

Didier Spaier · 07-23-2013, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dumdadum

I managed to add the UUID's in fstab and lilo.conf, I ran "lilo" again, got 4 errors, still saying that sdb isnt the first hd. So I boot up slackware, and still I get the two lights blinking on my keyboard.

We need more information to diagnose, so please attach to your next post:

your /etc/lilo.conf
full output of "lilo -t -v".

ryanpcmcquen · 07-23-2013, 05:25 PM

Have you tried adding "read-only" here?

Code:

  # Linux bootable partition config begins
  image = /boot/vmlinuz
    root = /dev/sdb3
    label = Linux
    read-only
  # Linux bootable partition config ends

Not sure that will help ...

perbh · 07-23-2013, 07:26 PM

Have been through all this before ...
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ck-4175429381/

dumdadum · 07-24-2013, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didier Spaier

We need more information to diagnose, so please attach to your next post:

your /etc/lilo.conf
full output of "lilo -t -v".

Before I do so, I would just like to say that the problem is solved, all I did was declare the /dev/sda1 in the fstab and declared /dev/sda for a "other" bootable OS with lilo, ran lilo, and well it booted fine. The problem was really that in order to use a /dev/sdbX I need to at least have the first /dev/sdaX declared or else it just wont work.

Thanks everyone for your help. Hope all this helps other newcomers in the slackware world.

Peace out,
Dumdadum

ps: I love slackware (=