I am in the process of installing the 2.6.7 kernel that comes with
Slackware 10. I followed the following steps:

----------------------------------------------------------
installpkg kernel-generic-2.6.7-i486-3.tgz
installpkg kernel-modules-2.6.7-i486-2.tgz
cd /boot
mkinitrd -c -k 2.6.7 -m reiserfs
----------------------------------------------------------

I made the commented out changed in below lilo.conf file ( option to
boot to 2.6.7 or old kernel)
After blowing the process and not being able to boot. I took a closer
look at the /boot directory before and after running mkinitrd. In my
infinite wisdom I didn't save file that had the changes after I ran
mkinitrd. Below is the before listing and what it is currently.

What you can't see it that after running mkinitrd it changed the link of
System.map to System.map-generic-2.6.7, config to config-generic-2.6.7,
and vmlinuz to vmlinuz-generic-2.6.7. Afraid for my system, again, I
decided to change the links to the original configuration. Knowing I
will be pointing to them anyway in the lilo.conf file.

Also, I have one disk hda1 with reiserfs and only one mount point /. ( I
know, I know, I wasn't paying attention and didn't partition it up)

after making the changes to lilo.conf I ran the lilo command and I get
this error:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fatal: Setup length exceeds 31 maximum; kernel setup will overwrite boot
loader
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I get this error with and without then new changed in the file.

Any ideas on what to try? I have been unable to find any real help online.







-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
vga = 773

# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Linux
read-only

#image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.7
# initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
# root = /dev/hda1
# label = Linux267
# read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEFORE:

README.initrd -> /usr/doc/mkinitrd-1.0.1/README.initrd
System.map -> System.map-ide-2.4.26
System.map-ide-2.4.26
boot.0300
boot_message.txt
config -> config-ide-2.4.26
config-ide-2.4.26
diag1.img
map
vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-ide-2.4.26
vmlinuz-ide-2.4.26
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTER:

README.initrd -> /usr/doc/mkinitrd-1.0.1/README.initrd
System.map -> System.map-ide-2.4.26
System.map-generic-2.6.7
System.map-ide-2.4.26
boot.0300
boot_message.txt
config -> config-ide-2.4.26
config-generic-2.6.7
config-ide-2.4.26
diag1.img
initrd-tree/
initrd.gz
map
vmlinuz -> System.map-ide-2.4.26
vmlinuz-generic-2.6.7
vmlinuz-ide-2.4.26
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

elegin,

maybe this can help. have my lilo.conf set to start both 2.4.26 and 2.6.7 kernels as follows:

(left security settings out of this)
# /etc/lilo.conf
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 600
change-rules
reset
vga = normal
# default kernel
image = /boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.26
root = /dev/hda3
label = Linux-2.4.26
read-only
...
# linux-alternate
image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.7
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
root = /dev/hda3
label = Linux-2.6.7
read-only
...


my /boot directory after wiping out ./initrd-tree/2.6.7 and then re-running mkinitrd -c -k 2.6.7 -m reiserfs as you did above,:

ls /boot

README.initrd -> /usr/doc/mkinitrd-1.0.1/README.initrd
System.map -> System.map-generic-2.6.7
System.map-generic-2.6.7
System.map-ide-2.4.26
boot.0300
boot_message.txt
config -> config-generic-2.6.7
config-generic-2.6.7
config-ide-2.4.26
diag1.img
initrd-tree/
initrd.gz
lost+found/
map
part.0300
vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-generic-2.6.7
vmlinuz-generic-2.6.7
vmlinuz-ide-2.4.26

Do you see any differences?
Both of my kernels start up fine from lilo.

Sorry for barging in... What is the need for initrd?

I boot 2.6.7 without the image file... Is it for reiserfs on / or /boot or something?

My lilo.conf
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda2
label = Linux2.6.7
append="hdd=ide-cd"
read-only
image = /boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.26
root = /dev/hda2
label = Old2.4.26
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

The real problem is the changes in lilo don't show during boot. My understanding is that after you make changes to the lilo.conf file you run "lilo" to comment the changes. This is when I get the error. I am used to using GRUB.

My drive is set up with only one partition "/" and it is reiserfs.

i agree with suslik. unless you have a specific need for initrd that you haven't mentioned, just get rid of it. it's definitely not needed for reiserfs. cut everything after "# Linux bootable partition config ends" (and those commented lines if you don't think you'll need them) and run lilo again.

It seems running "lilo" craps out with a Fatal error and never actually writes the changes to mbr. You need to clean up your lilo.conf and possibly get rid of the initrd thing.

Unless I don't know something about making reiserfs on / work with Lilo, I don't see a reason why
wouldn't work for you. (assuming /boot/vmlinuz points to your kernel.

I'm running reiserfs, with lilo as my boot mgr, just fine. Did you uninstall lilo before writing the new config to the MBR?

I saved the the old lilo.conf. It gives me the same error. Lilo is the problem. I can't find what the error means.

What I mean is did you run "lilo -U" before running "lilo"?

No, I never unistalled lilo. I did this right after installing Slackware 10 (not upgraded). The only thing I installed was KDE 3.3 which involved unistalling KDE 3.2.

For everyone telling him to dump the initrd business:

Per Pat V.'s instructions that comes with the kernel

4. Now that I've built an initrd, how do I use it?

Now that you've got an initrd (/boot/initrd.gz), you'll want to load
it along with the kernel at boot time. If you use LILO for your boot
loader you'll need to edit /etc/lilo.conf and add a line to load the
initrd. Here's an example section of lilo.conf showing how this is
done:

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.7
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
root = /dev/hda6
label = Linux267
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

The initrd is loaded by the "initrd = /boot/initrd.gz" line.
Just add the line right below the line for the kernel image you use.
Save the file, and then run LILO again ('lilo' at the command line).
You'll need to run lilo every time you edit lilo.conf or rebuild the
initrd.

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...el-initrd.html

so according to that, if you don't have a SCSI drive and you haven't built your filesystem as a module, you don't need initrd to boot. and you should not make one or have it in lilo.conf in that case.

so the question for elegin is: do you have a SCSI hard drive or have you built your filesystem as a module? if the answer to both of those is no, then you don't need initrd and you shouldn't use it.

in that case, strip down your lilo.conf to this (edit: changing the vmlinuz kernel name and partitions if necessary, of course):
run lilo, and tell us what happens.

same error:

Fatal: Setup length exceeds 31 maximum; kernel setup will overwrite boot loader

the only thing i can think of is that your boot partition is past the 1024 mark, which i'm not sure even matters anymore, and which it doesn't sound like it would be from your configuration. you could try adding the lba32 line to lilo.conf, though.

also, i think running lilo -U as aeNeo suggested might be a good idea. otherwise, i would get a win98 boot CD from the net, boot to that, fix the MBR, reboot to linux with your boot disk, and try again. if that doesn't work, maybe there's something wrong with your kernel image somehow. also could you post:

ls -l /boot

Try commenting out or removing the change-rules and reset lines. You are telling lilo that you want the defaults removed that you are going to make your own rules, but then you don't make any.

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