lilo issue after adding hard drive - Page 2

onebuck · 03-14-2009, 02:28 PM

Hi,

I really can't see why verbosity would cause a problem. I do a lot a the cli and feel that not having the overhead of a gui a lot better.

I use the 'lilo -v -t -b /dev/your_dev' & 'lilo -v -b /dev/your_dev' all the time. I've yet too have problems.

Randux · 03-14-2009, 03:23 PM

Hi Gary, take a look at my post from 12th Mar 2009, 19:17.

Clearly, I have -v in my options.

I did not say that verbosity causes a problem.

I said running lilo -v is not a good way to run lilo. You should specify the drive you want to install it to, using the -b option.

Are you trying to agree with me?

onebuck · 03-14-2009, 05:50 PM

Hi,

I somewhat agree except for

Quote:

"lilo -v isn't a good way to install lilo. If you want to install lilo in the MBR, take the boot= line out of your lilo.conf and specify a drive on the command line:"

There is nothing wrong with specifying proper configurations within the 'lilo.conf'.

Randux · 03-14-2009, 05:58 PM

Yeah there is and I already said what they are.

bgeddy · 03-14-2009, 06:19 PM

Sorry Randux but your comments don't make sense. lilo -v , as pointed out, simply gives more verbosity to the output report given. The -b option to specify where to install lilo and the lilo -v arguments are not mutually exclusive. In other words you may give the option of where to install lilo with -b and ask for more verbose output with -v in the same command line.

Personally I always supply the -v argument as it gives more information. In other words there is no disadvantage to giving the -v option to lilo. In fact supplying -v 3 may be more informative (possibly to much information)..

Randux · 03-14-2009, 06:27 PM

Sorry bgeddy, you didn't read the thread very thoroughly.

I myself showed two examples using -v. Exactly what are you trying to claim I am wrong about? See here: Randux 12th Mar 2009, 19:17

Why are you trying to argue with me when my post shows clearly shows that I know that -v and -b are not mutually exclusive?

Nobody ever suggested not to use the -v option. All I said was you should ALSO specify the drive using the -b option and not depend on lilo.conf to set the correct drive. Lilo is notorious for not working properly with multiple drives.

I think some of you guys should spend less time arguing and more time reading. Most of the stuff people post nowadays is just a duplicate of what was already said. Save some bandwidth. Nobody needs a dozen memes in one thread.

bgeddy · 03-14-2009, 07:30 PM

Hi Randux - please don't take offense at my comments. Your original post made me think that running lilo -v was detrimental. In a nutshell I think possibly we have got mixed up with our intent.

To put it simply - I took it that you disagreed with running lilo with the -v argment. Perhaps I misunderstood your meaning. If so apologies are in order.

Quote:

Exactly what are you trying to claim I am wrong about?

Well in a nutshell it's that running lilo -v is OK. When you seem to be advising against it

onebuck · 03-15-2009, 07:57 AM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rollo69

<snip>
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
lba32
append="boot=/dev/hda"
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
<snip>

Why do you have the 'append' while your specifically entering the 'boot='?

Code:

excerpt from 'man lilo.conf';

 append=<string>
              Appends the options specified to the parameter  line  passed  to
              the  kernel.  This is typically used to specify hardware parame-
              ters that can't be entirely auto-detected or for  which  probing
              may  be dangerous. Multiple kernel parameters are separated by a
              blank space, and the string must be enclosed in  double  quotes.
              A  local  append=  appearing withing an image= section overrides
              any global append= appearing in the top section of the  configu-
              ration  file.   Append=  may be used only once per "image=" sec-
              tion. To concatenate parameter strings, use "addappend=".

onebuck · 03-15-2009, 08:05 AM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randux

Yeah there is and I already said what they are.

Let's not get into a pissing contest but semantically along with proper syntax you should be able to utilize commands within lilo.conf.

Sure you can utilize the boot options at boot but if a user desires to utilize defaults for a system then if the system is setup properly along with the proper drivers then one should be able to setup the '/etc/lilo.conf' with defaults.

Please indicate where the verbosity has a problem when issuing from the command line by issuing 'lilo -v -t -b /dev/your_dev or lilo -v -b /dev/your_dev'.

I've re-read the entire post and your posts are a confusing. In one way say it's OK to use the 'lilo -v' but that you should use the 'lilo -b'. There is nothing wrong with using both the 'lilo -v -b' if you specify the proper device for the '-b' option.

Now if you are stating that to omit the default boot drive within the '/etc/lilo.conf' then you must provide the proper information before the boot.

BTW, I did notice that the OP did place a 'append= "boot=/dev/hda" ' along with the 'boot= /dev/hda' within the '/etc/lilo.conf'. Why?

Randux · 03-15-2009, 09:37 AM

Gary, you've been famous for making outlandish comments and this is no exception

You are totally missing everything I have written. It's plain to see I have already shown two examples with both -v and -b in the same command so please either stop endlessly repeating the same mistaken "analysis" of what I've written. You're just making things more confusing for anybody who tries to read this thread now that you guys have sloshed around in it!

Randux · 03-15-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgeddy

Hi Randux - please don't take offense at my comments. Your original post made me think that running lilo -v was detrimental. In a nutshell I think possibly we have got mixed up with our intent.

To put it simply - I took it that you disagreed with running lilo with the -v argment. Perhaps I misunderstood your meaning. If so apologies are in order.
Well in a nutshell it's that running lilo -v is OK. When you seem to be advising against it

I understand that you misread my post. However, I clearly showed -v and -b in both the command lines I am recommending. Can you not see what I wrote on 12th Mar 2009, 19:17???

I said "lilo -v" is a bad idea. I understand that you think that means that I said that the -v option is not a good option.

If what you said were true, I would simply have said "don't use -v".

The reason I said "lilo -v" is a bad idea is because if you don't include the -b option (again, as I showed in both my examples) then you run the very significant risk, if you have more than one drive in the box (as does the OP) of confusing lilo. Lilo has long-standing problems losing its mind whenever there is more than one drive, especially if there are SATA drives involved.

I don't know how I can be more clear, I think you guys are just refusing to read what I wrote. -v is not suffcient, and you should take boot= out of the lilo.conf and always specify the target drive on the command line.

If you don't do that then:

you run the risk of lilo being confused and either failing or writing to the wrong MBR

and

you will have to edit lilo.conf every time you want to write to the MBR of a different drive (for example if you have several drives and want to write the same lilo.conf to all of them).

I understand the command line parm -b is supposed to override what's in lilo.conf anyway, so that is why I suggested not to use boot= in the cont to begin with. It is just a waste of time.

onebuck · 03-15-2009, 11:53 AM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randux

Gary, you've been famous for making outlandish comments and this is no exception

You are totally missing everything I have written. It's plain to see I have already shown two examples with both -v and -b in the same command so please either stop endlessly repeating the same mistaken "analysis" of what I've written. You're just making things more confusing for anybody who tries to read this thread now that you guys have sloshed around in it!

I'll not confusing with this! Your wrong and your still defending a stance that is wrong. You have repeated the same as to the options and will not admit nor even look at the 'man' to try to clear things up for yourself and what you claim as clarity for the thread. Enough said!

The matter is closed for me. If you want to start dragging things up then I can do the same but don't feel it would benefit anyone.

BTW, I reread what you referenced as '12th Mar 2009, 19:17???' post. No such post! So if you are referring to #2. Your still wrong! '-v' has nothing to do with writing to the device, but does have verbosity to the output. Wiggle as you may but your wrong.

Randux · 03-15-2009, 12:27 PM

I never said -v has to do with writing to any device. You can check this thread and search the whole site and you will never find a post where I said that. I'm talking about a few issues but I can see I have to break things down or certain people go into a spin loop

-v is not sufficient, don't use "lilo -v" to update lilo in the MBR, use "lilo -v -b /dev/hdx". I said this in post #2. My times are in GMT, maybe that's why you didn't see a post at that time.

Rollo69 · 03-16-2009, 08:36 PM

Sorry guys, I helped a friend over the weekend and didn't get a chance to get back to you. The commands for lilo, relevent to future endeavors for me (dual booting Slack)- thank you, isn't going to solve my issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by onebuck

Hi,
The '-v' option to the lilo commands is just for verbosity.

If you are using a boot floppy then of course use 'compact' but your not going to see that much of difference with todays modern equipment.

I like to use;

Code:

~#lilo -v -t -b /dev/hda      #test the lilo.conf for hda
~#lilo -v -b /dev/hda         #write the lilo to 'MBR'

Thanks onebuck. I did look at the man lilo page after randux told be the lilo commands above and found out just what you stated.

I don't intend to boot from the sata drive until everything is in order on that drive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by onebuck

Why do you have the 'append' while your specifically entering the 'boot='?

I'm not sure how or why that is there. I don't remember adding that line to it. But I can't change my lilo.conf until I get the /proc/partitions and /dev to match up. I don't know how they got the way they are.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Rollo69 · 03-18-2009, 04:27 AM

Is it safe to say that you guys can't help me with this?