[SOLVED] LILO verses Slack-13 and Slack-14

Norseman01 · 01-08-2014, 04:53 PM

I have been using Slackware since it came out on CD. I have never had a problem with multi-boot system setup until now. Slackware Ver 13... with kernel 2.6... in one partition and Slackware Ver 14... with kernel 3.2... in a second and if I install LILO from 13 then 14 is NOT going to boot. If I install LILO from 14 then 13 is not going to boot. I typically set up the disk as MSDOS 6.22; XP-Pro; vfat data; common; extended; swap; Slack-in-use; New Slack-to-test; mass storage. (Partitions 1-8) The non-version from which LILO is created hangs and requires removing the electric power cord from the wall to regain control. I have been using LILO since I started using Slack.

Has anyone else tried using LILO to multi-boot between Slack-13 and Slack-14?
Has anyone else had this experience?
If anyone has solved this; Please tell us how.

My best guess is that LILO is compiled ELF and does not pass the other booter the needed tokens and initiate it. Instead it jumps right in to load the other (incompatible) kernel. Meaning, it assumes (incorrectly) that its own shared libs are compatible to the other kernel.

I have tried other loaders in the past and the trouble with them is the trouble it takes to use them. Meaning; where does one start looking when a problem crops up? In my shop - problem childs go into the bit bucket. Unless someone has a fix for LILO - that is its next stop and Slackware 14 gets a home in the closet.

Norseman01

allend · 01-08-2014, 05:16 PM

@Noreseman01 - Thread hijacking is considered bad manners.

Quote:

In my shop - problem childs go into the bit bucket. Unless someone has a fix for LILO - that is its next stop and Slackware 14 gets a home in the closet.

Your loss and no skin off my nose.

FYI - I have no problem dual booting Slackware 13.37 and Slackware 14.1 using the version of lilo from Slackware 14.1. There was a change that meant that the older version of lilo could not boot the newer kernels. Search this forum for further details.

Norseman01 · 01-08-2014, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allend

@Noreseman01 - Thread hijacking is considered bad manners.

Your loss and no skin off my nose.

FYI - I have no problem dual booting Slackware 13.37 and Slackware 14.1 using the version of lilo from Slackware 14.1. There was a change in lilo that meant that the older version of lilo could not boot the newer kernels. Search this forum for further details.

============
I agree on my bad manors. I could not find where/how to start new thread.
Will follow you search advise. Thanks

Norseman01

unSpawn · 01-09-2014, 02:21 AM

...and there you are. New thread ;-p

Didier Spaier · 01-09-2014, 08:43 AM

We need more accurate information to help you. In any case you'll need a more recent version of lilo than that shipped in 13.37 to boot a kernel shipped in 14.0, so better issue lilo from 14.0. In any case please provide output of following commands, typed from 14.0:

Code:

lilo -V
df -h
fdisk -l
cat /etc/fstab
cat /etc/lilo.conf

tjallen · 01-09-2014, 07:51 PM

Grab the source for lilo from Slackware 14.1 and compile it on Slackware 13 and then upgrade the package. I did this with my machine that has both 12.2 and 14.1 on it and I can now use lilo from either system.

As to why this happens, there was a change in the recent kernels that made a new version of lilo necessary. It caused me some head-scratching until I found that information.

Norseman01 · 01-12-2014, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjallen

Grab the source for lilo from Slackware 14.1 and compile it on Slackware 13 and then upgrade the package. I did this with my machine that has both 12.2 and 14.1 on it and I can now use lilo from either system.

As to why this happens, there was a change in the recent kernels that made a new version of lilo necessary. It caused me some head-scratching until I found that information.

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tjallen - thanks for the input. I had considered compiling against an older lib but without being aware of the kernel/LILO mismatch problem I was hesitant. Sometimes trying such recompiles has lead to other, worse, problems. Now I'll see if I can figure out how to mark this one solved.