Slackware 11.0 How to reinstall LILO

epicmove · 08-19-2007, 07:13 PM

Hello.

I was bored today so decided to install SW on a Virtual Machine. The install process went smoothely until I got to configuring LILO.

Like a plum I chose not to install LILO. However as my new PC does not have a floppy drive, I did not make a boot floppy.

I am therefore unable to boot into my Linux partition. I have looked at a few posts about reinstalling lilo (mounting partition and changing root before running /sbin/lilo) but have not been able to get this to work.

Could anyone offer me any help in reinstalling lilo. Its been a while since ive used Linux so am very rusty.

Thanks,

BF

MS3FGX · 08-19-2007, 10:59 PM

Boot the image of the file system with the install CD (or install image?) that you used, and on the boot prompt give the following:

Code:

bare.i root=/dev/hda1 noinitrd ro

That will boot the system with the kernel from the installer. Once booted, login and configure lilo and then make sure to run "lilo" before rebooting.

onebuck · 08-20-2007, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epicmove

Hello.

I was bored today so decided to install SW on a Virtual Machine. The install process went smoothely until I got to configuring LILO.

Like a plum I chose not to install LILO. However as my new PC does not have a floppy drive, I did not make a boot floppy.

I am therefore unable to boot into my Linux partition. I have looked at a few posts about reinstalling lilo (mounting partition and changing root before running /sbin/lilo) but have not been able to get this to work.

Could anyone offer me any help in reinstalling lilo. Its been a while since ive used Linux so am very rusty.

Thanks,

BF

Hi,

The easiest way would be to use the install cd1 to boot the system as if you were going to install.

After you get to the login then from the cli (command line);

Code:

~#mkdir /slack_temp                   #temporary mount point
~#mount /dev/your_device /slack_temp  #this is the device you installed to
~#chroot /slack_temp                  #change to yours
~#cd /slack_temp/etc                  #change to directory with lilo.conf 
~#vi lilo.conf                        #edit lilo.conf, if need be
~#lilo -v -t -b /dev/your_device      #sda, hda this will only test 
~#lilo -v -b /dev/your_device         #this will write MBR to your_device

If you have errors for the first 'lilo' command then correct them before the write to the 'MBR'.

You should now be able to re-boot your system.