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Recently I have installed Debian beside Slackware on another partition.
I needed Grub to load it, So I installed it.
Grub could load Slackware, But not properly, Slackware couldn't open X environment by 'startx'
Then I installed Lilo by Slackware. It could load Slackware properly, But when Debian loaded to login screen, crashed.
I had this problem by Slackware 11 too, which The lilo configured by Slackware 11 could not load Slackware 14.
What can I do in these situations?
What is the problem with these?
How can I make a lilo to boot both Slackware and Debian?
I had this problem by Slackware 11 too, which The lilo configured by Slackware 11 could not load Slackware 14.
This is a known limitation of lilo's version shipped in Slackware 11. Rebuild a 'lilo' package for Slackware 11 using the newer source shipped in Slackware 14 would have solved it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sefid par
What can I do in these situations?
What is the problem with these?
How can I make a lilo to boot both Slackware and Debian?
To investigate further, we need to know more about your system and settings, so please provide following informations (copy and paste them, of even better attach the files to your next post):
full content of Slackware's /etc/lilo.conf
full content of Debian's /etc/fstab
full content of Slackware's /etc/fstab
full output of following commands, typed on Slackware (the latter as root):
Code:
cat /proc/partitions
fdisk -l
Last edited by Didier Spaier; 08-09-2013 at 07:45 AM.
I personally use Slackware's Lilo (installed on the MBR, the device would be something like /dev/sda) to boot Debian's Grub (installed wherever Debian's root is, ex. /dev/sda3). That way, I still have lots of control over my overall boot, but if I want to use Debian, Debian can keep control of how it wants to start.
I don't understand this bit. Could someone please explain to me how the bootloader can affect starting X?
Could it be that the GRUB installation is configured to pass some particular kernel parameter that LILO is not? For instance, to prevent loading the nouveau driver so it doesn't conflict with the NVIDIA blob?
The error could be caused by several different things. Googling the error message comes up with several different ways to fixed it based on what was done or happened during the installation and or software updates. Could be from a drive that was attached during the install resulting in a bad fstab entry or updates/software install resulting in partition being mounted in read only mode.
Last edited by colorpurple21859; 02-19-2014 at 09:34 PM.
I got failed on Debian, After that, Now I need this for Ubuntu 12.04. I added the image and also initrd to lilo.conf as ... What is the next step to get Ubuntu work correctly?
I have been dual booting Ubuntu + Slackware + other distros for several years now.
My preference is to use Ubuntu's grub2 to boot everything.
If you would like to use Ubuntu's grub2 to boot all of your Linux distros, here is how to reinstall grub2 to your computer MBR: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Re...tallingWindows
Or you can use a boot repair CD: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
The only problem here is that Ubuntu's grub2 will create multiple boot entries for Slackware since there are huge and generic kernels in the Slackware boot directory.
Since I use an initrd to boot the Slackware generic kernel as Pat V recommends, I just create my own custom boot file for Slackware in Ubuntu's /etc/grub.d/ directory that I name 31_Slackware64-14.1. This way it show up at the bottom of the Ubuntu grub2 menu. I make the file executable. Here is the contents of the file:
Code:
## Remember to make this file executable in Ubuntu.
#
echo "Adding Slackware64-14.1 on /dev/sda5" >&2
cat << EOF
##!/bin/sh
#exec tail -n +3 $0
menuentry "Slackware64-14.1 on /dev/sda5" {
set root=(hd0,5)
linux /boot/vmlinuz-generic-3.10.17 root=/dev/sda5 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.gz
}
EOF
Note that my Slackware is on /dev/sda5. Be sure to adjust this depending on where your Slackware partition is.
Note also that I have commented out the lines:
Code:
##!/bin/sh
#exec tail -n +3 $0
I have seen reports on the Ubuntu forums that some people needed those lines to boot other distros from ubuntu's grub2, but I have never needed them. I just keep them in the file for reference.
Then just be sure to run
Code:
sudo update-grub
from Ubuntu after you create the custom boot file for Slackware for the changes to be written to your Ubuntu's /boot/grub/grub.cfg file.
Also, using Ubuntu's grub2 will also let you easily boot Debian if you are still using that after you run "sudo update-grub".
Hope this helps.
I'm not sure that I've even owned a single OpSys PC since 1993, and many have more than 3 on them. Wait, even in DOS days I often had M$DOS and Novell or Caldera. Hmmmm... In any case with GUI type operating systems, and with my propensity to "muck about and break stuff" I developed the habit of redundant or chainload type booting. If I have 5 operating systems, each one gets a bootloader installed to root, but just one get's it in MBR as well. That insures only one major fail point and pointing to any partition boots it. Simple.
I have had occasion recently where a few systems don't seem to like "Other = /dev/foo2, Label = Foo2" so I keep a local copy of kernel and initrd in it's own subdirectory, like this -
As you only have one fixed disk (/dev/sda) just install one bootloader in the root controlled by one OS. It doesn't matter which. If you find grub2 easier, just use that. It can usually scan all /boot partitions on the disk and just add entries for all kernels.
Regarding lilo, the issue surrounding the /boot/vmlinuz symlink, confuses me somewhat. I don't think Debian uses that anyway, so you can simply specify the kernel you want to load - e.g. /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-4-amd64 for Debian and /boot/vmlinuz-generic-3.10.17-smp for Slackware (or just /boot/vmlinuz assuming the generic kernel is symlinked to that).
Short version: Your original lilo config should work if you specify the correct partition and kernel image. Generally if running lilo passes, then it should work. The problems you reported initially don't seem related.
If you want something more automated - install grub2 once on one OS, do not install grub2 (or lilo for that matter) for two OS.
I personally use Slackware's Lilo (installed on the MBR, the device would be something like /dev/sda) to boot Debian's Grub (installed wherever Debian's root is, ex. /dev/sda3). That way, I still have lots of control over my overall boot, but if I want to use Debian, Debian can keep control of how it wants to start.
That's what I've done whenever dual-booting Slackware with Debian (or any other distro). Only needs two lines in lilo.conf:
First I installed Grub2 on Ubutnu again and worked fine.
But as lilo is more comfortable for me, I installed lilo again and configured it as brianL said. It worked fine.
LILO finds and boots grub2 from Ubuntu's partition.
my Lilo's partitions setup is as this:
Code:
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/sda8
label = Linux
read-only # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/sda9
label = Kinect
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/sda2
label = Windows
table = /dev/sda
# Windows bootable partition config ends
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