[SOLVED] Using Lilo to Boot Instead of Grub

Kygha · 06-18-2011, 06:48 AM

Hi, I just installed Slackware 13.37, and it's my first version of Slack, so I'm a newbie.

After installing, Grub was still installed on my system, but since it is supposed to boot an OS that's no longer on the hard drive by default, it drops to the Grub Rescue prompt every time I boot.

How can I boot Slackware from grub, or get lilo to boot my system instead of grub?

markush · 06-18-2011, 07:03 AM

Hello Kygha,

you can boot the installation-CD, mount the drive where you've installed Slackware and chroot into the Slackware-environment. Then edit /etc/lilo.conf and run lilo

Code:

mkdir /mnt/tmp
mount /dev/sda? /mnt/tmp
mount -t proc none /mnt/tmp/proc
mount -o bind /dev /mnt/tmp/dev
chroot /mnt/tmp /bin/bash
vim /etc/lilo.conf

for the correct entries in lilo.conf look at the manpage, here as an example my lilo.conf

Code:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
# Append any additional kernel parameters:
lba32
append=" vt.default_utf8=0"
boot = /dev/sda
compact

# Boot BMP Image.
# Bitmap in BMP format: 640x480x8
  bitmap = /boot/slack.bmp
# Menu colors (foreground, background, shadow, highlighted
# foreground, highlighted background, highlighted shadow):
  bmp-colors = 255,0,255,0,255,0
# Location of the option table: location x, location y, number of
# columns, lines per column (max 15), "spill" (this is how many
# entries must be in the first column before the next begins to
# be used.  We don't specify it here, as there's just one column.
  bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
# Timer location x, timer location y, foreground color,
# background color, shadow color.
  bmp-timer = 65,27,0,255

# Standard menu.
# Or, you can comment out the bitmap menu above and 
# use a boot message with the standard menu:
#message = /boot/boot_message.txt

# Wait until the timeout to boot (if commented out, boot the
# first entry immediately):
prompt
# Timeout before the first entry boots.
# This is given in tenths of a second, so 600 for every minute:
timeout = 100
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
  reset
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# Ask for video mode at boot (time out to normal in 30s)
#vga = ask
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
#vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
#vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
#vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
#vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
#vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
#vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
#vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
#vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
#vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/sda5
  label = Slackware
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Windows 7
other = /dev/sda2
label = Win7
# Das ist das Ende

don't forget to run lilo after altering the lilo.conf file

Code:

lilo

if this comes only with warnings but not errormessages

Code:

exit
reboot

Markus

hitest · 06-18-2011, 07:34 AM

Here is another method that I've used when lilo was not installed properly.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...l-lilo-615181/

markush · 06-18-2011, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hitest

Here is another method that I've used when lilo was not installed properly.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...l-lilo-615181/

Thanks to hitest, this is probably the better method with Slackware, my suggestion is something like a reminiscence of my years with Gentoo...

Markus

Kygha · 06-18-2011, 10:41 AM

I attempted hitest's method, to reinstall lilo, but it returned an error during the installation

Quote:

Warning: Unable to determine video adapter in use in the present system.
Warning: Video adapter does not support VESA BIOS extensions needed for display of 256 colors. Boot loader will fall back to TEXT only operation.
Warning: Device 0x0810: Inconsistent partition table, 1st entry
CHS address in PT: 0:1:1 --> LBA (57)
LBA address in PT: 32 --> CHS (0:0:33)
Fatal: Either FIX-TABLE or IGNORE-TABLE must be specified
If not sure, first try IGNORE-TABLE (-P ignore)

I'm not sure what the partition table is, but it seems that it's the issue. Any ideas?

****************************************

Well I've solved the problem by doing what it said (lilo -P fix) and then reinstalling. Everything's working fine as of now. Thanks for the help

hitest · 06-18-2011, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kygha

I attempted hitest's method, to reinstall lilo, but it returned an error during the installation

I'm not sure what the partition table is, but it seems that it's the issue. Any ideas?

****************************************

Well I've solved the problem by doing what it said (lilo -P fix) and then reinstalling. Everything's working fine as of now. Thanks for the help

You're welcome. I'm glad things worked out for you.