Can not install lilo on MBR
 

hello guys. First time for me using Vector Linux or slackware component. It sounds impressive thus far and the install time seems fast.

My problem is that I still cannot install Slackware completely on a hard drive that used to have debian w/GRUB.

I have since then tried cfdisking and then installing, but I cannot install lilo to MBR. I was finally able to install lilo to bootsector, but as a newbie, I do not know where in hdb, lilo or grub for that matter resides.

I would have liked if upon doing the installation, like when I install with Xandros, it would just overwrite the current bootloader without me having to manually modify anything.

I want a way to be able to bootup my Vector / slackware installation which is supposedly complete, but upon, booting up,. since I was not able to install lilo to MBR, but to bootsector, I see GRUB upon reboot, and it just stays that way.

I wish I could get rid of GRUB altogether from the drive. It is just a 7.5GB HD, and I have it partitioned, hdb1 linux-swap 502MB; hdb2 reiserfs 6.8GB for linux. I am trying VSOHO 5.1 rc1.

Any ideas on how to finish or complete this install. My problem appears to be GRUB still existing in MBR and even though I only have CDROM and the Hard drive in, GRUB is still existent. Is there a way to find grub and manipulate it to boot the OS or just remove it altogether...

Sure wish lilo would just overwrite it, but it fails to do so. Even after doing a reinstall lilo., it fails.

Desperate, please help....

I want to try my hands on this new GEM. - Thus far mepis has been my main OS of choice, but I have learn't from a slackware friend of mine that this was much faster to use and launch apps and could also be made more powerful.

I do not think GRUB resides anywhere in my BIOS.!?

Maybe boot with a DOS boot disk and fdisk /mbr to wipe it out completely and start with LILO from scratch?

Could also be because you have an MBR anti-virus enabled in BIOS. That will stop lilo from loading in MBR.
Look for an entry that has MBR in it in BIOS and disable it

Hi,

You could use ranish to setup your mbr. Just write IPL or SPL from ranish.
You can get this with slax live-cd. Just press F2 at boot prompt. Then select ranish.

Another post stated to use dos and do a fdisk /mbr. This will reset the SPL. You then should be able to write a MBR from lilo. That is if as the other poster stated that the BIOS inhibits the action.

I have yet to have bios over-ride; lilo -v -b /dev/hda#

where # is the partion number on /dev/hda. You should man lilo to get some information!

HTH!

Solved a while ago. The fix was to wipe the MBR. There are some commands in linux that can be done on the shell to wipe MBR. I initially had grub there?

Now it works.

Would you mind posting those commands that wipe the mbr?