Oops this is messed. I need to re-write my question. Sorry.

Ok. I got very busy, very fast. Here's my question:

I have a pre-PentiumPro computer which I have already installed Slackware 12.1.

I created 2 extended partitions /dev/hda5 (ext3) and /dev/hda6 (swap) for a second installation of Slackware 13.37.

Full 13.37 distribution was installed on /dev/hda5 as the root partition using "huge.s" at the boot prompt of the install just as it says to do on the install disk boot screen. (i.e. installing huge.s kernel for pre-PentiumPro cpus) (I tried the default kernel but it won't install.)

I did not install lilo for 13.37. But instead changed the lilo.conf in the 12.1 distro for the 2 distros.

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Linux_12_1
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda5
label = Linux_13_37
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Upon 13.37 booting, the system starts off ok but then shortly stops and gives a boot error:

Loading fuse module failed!
Setting system time from the hardware clock (localtime)
Testing root file system status: read-only filesystem
Checking root filesystem:
fsch from util-linux 2.19
modprobe FATAL Could not load /lib/modules/2.6.24.5-smp/modules.dep

But you see for /dev/hda5 (the root for 13.37), the /lib/modules directory contains directories /2.6.37-6-smp and /2.6.37-6.

So its using /dev/hda1 for / not /dev/hda5.

I don't understand. There's the difference of identifiers going from hdx to sdx but I thought they
were the same as far as lilo goes.

P.S. lilo errors if I try to use root=/dev/sda5

Copy the actual 13.37 kernel (vmlinuz-huge-2.6.37.6) in /boot on /dev/hda5 to /boot on /dev/hda1 and change the line highlighted in red to "image = /boot/vmlinuz-huge-2.6.37.6" in /etc/lilo.conf. Rerun lilo.

With your current setup, the lilo bootloader is loading the 2.6.24.5 kernel, which is trying to find kernel modules on /dev/hda5. As the kernel modules on /dev/hda5 are for the 2.6.37.6 kernel, then the FATAL error results.

Thanks!

I also had to add:

append = "root=/dev/sda5"

Then it worked.
Thanks.