I am unable to boot into linux . I thought I followd the book, and have gone over the boot sections there, but am still missing something. Everything went well during the install.

My lilo.conf file is written to read the lfs partition (hdb1), and upon boot I can select it (running Redhat 7.2 as a host system, hda, with lfs on hdb). However, it doesn't get far, only the first line: Loading linux..................... (even though my label is "lfs"..?) and then it reboots.

I looked at my inittab script and the runlevel is set to 3. I was hoping someone could point some areas to look out for. I can send in info you might need.

It's and a second hard drive, with a pre 1997 bios, could this be an issue? I've had linux on this drive before, but with windows on the hda, never two linux distos.

Here is my lilo.conf:
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
linear
default=linux

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda6

image=/boot/lfskernel //should this be "other", or is that only for differnet a different os?
label=lfs
root=/dev/hdb1
read-only

I looked in the boot log, but the syslogd doesn't have a chance to start. Somehow the kernel never uncompresses. I know this is a really vague problem description, I'll keep hammering it out.

Thanks!!

How much of the 'Lilo' gets printed to the screen, this can be used as an indication of whats gone wrong.

Baloo

/edit read the whole question now, sorry the above won't help (its late )

Yeah, just the first line:

Loading linux ................. and then the reboot.

It doesn't seem to see the kernel, though there is a copy of the lfs kernel in /boot, as lfskernel. Thanks.

Its finding the kernel. However, the kernel is taking a great big dump for some odd reason. I've had this same thing happen a number of times with Slackware's boot kernels, like when I used smp.i on a uni-processor box with a funky mobo. It seems that's just the kernel acting funky. It looks like you'll have to re-compile it. You can use the RedHat kernel and just have it mount /dev/hdb1 as root. It will complain bitterly about not finding modules as its looking for /lib/modules/2.4.2-2 and all its going to find on that partition is /lib/modules/2.4.16. If you really want, you could boot into RedHat, copy the entire module directory over to the LFS partition.

Its almost definately not the hardware. I've got a pre-1995 machine with 3 OS's on it.

Oh, and 'other' is just for other OS, you can name the thing BobsFlatulentIguana if you want to... there is a character limit, but it beats me.

LILO is doing its job right, it found that kernel where it was suppoes to be and handed the job off to it... and then the kernel pooped out.

Good luck,

Finegan

Make sure you selected the right CPU when you compiled the lfskernel image. By default it's set to PIII I believe.

Also, disable SMP if you don't have an SMP box, or disable it anyways just for testing.

Argghhh, I prattle on for 3 paragraphs and forgot this. Absolutely, yes, I even had the exact same thing happen to my once on my P1 when I left it at the default for P3, which the default indeed is. Once again, thanks Cpt. LFS,

Cheers,

Finegan

Dooh!!!! I trashed my host system by accident screwing around with its kernel. I will have to go back and reinstall it and then reinstall LFS.

Thanks for the help, yeah, I was kind of moving too quickly through the kernel config. Had a month off for the olympics, but now school's starting again - should have started a month ago! I have to get this basic setup running tonight or it goes to the back burner. Will let you know how it goes, thanks again!!