Boot problem...

aradu · 02-18-2005, 04:14 PM

I just installed Slackware 10.1 but I got some problems at the boot. Earlier when I had Slackware 10.1 installed (uninstalled because I wanted to try Debian) grub came up and asked me what OS I wanted to start, but not now. I have Windows XP installed too.

Now when I installed Slackware again and when I have no floppy or CD in the drives, the letters "LI" appears and nothing happens. I suppose LILO is configured wrong and I would really appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.

Niklas

Berhanie · 02-18-2005, 09:30 PM

1. Boot the computer from the first Slackware CD and log in as root (no password needed)
2. # mount /dev/hdax /mnt (where hdax is your root Linux partition)
3. # chroot /mnt
4. # liloconfig (or edit /etc/lilo.conf by hand)
5. # lilo

JoannesX · 02-19-2005, 06:23 AM

There's a sequence for that kind of error in lilo...
for example if you get:
L , it means that no lilo was loaded. it could be because it hasn't been installed or because or because it's installed on the initialization sector of a not active partition..

if you get the LI, it means the first stage was loaded.. lilo is installed and was found...
but the execution of lilo was somehow aborted..
maybe because of a geometry mismatch..

aradu · 02-19-2005, 08:59 AM

Berhanie: I did what you said but when I typed lilo, these warnings came up:

Code:

Warning: '/proc/partitions' does not exist, disk scan bypassed
Warning: Partition 2 on /dev/hda is not marked active
Added Windows*
Added Linux

Linux is on /dev/hda2 and Windows /dev/hda1.

When I ran liloconfig I chose [SIMPLE] so the configuration was handled automatically. Then I chose no kernel parameters (only ENTER). After that I chose [ROOT] (install to superblock). Maybe I need to configure it in another way?

Niklas

Berhanie · 02-19-2005, 12:51 PM

Ok, so you installed LILO into /dev/hda2 instead of MBR? That's not a problem. In that case, you just need to make that partition (/dev/hda2) active so that LILO will be brought up:

1. Boot from Slackware CD1 and log in to root.
2. # fdisk /dev/hda
3. Choose option "a" (toggle a bootable flag) to turn off the bootable flag on your Windows partition and turn it on for the partition where you installed LILO. (that's two separate operations: one to turn off the windows partition bootable flag, and one to turn on the linux partition bootable flag).

EDIT: before saving and exiting fdisk, use the "p" option (print) to make sure that only the partition on which you installed LILO has been marked bootable (it'll be marked by asterisk ("*").