Can't get Linux-Mandrake 7.2 Complete to boot thru System Commander.Hopefully someone can help-below are contents I sent to Mandrake in an E-mail:
Ran /sbin/lilo- no change- only get "LI" when booting with System Commander. Can boot with floppy. Am providing info below.
Three Hard drives:
#1- two partitions- first one-Windows 98SE-where System Commander is installed.
#2- Two partitions- currently Windows partitions
#3- Three partitions- first- Linux-Mandrake 7.2 Complete,2nd- Windows, Third-BeOS.
LiloConfig is as follows:
boot=/dev/hda1
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
default=linux
keytable=/boot/us.klt
lba32
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux
root=/dev/hda1
append=\" hdd=ide-scsi\"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux-nonfb
root=/dev/hda1
append=\" hdd=ide-scsi\"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=failsafe
root=/dev/hda1
append=\" hdd=ide-scsi failsafe\"
read-only
On the Floppy the line for image is "image=/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk" This is different from from the LiloConfig. Is this normal? During Install I installed the bootloader into the boot sector not the MBR of hard drive three as I was told it needed to be to work with System Commander.
Does something need to be changed in the LILOConfig or do I need to install the bootloader into the MBR of the hard drive?
Below is the partition info you previously asked for:
Device Boot Start End Blocks ID System
/dev/hda1 1 1147 9213246 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 2492 4981 20000925 F Win95 EXT'd(LBA)
/dev/hda3 1148 2491 10795680 C Win95 Fat32(LBA)
/dev/hda5 * 2492 4981 20000893+ eb BeOS fs

I got the following info with System Commander:
Drive/Partition ID StartSector Head Cylinder EndingSector Head Cylinder

2-0 83 1 1 0 63 254 1022

Sector-first- 63 total- 18426492

I know that Linux is supposed to be able to boot with System Commander-is there anything in the info above that can tell why it's not working?
The Windows hard drive is on the built in Promise ATA 100 Controller. The Third hard drive with Linux is on the built in ATA 66 controller- ASUS A7V Motherboard.
I don't see why this would make a difference but am providing the info anyhow. I've played a lot of e-mail tag over this problem- anyone have any ideas? Thank's- Dave

Tried posting this last nite thru Linux-would not work-man I hate typing for nothing!Ok-here's what I did: used DRAKCONFIG>Tools for Booting>Bootloader>changed each one to include the Kernel info.Ran /sbin/lilo-it worked.Booted back into Windows-disabled System Commander to remove it from the MBR of the Windows drive>renabled it to write in the new info>tried booting into Linux with SC still got "LI"!You were right about the "LI" message-according to The Linux Bootdisk HowTo "LI" means this:"The first stage bootloader was able to load the second stage bootloader,but failed to execute it.This can either be caused by a geometry mismatch or by moving /boot/boot.b without running the map installer".Map Installer? What is that? Now how do I solve this problem. Mandrake asked for the Partitioning info in my earlier post-must have been satisfied with what they saw-just said run /sbin/lilo-which I did which of course has not worked whether the IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz or /boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk is in LiloConfig.I checked the floppy-the kernel info is in the Image= line in LiloConfig.
I did contact Tech support for System Commander- they said it should work with Linux and that for SC to boot Linux that Lilo must be installed into the /boot partition not the MBR.
I made sure that when contacting both SC & Mandrake that I stated that SC is on the FIRST hard drive with Windows 98SE and that Linux was on the THIRD hard drive first partition. Now whether they paid attention to that I don't know.I understand that to work with SC that Lilo could not be installed on the MBR of the first hard drive even if I had Linux on the first drive because SC writes to it to function.
Because Linux is on the third hard drive-should Lilo be installed into the MBR of that drive> I'm just grasping at straws here.Below is my current LiloConfig.Do you or anyone else see any info that could be causing "LI" with System Commander? And again what is the Map Installer and could this be part of the problem?

boot=/dev/hda1
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
vga=normal
default=linux
keytable=/boot/us.klt
lba32
prompt
timeout=500
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=linux
root=/dev/hda1
append="hdd=ide-scsi"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=linux-nonfb
root=/dev/hda1
append="hdd=ide-scsi"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
lable=failsafe
root=/dev/hda1
append="hdd=ide-scsi"
read-only
other=/dev/hda3
label=windows
table=/dev/hda
other=/dev/fd0
label=floppy
unsafe

Dazed,confused but DETERMINED! Any help will be greatly appreciated- thank's- Dave

Okay... I haven't read hardly any of your post, so correct me If I have said something you have. LILO needs to be installed in ROOT partition for sys com to recognise it. So the first line of the LILO file is wrong. That just installs it to the first partition on the first drive.

You may have problemsto boot Linux if it is installed on either the master or slave of the second IDE port.

In your post you say that Linux is installed on the third HD, yet you also say it is /dev/hda1???

If you do a search you will find a thread that has to do with LILO stopping at LI. When you say "Tried posting this last nite thru Linux - would not work" were you having a problem with Linux or the forums?

CragStar- this is what I just posted elsewhere-this should answer your questions-thank's- Dave
Not familiar with Loadlin.I have an ASUS A7V motherboard with a built in Promise ATA 100 Controller and a built in ATA 66 controller.The Promise ATA 100 has it's own BIOS.My first two hard drives are on the ATA 100.The third hard drive with Linux on it is on the ATA 66 which the Bios sees first> so the third hard drive is on the primary of the ATA 66 is /dev/hda.The dvdrom is the master on the secondary: /dev/hdc & the CdBurner is the slave: /dev/hdd.
/dev/hda1 is the root partition.
The change I made from a suggestion was to include the Kernel info in the "Image=" line.
Ran /sbin/lilo and did what I posted earlier.
You're correct> am able to boot into Windows & BeOS with System Commander but with Linux only get to "LI" which according to the Linux HowTo says that the second stage bootloader is not executing.THe question is at this point is WHY ISN"T IT? I am new to Linux.Even Mandrake said they were referring this to their engineers-that was why they asked for the Partitioning info>their last response was to run /sbin/lilo again because I hadn't done it before.Obviously that didn't work.I know that System commander & Linux are supposed to be able to work together-from what I can see the problem is not with SC but with Lilo.Can you fill me in on Loadlin and any other ideas? Thank's- Dave

Jeremy- That search you mentioned was probably started by me awhile ago.I don't know if the problem last nite was with Konqerer,Linux or the forum.I was able to preview my message but every time I tried to post it the message wouldn't show up-the first time was my fault I hadn't logged in thru Linux-(always automatically logged in when using Windows)-weird thing was that message I type just disappeared-had to start over-hit the post button several times- never got a successful acknowledgement.I've posted on forums before thru Linux although I don't recall if I have here or not. I doubt this clears anything up for you but I figured I'd respond anyhow. Now if only I could get this "LI" problem solved. Thank's- Dave

Right, now I understand what you mean.

Have you tried setting the goemetry of your drive in /etc/lilo.conf, adding cylinders, heads, sectors. Or tring to add linear to the config. The How-to should be able to direct you. If not post.

Lilo has few problems with where things are located on the disk hence you have to help it. I personally use GRUB because it worked for me! But Lilo does work when I need it too.

Thought I'd let you know what I tried today.
Decided to try and install on the second hard drive again.Set up a 15mb /boot partition-(hdf1)a 125mb swap partition-(hdf3) and the rest / -(hdf4).After installing I went into Lilo Config and added the paramters for the ATA 100 controller in the Append section-"ide2=0x8400,0x8002 ide2=autotune ide0=autotune".The first time I tried with System Commander I got "second stage" and then it stopped.
I played with LiloConfig a few times-after running /sbin/lilo I get the following messages:
/dev/hdf1 is not on the first disk
Warning: Bios drive 0x82 may not be accessible-this I get 4 times.Now I'm back to "LI" again when booting thru System Commander.I can boot thru the floppy but I have to add "linux ide2=0x8400,0x8002 each time.I'm wondering what to try nect short of compiling a kernel.Any of this info make sense? Thank's- Dave

When I was trying to install Lilo that message came up when the drive was not on the master or slave of the primary IDE. Is yours? Basically you have to define 0x82 with its cylinders, heads and sectors. I had no success with this, and quickly changed the drives around to correct this problem. I think you have two hard drives occupying the spots Linux wants to be in.

I don't know for sure if this the problem, I just know it happened to me.

Here's a link has info about Bios/Linux reading drives differently.http://www.zepa.net/hypermail/elug/2001/01/0068html .Below is the updated LiloConfig- the problem I get now is I get ? marks instead of " marks in the append section-I have tried editing them out-doesn't work.Each time I run /sbin/lilo I get "syntax error line 24".How do I solve this problem? I think I'm on to something here but am stuck at this point- suggestions? Thank's- Dave

disk=/dev/hde
bios=0x80
disk=/dev/hdf
bios=0x81
disk=/dev/hda
bios=0x82
disk=/dev/hdc
bios=0x83
boot=/dev/hdf1
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
vga=normal
default=linux
keytable=/boot/us.klt
lba32
compact
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=linux
root=/dev/hdf4
append=? hdd=ide-scsi ide2=0x8400,0x8002 ide2=autotune ide0=autotune?
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=linux-nonfb
root=/dev/hdf4
append=? hdd=ide-scsi ide2=0x8400,0x8002 ide2=autotune ide0=autotune?
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=failsafe
root=/dev/hdf4
append=? hdd=ide-scsi failsafe ide2=0x8400,0x8002 ide2=autotune ide0=autotune?
read-only
other=/dev/hda3
label=windows
table=/dev/hda
map-drive=0x82
to=0x83
map-drive=0x83
to=0x82
other=/dev/hde1
label=windows2
table=/dev/hde
map-drive=0x80
to=0x81
map-drive=0x81
to=0x80
other=/dev/hdf4
label=floppy
unsafe
Can you contact me about the ICQ Chat you were talking about-haven't done that before but would be glad to try it out-thank's- Dave sheridan3957@adelphia.net

How have you tried to edit the file? Can you not use emacs or even kedit to change the ? marks?

To contact someone through ICQ you need an ICQ program such as GICQ or gabber, which allows users to have an ICQ number and username. It is basically for instant messaging. The only problem though is being online at the same time!

Been using AbiWord to edit.Anthony- moderator at Zdnet said the same thing about emacs- I have no idea what those are.I am at the limit of my knowledge of Linux at this point.Once I know something is supposed to work and doesn;t I keep at it until the problem is solved to my satisfaction.
ICQ- will check that out. I currently use AOL IM & MSN IM and BeAIM under the name sheridan3957 for instant messaging.
I will get this problem solved if it kills me! Thank's- Dave

Understanding Is A Three Edge Sword!