Problem dual booting Linux and Win 2000

Mechanic · 07-15-2003, 11:50 AM

I am using RH 8.0 which I am currently booting from floppy. When I installed Linux I chose not to install LILO so as not to disturb the NT boot loader. I am now trying to use the NT boot loader to give me the option of booting Win 2000 or Linux. The docs that I've read about doing this say to install LILO on the linux partition (/dev/hda2 in my case) and put the first 512 bytes of the boot sector in a file on the windows partition and then to point to it in the NT boot loader.

My problem is if I try to install LILO it says that 'lilo.conf does not exist' (or something like that). I checked and I, in fact, don't have that file in the /etc directory. I created an empty file named 'lilo.conf' and tried it again, but then I got an error saying that the boot device (/dev/hda2) is beyond the 1024 cylinder limit.

Is there a way to bypass this? My feeling is that LILO does not have to exist below the 1024 cylinder limit if I'm having the NT boot loader point to it. Is this true? If so, what do I do?

Thanks for any help.

Seph64 · 07-15-2003, 11:55 AM

lilo must be configured to boot into Linux. I'll go ahead and post a sample lilo.conf file that you must edit for you linux.

Code:

boot=/dev/hda2
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=600
lba32
default=Linux
vga=773

image=/boot/vmlinuz
	label=linux
	read-only
	root=/dev/hda2

Skyline · 07-15-2003, 02:24 PM

Hi Mechanic

Its just a guess but - I would just re-install your dsitribution and make sure you install LILO to the boot sector of your Linux root partition - then copy the Map file over to your Windows partition ready for NTLDR to look at the map file - the map file will contain the hard coded locations of your Linux kernel.

dangerboy · 08-18-2003, 12:24 AM

I posted something in a another post that might be helpful to you. Look at my last comment. Lemme know if you have any questions.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ght=lilo+ntldr

Mechanic · 08-19-2003, 07:50 PM

Thanks dangerboy. I had already fixed my problem but I had done essentially the same thing that you did. And I also found all the Howto's to lack in description. Your post will be helpful to others that are in the position that we were in. Keep up the good work!