[SOLVED] Adding Second Distro To LILO

tb75252 · 02-20-2014, 11:14 PM

I am using Slackware 14.1 64-bit with the KDE desktop environment. LILO is installed in the MBR and root is in sda1.

Just for fun I decided to install the 32-bit version of Slackware 14.1, too. Root is in sda5 and so is LILO (superblock of sda5).

When I boot up, LILO only shows an entry for Slackware 64-bit. How do I add Slackware 32-bit to LILO?

itsgregman · 02-20-2014, 11:58 PM

you could try adding to lilo.conf

other = /dev/sda5
label = slackware32

Then as root type "lilo" without quotations to update lilo then reboot and see if you're able to chain load your other lilo.

tb75252 · 02-21-2014, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itsgregman

you could try adding to lilo.conf

other = /dev/sda5
label = slackware32
table = /dev/sda

Then as root type "lilo" without quotations to update lilo then reboot and see if you're able to chain load your other lilo.
I'm not sure if you would need the table entry, I'd try it without it first and if it doesn't work add it and try again.

I am getting the following error message:

Quote:

Fatal: Partition entry not found.

millgates · 02-21-2014, 05:45 AM

I don't think you need two LILOs. I would just add another entry to the MBR bootloader

Code:

image = /path/to/slack32kernel
  root = /dev/sda5
  label = slack32
  read-only

and reinstall lilo

tb75252 · 02-21-2014, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millgates

I don't think you need two LILOs. I would just add another entry to the MBR bootloader

Code:

image = /path/to/slack32kernel
  root = /dev/sda5
  label = slack32
  read-only

and reinstall lilo

Sorry but I am not much of an expert... How do I find the path to, and name of, my slack32 kernel?

millgates · 02-22-2014, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tb75252

Sorry but I am not much of an expert... How do I find the path to, and name of, my slack32 kernel?

The default path of the kernel in Slackware is, as far as I remember, /boot/vmlinuz. It will probably be a symlink to some other file in the same directory, but it shouldn't matter. However, the /boot directory of your 32bit Slackware is _not_ the one you see in your 64bit system (unless you have the same partition for /boot for both systems). So, mount the partition which contains the 32bit Slackware (in your case, I assume /dev/sda5) to some directory if it's not mounted already:

Code:

mkdir /mnt/slack32
mount /dev/sda5 /mnt/slack32

Now, the path to your 32bit kernel should be /mnt/slack32/boot/vmlinuz, so put that in the lilo.conf and run

Code:

/sbin/lilo

After lilo is successfully installed, you can safely unmount /dev/sda5 and remove the /mnt/slack32 directory.

tb75252 · 02-25-2014, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millgates

The default path of the kernel in Slackware is, as far as I remember, /boot/vmlinuz. It will probably be a symlink to some other file in the same directory, but it shouldn't matter. However, the /boot directory of your 32bit Slackware is _not_ the one you see in your 64bit system (unless you have the same partition for /boot for both systems). So, mount the partition which contains the 32bit Slackware (in your case, I assume /dev/sda5) to some directory if it's not mounted already:

Code:

mkdir /mnt/slack32
mount /dev/sda5 /mnt/slack32

Now, the path to your 32bit kernel should be /mnt/slack32/boot/vmlinuz, so put that in the lilo.conf and run

Code:

/sbin/lilo

After lilo is successfully installed, you can safely unmount /dev/sda5 and remove the /mnt/slack32 directory.

Thank you for your help! LILO seems to work fine now.