Am I just wasting my time with this?
 

first, my background: zero experience in programing. started using computers when DOS commands were all that was available. Windows came around and I forgot everything about command line interface. For the past 4 or 5 years I've been "playing" with Linux, but not really learning a whole lot about how to work the insides of it; using distros that configure almost everything for me, and struggling with what wasn't conveniently configured. I've gone through Mandrake 9, 10, and Mandriva. I've briefly used SuSe 9, and have really enjoyed using Debian the past 2 years.
Recently I've decided I really want to learn how to use Linux and chose to install and use Slackware. I've heard it's a great distro to learn Linux. Yesterday I downloaded the iso discs for Slackware 12. As I have done with all the other distros I've used, I burned the images, and went through the install process. At the end of the install process it asked me where to load the LiLo. This was weird for me as I've always used GRUB; but I indicated to load LiLo in the MBR. The installation said that it could not. Now I have a system that will not boot. I get the GRUB error 15 when I start my computer.
I have tried twice more to install Slackware, thinking that I may have missed a step, or made an incorrect selection. Still with the same result.

As I said previously... I wanted to use Slackware so that I could learn, but how can I do that if I can't even get the system to run?

Perhaps I should take a couple of semesters of programming from the community college???

Could you specify what harddrive your're installing Slackware on and did you partition it?

Programming won't probably help you too far with installing Slackware, I'm afraid :)

Well, Slackware indeed prefers to use LILO as the bootloader. There is GRUB available too, but it won't let you install it in the semi-guided setup; if you want to have it instead of LILO, you need to install it yourself. Either after the setup before you reboot (leaving LILO out completely), or after booting (with LILO) to your new Slackware, and doing it from there.

I've had so much trouble with LILO that I've given up using it a long time ago. Grub is a lot easier to maintain once installed, and I'm waiting even more from the new version of it once it's released (if it is).

Well, your trouble is not the system installation if it went trough smoothly, but bootloader. So head on and search for "how do I reinstall bootloader (Grub)?" Basically boot from a bootdisk or Slackware CD, mount local partitions, enter chroot environment and then just install Grub.

I'd be curious to know why exactly LILO fails to install. I'm not really surprised, but curious. Most often I was able to install it fine during Slackware setup, but making changes to LILO config, followed by re-installing it to MBR always failed - it appeared that only Slackware setup was able to put LILO into MBR for me ;) nice. Well, Grub does a lot better, so I won't complain.

So: search LQ for grub installation instructions (or Grub website, or some site), boot from your Slackware setup disc, don't enter the setup program, but instead 'mount' your local partitions, 'chroot' and so on. Once the bootloader is reinstalled (Grub, if you prefer), reboot and see if it helped. It's your own decicion which bootloader you use, but if you want to have less trouble, I'd say pick up Grub, and don't overwrite it unless you have to.

thanks for the feedback. oh... yes, I did partition the hard drive. I'm once again trying to install it, so that I can find out why it did not install LiLo; and if it does the same thing... will be taking the advice and looking for how to reinstall GRUB.

I'll get back and let you know how things went when it finishes the install process.

thanks again

well..... that was interesting.....non informative, therefore interesting. after trying to load LiLo again during the installation, it returned a message saying that LiLo returned "an error" and therefore could not be loaded. I could try installing LiLo later if I desire, but not now.

Well, I'm sure you partitioned your harddrive... :) But without knowing how exactly you partitioned it and what harddrive it is, it would be difficult to figure out what went wrong with your LILO installation. :)

Please post your thread in only one forum. Posting a single thread in the most relevant forum will make it easier for members to help you and will keep the discussion in one place. This thread is being closed because it is a duplicate.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...system-617674/

The dupe in Slackware is in the better place, the original is being closed.