Installing LILO

johnklvr · 01-02-2004, 05:30 PM

I was installing slackware 9.1 and the installation froze when it was setting up LILO. When I go back the installation program wont let me go there without reformatting/reinstalling all the software packages. How can I just install LILO without this setup program?

thanks

h/w · 01-02-2004, 05:32 PM

im a bit confused. the bootloader is the first thing that runs, so how is it that you boot in the first place without it?

later on: ok, i read ur post again. by "going back", i took it you were restarting. my bad.

Peacedog · 01-02-2004, 05:33 PM

skip the lilo part of the installation, be sure to make a boot floppy. after the install run liloconfig from the cl.
good luck.

johnklvr · 01-02-2004, 05:33 PM

My system just boots right into windows now - no LILO no GRUB =(.

syg00 · 01-02-2004, 07:16 PM

Consider yourself lucky - at least you still have a valid MBR.
Boot the floppy you made during the install - you *DID*, right ??.

If your windows is an NT derivative (NT, W2000, XP), make sure you *DON'T* install into the MBR. If NT(et al) is the first partition on the first hard disk you are better off using the NT loader to kick off the Linux loader. LILO is (used to be) a pain in that you have to DD the boot sector over every time you update Linux.
I prefer GRUB, but each to his own.

Seem to be a lot of these sort of questions.

joe83 · 01-02-2004, 09:41 PM

I'm currently running Slack 9.1 as I type this, and don't remember grub being an option.
Did you by any chance previously install RH or one of the other distros that uses it??

syg00 · 01-02-2004, 10:11 PM

Indeed.
Guess I shouldn't presume too much - never tried Slack, but presumed you would get the option.
Always downloadable from gnu.org

joe83 · 01-02-2004, 11:09 PM

And just exactly how does your snotty little comment help this guy with his problem???
Jerk

syg00 · 01-02-2004, 11:36 PM

Response was to your post, and I don't judge it as snotty at all.
All fact - I haven't tried Slackware, and was unaware it didn't offer either or both LILO and GRUB.
My prior post was an attempt to assist the original problem.

johnklvr · 01-03-2004, 06:18 AM

I've booted to the command line and run liloconfig.

I try the simple setup, and whether I try installing it to the MBR or the root partition it says LILO has returned an error. I really don't want to boot from a floppy. =) Any suggestions?

johnklvr · 01-03-2004, 06:48 AM

Error #1 to be exact.

johnklvr · 01-03-2004, 07:48 AM

I just tinkered around to get it working enough to realize I prefer GRUB. I've restored the MBR already, and slackware didn't give me the option to install GRUB. It should be somewhere on one of these Red Hat install cds though.. would anybody mind explaining exactly how I could do this?

Thanks!

Demonbane · 01-03-2004, 08:32 AM

There really is no need to install the grub package in order to use grub(unless you want the man pages and such).
You can download and use this generic grub disk I created:
http://ryantsai.ozforces.com.au/grubdisk.img
There's no config file so it takes you straight into grub console when booted.
First write the image into a floppy disk:

Code:

dd if=grubdisk.img of=/dev/fd0

Mount the floppy disk(or the image if you prefer) tben copy the entire grub directory in boot to your /boot, so your /boot/grub/ now contains various *stage* files.
Create a /boot/grub/grub.conf, this is a sample one:

Code:

timeout 8
default 0

title=Slackware 9.1
kernel /boot/vmlinuz ro root=/dev/hdc3 vga=791 quiet
initrd /boot/initrd-1024x768

title=Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

If you have a separate /boot partition then the kernel/initrd path shouldn't contain "/boot".
Now boot with the grub boot disk, once you get into the grub shell invoke:

Code:

root (hdX,X)

The first X is the driver number, second is the partition, you should set it to where your /boot is(or / if you don't have one). Therefore for example if your /boot is located in the second partition of the first harddrive(usually primary master), then you do "root (hd0,1)", if its in the first partition of the second drive then "root (hd1,0)", so on and so forth. It'll tell you the partition type therefore you can see if you've got it right, and you can keep trying until you do.
After the root is set you can now install grub into the MBR by using:

Code:

setup (hd0)

If you want it in the partition bootsector, add the partition number as well, therefore for example its possbile to do

Code:

setup (hd0,1)

If it sets up correctly now grub should be installed, if its in the MBR next time you boot it'll appear. If you installed it in the partition bootsector you can either set you /boot partition to active(only if its on the first bootable harddrive) or you can extract the grub bootsector then boot it with NT OS loader, you can easily find related info on this forum in case you want to do that.

johnklvr · 01-03-2004, 09:31 AM

Demonbane - I'm sure that would work but I'm a little nervous to try that method. I found a .rpm on my red hat install disc 1 with grub in the name, isnt there a simpler way where I can install the whole package and have it create the config file for me (because I'll also probably need the man pages too). Please keep in mind this will be my third *.nix boot =)

thanks

Demonbane · 01-03-2004, 09:36 AM

Since you're using Slackware you'll have to write one by hand :-), or post your current lilo.conf I can convert it to grub.conf for ya.
If you want the package you can get the source from http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/grub.html

Oh and if you decide to use the one from gnu website then the default config file is menu.lst, for the grub boot disk image I created its grub.conf cus i made it in redhat.