Hi, I run windowsXP (on hda1) and i wanted to check linux out. So i downloaded Debian.
I Installed it to hdd4. the installer installed Lilo to the MBR, and when i rebooted after the install, i only got "L 01 01 01 01" (the 01 went on and on).
To get into windows again, i had to fix the mbr using the recovery console.
After that i tried installing lilo to hdd4, and using the windowsXP boot chooser thingy to boot from hdd4, but i got the same result when i tried this.

Now i am wondering what i did wrong.
I'm a total linux newbie, the only linux distribution i tried before was knoppix. If this is a stupid question, feel free to spank me.

Spank me too. I have the exact same problem. Except I've had different variations, like 01010101010 being blasted on the screen scrolling up forever, and LI 99 99 99 99..., and just LI.

Currently I'm using the bootable slackware CD#2 to get slack, ie using the root=/dev/hda3 paramater.

The only way I figured out how to fix it last time was spend 3 hours low-level formatting the drive. I know theres a real solution somewhere..out there..

Same tihng happened on this thread: solution seemed to be reinstalling lilo.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...083#post876083

Hello everyone

this seems to be a common thing with lilo... it's at the wrong place most of the time this happens. open the /etc/lilo.conf and check for a line wich says root=<bla>, change it to root=/dev/hda. if it's there already, something else is wrong. you could also try add a line with just "compact" (without the quotes) wich will make lilo more compact (doh...)

succes,
-= iluvatar =-

Yes. There's something wrong with LILO installation/configuration. Here's what those error messages mean:

L<nn> nn represent disk-error codes.
LI The second-stage boot loader loaded, but could not run.

Show what is in /etc/lilo.conf
And what is the output of fdisk -l

yeah I get LI 99 99 99 99 currently.

My slackware root is on /dev/hda3. hda4 is my /home (and spong-bob squarepants episodes)

Here is fdisk -l:
Here is /etc/lilo.conf:
I'm stumped, this lilo stuff is so confusing. I've just been booting off the CD. I'd love to sort it out without pulling out CAPTAIN LOW-LEVEL FORMAT & destroying everything.

ok, I can see one major problem, one minor the major problem is the first line wich says:
boot="/dev/hda1"
change this to:
boot=/dev/hda

this will make lilo install itself at disk start, not partition start.
the minor problem is this your second image config:

image="/usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage"
label="Linux_Compiled"
root="/dev/hda3"
read-only
optional

a kernel image must be placed in the /boot directory. copy the compiled kernel to the /boot dir and change the lilo configuration for it.
when done, run /sbin/lilo, wich installs lilo

greetz & succes,
.-=~ iluvatar ~=-.

ps: you may also remove the very first line wich states "root=/dev/hda3"... don't know what it's doing there....?

I don't even know how to edit the lilo config :/ Heck, i don't even know how to install lilo. Maybe I'd better give up.

never give up can you boot from a rescue cd or some kind? if you can, nothing is lost... boot from a cd / floppy, and check if the linux partition (hda3) is mounted. if not, mount it. now do a chroot command to the mountpoint. for example if the hda3 partition is not mounted already, try this:

cd /
mkdir hd
mount /dev/hda3 hd/
chroot hd /bin/bash

this will create a mount point (hd), mount the hda3 partition on it, and chroot to it. chroot means this directory will become the root dir, wich has far going effects... you are more or less working on your installed linux now. now you can edit the lilo.conf file, just do:

cd /etc
<editor of choice> lilo.conf

now repair the config, save it, exit the editor and run /sbin/lilo. the lilo command will re-install lilo according to the config file.

greetz & more succes...
.-=~ iluvatar ~=-.

how did you fix the MBR using windows? i really REALLY need to know...

I used fixmbr in the windows recovery console (you can enter the recovery console when you boot from your windows cd, if you didn't know that allready).

Info about fixmbr on microsoft webshite

I don't have a boot disc or anything. Is it possible to do it from knoppix?

I think you should be able to boot from any distro CD / floppy.
Mainly, as iluvatar stated, you meerly need to boot, then chroot into your existing system.

If you don't have a boot disk or anything, how did you install the OS in the first place?

I checked lilo.conf, and i can't really see anything wrong with it (wich probably is becouse i don't understand a word of it).
it looks like this:
As i said before, i'm a total newbie (it took me HOURS to figure out how to edit lilo.conf), so i would say the probabillity i made a giant mistake is high.

One small step for a guru, one giant leap for gnesisbaard.
Thanks iluvatar, that worked out. I can bwoot without the CD now.