[SOLVED] What to choise: LILO or GRUB2?

zgmforever · 10-26-2018, 06:19 AM

Hi! What is better and why? I use bootloader LILO for my laptop where installed SLACKWARE. Maybe GRUB2 is better?

business_kid · 10-26-2018, 10:30 AM

Hi, & Welcome to LQ.

As to Lilo or Grub, it's horses for courses.
If you're doing legacy boot only, lilo is fine, and simple. Lilo is a bit `last millenium' but works.
If you're using EFI, it's grub2 or Elilo, methinks and grub (much as it hurts me to say it) is probably the better of that pair.

DavidMcCann · 10-26-2018, 10:45 AM

It's generally best to stick with the default in your distribution. If there are problems, it's what's explained in the documentation and what almost everyone else is using. I don't know Elilo, but I've used both Lilo and Grub2 with no trouble — although I preferred the original Grub!

business_kid · 10-26-2018, 01:44 PM

Er, sorry I meant grub2.

ondoho · 10-27-2018, 03:34 AM

i stopped dual booting long ago.
recently i decided it's time to ditch grub (*) once and for all, and am happily using syslinux now!
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/syslinux

(*) it's so bloated, the only conceivable reason to use it is if you multiboot and want your other distros to be autodetected.

business_kid · 10-27-2018, 04:16 AM

How do you handle having a spare (just-in-case)kernel around?

I feel much safer with another system installed. It's handy for backups, etc. After spending one afternoon some years back trying to find a dvd that actually booted, I gave up on that as a mug's game.

ondoho · 10-27-2018, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

How do you handle having a spare (just-in-case)kernel around?

i don't. the lts kernel has never failed me to the point of not booting.
also archlinux overwrites a new kernel version form the same line.
but i could easily add another entry to some other kernel flavour.
i do have single user & fallback initrd options.

Quote:

I feel much safer with another system installed. It's handy for backups, etc. After spending one afternoon some years back trying to find a dvd that actually booted, I gave up on that as a mug's game.

ok well i always have another system around that actually boots

also multibooting is by no means impossible with syslinux, it's just the only scenario where grub makes some sense.

business_kid · 10-27-2018, 10:40 AM

I'm such a cheapskate I relied on DVDs and they all went iffy on me at about 5 years old. My spare is LFS at the moment. As long as it has rsync, I'm good. Things like /proc, /sys, & /dev fill up when you're running a system.

I will hardly suffer through BLFS, but am waiting for another distro to grab my attention. It was going to be heads (a 'tails' type thing), but that fell at the first hurdle - driver firmware.

jijibom · 10-27-2018, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondoho

i don't. the lts kernel has never failed me to the point of not booting.
also archlinux overwrites a new kernel version form the same line.
but i could easily add another entry to some other kernel flavour.
i do have single user & fallback initrd options.

ok well i always have another system around that actually boots

also multibooting is by no means impossible with syslinux, it's just the only scenario where grub makes some sense.

I sense a great deal more secure with another machine installed. it's available for backups, etc. After spending one afternoon some years back trying to find a dvd that honestly booted, I gave up on that as a mug's recreation.

ondoho · 10-28-2018, 01:38 AM

well the fact remains that besides grub and lilo, there's also syslinux to choose from.