lilo.conf question about booting please help!!
 

hello!

my question is about lilo but please read this first!

i have a nas (network attached storage) server. this is a 3com product. okay, first of all there are two bootpartitions (hda1, hda3).

if i want to boot from hda3 i have to push a button on the front of this device (this is only for info).

this nas-server use a linux system with lilo bootloader.

there are the lilo.conf's:

hda1 (on hda1):
-------------------

boot = /etc/devs/hda1
verbose =0
vga = normal
serial = 1,3840048
delay = 0
timeout = 20

image = /vmlinuz
root = /etc/devs/hda1
label = server
append = "console=ttyS1,115200"
read-only

image = /vmlinuz
root = /etc/devs/hda3
label = server
append = "console=ttyS1,115200"
read-only


-----------------------
hda3 (on hda3):
---------------

boot = /etc/devs/hda3
verbose =0
vga = normal
serial = 1,3840048
delay = 0
timeout = 20

image = /vmlinuz
root = /etc/devs/hda3
label = server
append = "console=ttyS1,115200"
read-only

image = /vmlinuz
root = /etc/devs/hda1
label = server
append = "console=ttyS1,115200"
read-only

---

okay now my question! if i do the procedure to boot from hda3 (push the button and wait 30 sec; this is the correct procedure according to 3com) the result is i boot from hda1. is it possible to boot from hda3 with these config files? if you don't understand my problem please ask me!! i need help!!! moreover i can't connect a display to check the boot process because there is no port or interface!

This seems needlessly complex to me, but I definitely don't understand what you're asking for.

If I understand this right, the button's not working?

Are you asking if you can re-configure lilo so you can choose your boot partition WITHOUT using the button?

Your labels are the same, which should never be the case.

Make 2 different labels for each lilo.conf, server_hda1 and server_hda3.
Make one of the two your default (see man lilo.conf, default= option)

Also, I think /etc/devs isn't the right spelling. So unless you are sure, change it to /etc/dev (without trailing s)

thank you for your reply!

@sludink

first of all the 3com server is shipped with one hdd. this hdd is separated in the following partitions:

hda1 (linux bootsystem a)
hda2 (for config files)
hda3 (linux bootsystem b; system for failsafe mode)
hda4 (ext partition)
hda5 (swap)
hda6 (dev partition)
hda7 (apache server partition)
hda8 (partitons for logs)
hda9 (data partition for shares)


moreover etc/devs is right spelled! if i change this the system can't boot! partition one and three has a lilo.conf (see below).

@Charred

the button is working but the question is not about the button rather then about the lilo.conf. the button is only for shutdown and to recognize that the lilo-bootloader have to boot from partition hda3 if i push the button down during the bootprocess. my queston is (may be my english isn't good enough): is it possible with these configuration-files to boot from these partition (hda1 and hda3). imagine that the button is a keyboard (notional) and i want to switch between these two options. [the button has only the function to switch between these two boot-options.] please kepp in mind that i don't have a screen ther because there is no port or interface!! thanks in advance.

WOW! I have no idea what to tell you!

Have you booted this partitioning scheme? I will admit that I haven't set up a server yet, but from what I see, this setup shouldn't work at all.

• I don't know why you appear to have 2 "/" partitions. I thought "failsafe mode" was a change in init levels, or am I mistaking "failsafe mode" for "single user mode"?
• Isn't /etc the place for config files?
• Don't /etc and /dev both belong on the / partition?
• Why are there 2 lilo.conf files? Wouldn't that just lead to confusion about which one should be modified to reflect changes in system configuration?

Off the top of my head, shouldn't lilo.conf look more like:
But, again, I don't know much about servers. (Yet.)

this is the 3com server!

http://www.illumine.de/ebay/3com_server.jpg

yeah, i thought the same because these two lilo.conf did me perplex (this was my question)! the situation is now that the partition 6 till 9 is damaged and i want to understand the structure and the main idea because if i don't get the original image from 3com i want to replace this old vision with a small gentoo vision.

okay about the failsafe mode:

you are right about the typical failsafe-mode under linux! this is only a change between init levels! but the aim of this second boot partition (hda3) is that you are able to manage the other partitions. you can format, upgrade the linux system or other things!