multiple boots

undershepherd · 02-24-2003, 07:29 PM

I have a Dell4500 with three HDs. The first is the one that was in the computer, a 40 G, where Windows XP resides. The second is a slave to the first, and I just installed Mandrake 9.0 on it (by the way, the mouse problem is there, haven't attempted to modify the config yet), and the third hD is master on the ribbon with the CDROM. That one has Red Hat 8 installed, which I installed before Mandrake.
Problem: Mandrake does not recognize RedHat, although it saw it in the installation. I can boot to RedHat from a floppy, I can boot to Mandrake or Windows XP from Mandrake's boot loader, LILO. RedHat is using Grub and I was able to boot to Linux or Windows XP from there.
Is there any way to have a mutliple boot screen, where I can choose whichOS to boot to? I have looked through threads, but do not understand completely.
As for teh Mouse, my x86Config-4 file says:
Section: Pointer
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2
Option "device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "XAxismapping" "4 5"
End section.

Any help there would also be much appreciated.

Thanks so much.

MottS · 02-24-2003, 10:33 PM

You could probably configure lilo on MDK 9.0 this way:

Code:

vga=normal
message = /boot/xray-blue.boot
boot="/dev/hda"
prompt
map = /boot/System.map
lba32
timeout="150"
default=Mandrake

image="/boot/bzImage"
        root="/dev/hdc1"
        label="Redhat"
        initrd="/boot/initrd"
        append="quiet"
        vga="791"
        read-only

image="/boot/bzImage"
        root="/dev/hdb1"
        label="Mandrake"
        initrd="/boot/initrd"
        append="quiet"
        vga="791"
        read-only

other = /dev/hda1
        label="Windows_XP"
        table = /dev/hda

Of course adjust the label and stuff according to your hardware config. Once the file is modified, run lilo by typing 'lilo -v' and see what will be the output. If it doesn't work post your /etc/lilo.conf here and post the output of 'lilo -v'.

MOttS

Allen614 · 02-24-2003, 11:05 PM

I boot XP,Debian and two Slacks off the "ntldr" in XP.

This is an example using the Windows "ntldr" to boot XP,Debian,Slackware and Minslack (CLI only). I created a softlink from the /boot/image (vmlinuz or bzimage) to "/" in order to forego the pleasure of having 2 bootscreens and
booting straight to the kernel. The examples are from Slackware but they're generic. Here's an example of lilo.conf with everything commented out except the essentials.

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
append="hdc=ide-scsi"
boot = /dev/hdb6
#message = /boot/boot_message.txt
#prompt
#timeout = 1
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# End LILO global section
# DOS bootable partition config begins

# DOS bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /vmlinuz-ide-2.4.18
root = /dev/hdb6
label = Slackware
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Note that the image= is not in the /boot. Run "/sbin/lilo" If you get a "Warning" that this is not the first partition. You did good. Now create your bootsect file.

root@whatever#dd if=/dev/hdb6 of=/bootsect.slk bs=512 count=1

Copy the bootsect.slk to the drive where "ntldr" and "boot.ini" reside. (Normally C)by using a dos format floppy or e-mail it to yourself.(Not my idea but it was too cool) If your Windows drive is vfat just mount the drive and copy straight to it. Then add a line to "boot.ini" Here's mine.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
C:\bootsect.dbn ="Debian"
C:\bootsect.slk="Slackware"
C:\bootsect.slm="Minslack"

Reboot and pic your flavor.