Raid5 root, lilo won't install boot

GregLee · 12-04-2004, 10:25 AM

I moved my root filesystem to a raid5 array, and lilo now refuses to install a boot. It gives the error message "Fatal: Only RAID1 devices are supported for boot images". I understand that the boot cannot be put on a raid5 device, but that's not what I'm trying to do. My root is now raid5, but the boot image is on an ordinary partition. I suspect a bug in lilo, but maybe I'm just confused.

I kept a copy of the old root that is not on raid5, and now, running with my root on raid5, I can successfully run lilo by using the "-r" option to chroot to the old root: "lilo -r /old-root". It's nice to have a work around, but I don't want to have to keep the old root around forever.

Here are some details. It's a Slackware 10 distribution, running Linux 2.6.9, lilo 2.5.9 (and I tried lilo 2.6.1, too). My lilo.conf, the one on the new root that doesn't work, says:

Code:

# Start LILO global section
lba32 # Allow booting past 1024th cylinder with a recent BIOS
boot = /dev/sda
message = /old-root/boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
  reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
read-only
menu-title=" Ling Server "
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /old-root/boot/bzImage269r
  root = /dev/md0
  append = "md=0,/dev/sdc2,/dev/sdd2./dev/sde2./dev/sdf2./dev/sdg2./dev/sdh2"
  label = Linux
image = /old-root/boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/sda2
  label = Linux24
image = /old-root/boot/bzImage269
  root = /dev/sda2
  label = Linux269
# Linux bootable partition config ends

where /old-root is on /dev/sda2. Lilo is apparently not complaining about installing the image with "root = /dev/md0", because I can comment out that section and I still get the same error.

What am I doing wrong (if anything)?

mcleodnine · 12-04-2004, 04:26 PM

If your kernel image is on your RAID5 volume, then you're going to have some trouble (as per the reported error message). The 'boot=sda' is just telling lilo to drop the bootstrap code into the MBR. Looks like your /boot directory is still on your RAID5 volume.

You might want to try creating a /boot partition (you could even go as far as including on all your drives and making it RAID1).

Once done, you'll need to make the necessary changes to fstab and have it mounted and ready for the next /sbin/lilo run.

GregLee · 12-04-2004, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mcleodnine
If your kernel image is on your RAID5 volume, then you're going to have some trouble (as per the reported error message).

Yes, I know. The error message does seem to say the kernel image is on a raid volume not raid1. And lilo may think that. You may think that. But it is not so. The kernel image and all other boot files are not on a raid volume. As I said. They are on a filesystem mounted on /dev/sda2. The references in lilo.conf to the image files are references to that filesystem.

mcleodnine · 12-04-2004, 08:23 PM

FWIW - I've never had to use the 'append md=" line in any of my configurations.

As well - if your /old-root actually lives on /dev/sda2 then there shouldn't be any issues.

GregLee · 12-05-2004, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mcleodnine
FWIW - I've never had to use the 'append md=" line in any of my configurations.

As well - if your /old-root actually lives on /dev/sda2 then there shouldn't be any issues.

You're right that the "append" line is not necessary.

My problem was that by default the file /boot/map on the raid volume was being used instead of the file /old-root/boot/map. Lilo's error message was misleading, since it was not the kernel image that was the problem.

Thanks for your help. Problem solved.