Using Slack 10.2.

I have Slack installed on hda like so:

hda5 = /
hda6 = /home
hda7 = /usr/local

I also have Arch Linux installed on hdb like so:

hdb8 = /
hdb10 = /home


I have been booting Arch with a Grub floppy, but the floppy died. So now I'm trying to add Arch to the Slack lilo boot floppy. But, when I run "#lilo -b /dev/fd0" I always get the following message:

root@lightstar etc]# lilo -b /dev/fd0
Ignoring entry 'boot'
Warning: boot record relocation beyond BPB is necessary: /dev/fd0
Warning: The boot sector and map file are on different disks.
Added slack-2.6.11.11 *
Fatal: open /boot/vmlinuz26: No such file or directory
root@lightstar etc]#

(I always get those two Warning messages when I make a lilo boot floppy, but it still works. So that isn't the problem. The problem is the Fatal message.)


Here's the contents of my lilo.conf file:


# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
menu-title=" Jerry's Computer "
boot = /dev/fd0
#boot = /dev/hda
#append="hdd=ide-scsi"
append="hdd=ide-cd"
install=/dev/fd0
#install=/dev/hda
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 50
default = slack-2.6.11.11
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
#vga = 773
# Normal VGA console
#vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/bzImage-2.6.11.11
root = /dev/hda5
label = slack-2.6.11.11
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz26
label = Arch
root = /dev/hdb8
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
label = windblows
table = /dev/hda
# Windows bootable partition config ends


Why can't lilo see the Arch kernel at /dev/hdb8/boot/vmlinuz26 ?

Thanks in advance,
Jerry

lilo is looking at the /boot on the partition currently mounted as /, not the /boot on /dev/hdb8. It doesn't see it because it isn't looking where you expect it to look.

If you want a quick fix, you could copy vmlinux26 from the /boot on /dev/hdb8 to the current /boot, and then rerun lilo. Or, you could mount /dev/hdb8 somewhere and change the entry in lilo.conf from /boot/vmlinux26 to /whereever/you/mount/it/boot/vmlinux26.

Hope this helps.

That's what I was afraid of. I thought lilo could boot another linux installation on a separate hard drive, but I guess not. I thought that because of this entry in the lilo.conf man page:

--------------------------------------------
boot = /dev/hda
delay = 40
compact
vga = normal
root = /dev/hda1
read-only
image = /zImage-2.5.99
label = try
image = /zImage-1.0.9
label = 1.0.9
image = /tamu/vmlinuz
label = tamu
root = /dev/hdb2
vga = ask
other = /dev/hda3
label = dos
table = /dev/hda
---------------------------------------------

This looks like an example of a system that boots from hda, but it also has an entry for "tamu" on hdb.

lilo CAN boot an installation on a seperate drive.

lilo copies your kernel images within itself for booting, so that lilo does not have to mount each corresponding partition - it simply runs the kernel image that it has on hand. This is why you must rerun lilo after building a new kernel.

In your excerpt from the lilo.conf man page:
Notice that the kernel image for tamu is located in /tamu/vmlinuz instead of / like all the other images. In that example, /dev/hdb2 is probably mounted on /tamu.

All you need to do to configure lilo to boot the way you want, is to mount your other partition anywhere, edit your lilo.conf accordingly, and rerun lilo.

Ah, so if I understand you correctly, referring to my original post, I should do this:

1) in /etc/fstab:
/dev/hdb8 /some/mount/point auto defaults,auto 0 0

2) in /etc/lilo.conf:
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz26
label = Arch
root = /dev/hdb8
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends


Correct?

Close.

Change /boot/vmlinuz26 to /some/mount/point/boot/vmlinuz26.

Looks great.

Got it, thanks for your help.

Now, to try it out when I get home.


Cheers,
jerry

Thank you zhangmaike!
I was having trouble making lilo see my gentoo partition. Working 100% now and booting Slackware, Gentoo, FreeBSD and (spit) XP (for cell phone software)... all from Slack and lilo, thanks so much!

lilo only registers where the kernel is on disk,
(cylinder, head, sector) and uses that data to find and load the kernel.

egag

Ah. That does make more sense...

Thanks.

what is the realtionship between /etc/fstab and lilo?

i noticed that if the /etc/fstab entry wrong, lilo won't be able to install .

Thanks.

what " /etc/fstab entry " are you talking about ?
i don't think lilo has anything to do with /etc/fstab.

egag

If you want to manage multiple Linux distros with Lilo and without having a common /boot (which is really best to avoid) then you don't need to put the other /boot paths in your fstab. All you have to do is mount the volume before you run Lilo.

See this post: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=420172

I think he's asking about why Lilo can't be configured in a multi-boot scenario if it can't find one of his kernels. His solution (see earlier post) seemed to be to add the mount point to his fstab instead of just issuing a mount command. The answer is like zhangmaike and the other guys have said (and at the bottom of the thread I pointed-to, for anyone who wants to see an example.)