Hi, I'm having a weird problem. I did the same thing as bhodi did, but when I select to boot linux I get "L" instead of it booting. It just shows L. I can't install Lilo to MBR because then it'll give me L too so then I have to do FDISK /MBR. Same thing with Grub and other Linux distributions. This is weird since it worked before fine. Nothing was added to the computer. Anybody know a fix to that?


PS: Windows XP Pro boots fine.

I believe this indicates that the stage1 (the boot sector you copied) has been executed but can't find stage2. Strictly speaking it has booted, but we can leave semantics to another time.
You can't know that unless you've done it. I'd be surprised if lilo didn't work from the MBR. How you can make comments about other loaders/distros is bit unbelievable.
You're just going to have to try and find out - in need, you can fix the MBR to get XP back.

I have tried 2 versions of slackware, 2 versions of mandrake. Both leave L when booting. I tried FC2 with Grub, it didn't work out either. I have to use XP cd to get the original MBR so I can boot Windows. Also Mandrake's rescue CD offers the "install Windows bootloader" option which restores it too. Any way on getting both linux and windows dual boot?

Any Help appreciated, since this problem's driving me nuts.

can you post your lilo.conf file ?

egag

yes, here it is:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# 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
# End LILO global section
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
label = Windows
table = /dev/hda
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda5
label = Linux
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

this will install lilo in the mbr.
i thought you didn't want that ?

egag

That's after I tried to install it on MBR...My main goal was to get Linux to boot somehow, so I've tried many approaches..Only way to get it to boot is through floppy but that just takes way too long.

Hey guys,
I still have a similar problem as bhodi and started a new thread- http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=310111 , before stumbling onto this current one.

I have two hdd's as stated and I tried the method of:
http://www.highlandsun.com/hyc/linuxboot.html

Yet it gives me the error of a Windows hardware configuration error.
Can anyone give a suggestion on how to get windows to show the two options to boot?

And as rob0t's last post, I am doing the exact same thing currently, using a floppy bare.i image to boot into linux everytime.

UPDATE: Sorry I put the wrong address for the highlandsun website. Correct one is on.
Thanks,
Abid Kazmi

take a look at : file:/usr/doc/lilo-22.5.9/README

lines 2782 etc.
and maybe lines 1823 etc.

egag

Nothing helped, it talked about disk geomtries, etc. No solutions.

I just checked it out, those lines neccessarily aren't all useful information. Scan through the file there is a lot of information on dual booting. I have to go do the laundry. I will post information after I get back.

-Abid Kazmi

In which case, accept my apologies - seems you've done everything reasonable to attempt to fix this.I have never had these sort of issues with dual-booting. I go for a walk with the mutts, and this thread takes off
Only thing I'd be looking at is BIOS attributes for the disk - trying making it LBA. Don't use AUTO if that's what you currently have.

The only option in Bios (Intel D865Perl Motherboard) was to either set LBA to AUTO or to Disable it. I tried disabling it. I got L when booting Linux. Same thing with AUTO. Looks like it goes through first stage like it was pointed out earlier.

Tried both, tried the 'outside 1024 cyl' yesterday with just 2 partitions, / and /home. But no success. Can't find LBA options in my BIOS and is the LILO supllied in Slackware 10.1 capable of booting any partitions no matter where?

But I prefer solving my first issue cause it really bugs me that I can't get it working anymore.

Well, this is my setup. 7,5Gb Windows prim NTFS part followed by a 250Mb ext3 prim /boot part, (/dev/hda4) (all within 1024 cyl), the rest is log part, a / part (/dev/hda6) and /home (/dev/hda7).

Installed LILO to superblock and did a 'dd if=/dev/hda6 of=/bootsect.lnx count=512 bs=1'

Lilo.conf:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda6
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 50
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
vga = 790
# 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/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda4
label = Slackware
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
label = WinXP
table = /dev/hda
# Windows bootable partition config ends

hmm...speaking of lba......
you can set an lba option in lilo.conf like this :

-------
# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda6
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 50
lba32
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
<etc....>
-------------

maybe you need that ( though i never used it )
see " man lilo.conf "

egag