Slack and XP boot
 

Hi

Hope someone can help.

I started with installing Win XP and everything went fine though i had some problems getting the correct drivers for my Raid controller had to use A8v insted of
A8v Deluxe that i got from the asus webpage, but anyways, back to the problem.

Ive got a 320gb Sata2 hdd with

Xp running on 80gb and has dev name sda1
then i made a Linux swap for 2000mb sda2
and the rest on Linux sda3.

It installed fine and i installed the full installation, but when rebooting i only get the Windows boot and cannot choose on what OS i wanna boot on.

Ive reed many forums about setting in lilo and still havent got it to work.

Now that it only boots on windows if i put on the first slack cd and boot from that where do i start and what commands do i have to fill in, would be grateful for all answers, because im really new to this and would like to have some help. thx....

Welcome to LQ!

Boot with the Slackware CD1 and at the boot prompt typewhich will get you into your Slackware system. Just login as root to fix LiLO, then you will reboot.

After logging in as root, typeand put this text in your file:
Then hit Ctrl+X to close the file, then
Save modified buffer (ANSWERING "No" WILL DESTROY CHANGES) ?
hit Y, then typewhich should return something like this:If so, you're in business. Take the CD out of the drive and reboot.

Ok now i got the option to choose my boot :D thx alot but only 1 problem getting a NTLDR file missing when trying to boot from windows, what am i doing wrong???

To see your hardware, issue "/sbin/lspci". Is this your ethernet controller?
That one uses the sk98lin module. If you have that ethernet controller, then issue "lsmod" and see if it lists that sk98lin module. If not, issue as root "modprobe sk98lin" and then check "lsmod" again. If it's there, run "netconfig" as root to setup your network. If not, post back.

As for the wireless, follow Eric's instructions here.

Shazaam!!! You edited your post and totally left out what you posted before. :scratch:

Originally posted by Psyco26
Yeah, I'm going to quote you so it doesn't look like I'm answering the wrong thing. :D

We got this neat resource on the internet now called Google!

And Google runs on Linux servers -- yeah, not that Windoze junk like your bank uses. :D

And Google has this neat feature called <Linux> Google where you can search and just get results for Linux questions -- no Windoze stuff. I took the liberty of running a search for you on the string "NTLDR file missing" and this is what I came up with.

You should be able to boot with your WinXP CD, press F8 to get the recovery console, and type "fixmbr" (without the quotes). That should restore your NTLDR (New Technology Loader) to the MBR. But when you do, it's going to overwrite LiLO. So afterwards, here's the drill to restore LiLO:

1 - Boot with the Slackware CD1 and at the boot prompt typewhich will get you into your Slackware system. Just login as root and type "lilo" (without the quotes) and you should see something like this:
Then reboot and you should have Slack and Windoze has choices, both booting okay now.

Thx bruce :D, but with the Marvell i just checked the help while trying to get it to work, tried everythin lsmod modeprobe and also pkgtool but finally i found the sk98lin and readed the helpindex and found loads of drivers to load and got it to work :) ofc had to reboot to get it to work :D, but the modprobe sk98lin and KAZAM it worked :D,.

So this should fix my Dual boot and not getting the NTLDR file missing while booting on windows?

To bad i went early today to work, otherwise would try it asap :D, thx again will try that when i come home, and hopefully it will work.

Thx alot m8 will try this asap , when i come home, to bad i work to 22.00 today :(, but all the helps from EVERYONE has been really helpfull , thx again.... Will keep u updated if any errors comes up :D

I did the fixmbr after bootin with the windows cd and doing a repair, windows boots fine and all now again, then i loginto Slack again and type lilo in root and get

Added Slackware *
Added Windows

But after reboot i can choose win and slack but still getting NTLDR is still missing when choosing Windows boot, press ctrl+alt+del, so now im back from the beginning again, any more suggestions??

wow...same problem....to the letter. i have not figured a way to be able to boot both operating systems up yet. please let me know if you figure it out...and i'll be sure to do the same.

Well ive checked around the forums and found a new code for LILO but i havent tried it yet, if you do and it works please let me know and i will do the samé :D


# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 600
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
vga=788
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.5
root = /dev/hda3
label = Slackware-2.6.5
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# DOS bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/sda1
label = WindowsXP
table = /dev/sda
# DOS bootable partition config ends


this might work but as i said i havent tried it out yet, :D

Can you post your own /etc/lilo.conf here plus the outpout of Bash command
The lines preceeding with a"#" sign are not used. The essential lines to boot the two two systems in your case should be

#Slackware always use the kernel name as vmlinux and no initrd
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda3
label = Slackware
read-only

# A DOS or Windows partition is booted by statement other=
other = /dev/sda1
label = WindowsXP

There is a possibility that Lilo isn't comfortable with the 320Gb Sata disk. Slackware like stability and hence sticks with the older kernel and its Lilo may not be able to access a hard disk beyond 127Gb. I know for a fact that Lilo has an issue of seeing high number partitions.

My Slackware 10 boots at hda27 (5Gb large) with Lilo 22.5.9 (at about 100Gb position off a 300Gb disk)

My Slackware 10.2 (5Gb large) originally booted with Lilo 22.5.9 but refused to boot after being moved to partition hdc35, which is at about 180Gb position in another 300Gb disk. I overcome it by installing Grub.

A few days ago I installed Slackware 11 in a Sata sdb12, at about 140Gb position of the hard disk and ran into booting trouble with Lilo. Again I installed Grub and now Slackware boots fine.

I stick with the old kernels used by Slackware (2.4.26 for V10, 2.4.31 for V10.2 & 2.4.33 for V11) and the Linux does have an issue seeing partitions beyond 137Gb. For example (just re-checked again) with my SLackware 10.2 working in partition hdc35 normally by asking this Linux to mount /dev/hdc34 will return an error message "Special device /dev/hdc34 does not exist". This is of course wrong if I am using Slackware in a partition even higher up the hard disk.

To install/build Grub in SLackware is a 10 minutes job. The latest Grub 0.97 can be downloaded from GNU/Grub and the operation only take 3 to 4 lines of Bash commands fully documented in the Appendix A of Grub Manual (can be Googled).

After Grub has been build into the Linux you need to provide a Grub configuration file /boot/grub/menu.lst for booting the Slackware but this is possibly the easiest in the business and require only 3 lines. Together with booting Windows these are
I don't have an issue of using Lilo, as I have about half dozen of them operating beyond the 137Gb barrier, but possibly not in Slackware with the older kernels.

THX alot m8, i will try this asap when i come home :D, thx again, sounds like this will get it working becuase of the lilo issue.

Well, we have another option here.

I personally don't like lilo to be installed on my MBR. I honestly have been able to get around all of these issues once I started using the bootloader from windows. If you noticed that if you install two windows, you will have the ability to choose which one that you installed. This is MS's bootloader.

convieniently I have found a lil tutorial on it : http://enterprise.linux.com/article....19205&from=rss

bascially what you are doing is installing grub or lilo to the boot partition of wherever linux is. you then use the "dd" command to copy the first 512 bytes from that drive into a file. That is the file contains information for you to use to launch lilo after you select it from windows boot manager. Here is a rundown.

install slackware not to the MBR but the first sector of the boot partition instead. After you are done installing, you still wont be able to boot into linux until you go into some type of rescue mode or use knoppix.

edit your /etc/lilo.conf file from something like above (saikee) had a good one and add your windows partition.
after you are done you must commit your changes so type:

lilo

then you are going to make a file.
dd if=/dev/sda3 of=./bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1

that will make your boot file. I used "./bootsect.lnx"...but you understand relative pathing. "if" stands for input file and "of" stands for output file.

Copy that file to your booting drive of your windows partition, edit your boot.ini file to say "drive:\bootsect.lnx="Linux". From there you will be able to select windows when you boot and you are done.

I used to dual boot xp and 2000 and linux. I always had issues when I would goto format windows or whatever and I would have to "fix" my lilo bootloader. Sometimes it would work, sometimes It wouldn't.

the above, I have never had any problems with. Hope I have helped :-)

I don't want to shoot down MS's NTLDR boot loader (which I summarised as Task E4 in the last link of my signature) but between it, Lilo and Grub I wouldn't have thought it is fair without pointing to the following.

(1) In term of ability, NTLDR can boot 10 systems, Lilo's limit is 27 and Grub if has a limit it is well beyond 140 (I haven't found it out myself).

(2) Regarding the ease of usage NTLDR takes about 10 times the effort to produce 1/10 what Grub can achieve. Lilo is about in the middle and much closer to Grub than NTLDR.

(3) Windows can't (or won't) read a Linux partition. That is why it has to round up the first 512 bytes of every Linux boot loader for booting "inside" its root partition in order to pass control to. Both Lilo and Grub can "chainload" any system direct from the hard disk without a prior contact with the system it is to be booted. Grub is of course can read many filing systems and get inside their partitions to get the necessary files for booting.

(4) Grub can be installed "WITHOUT" an operating system attached to work as a mini operating system on its own, thereby a user can use Grub to "manually" boot an operating system. This feature is unique in boot loaders and enables a user to understand how a system is booted step by step.

(5) As much as I have tried I have not found a PC system that Grub cannot boot, say just by a floppy on its own.

(6) A Lilo must be re-validated by running "lilo" again every time its /etc/lilo.conf is altered. Thus using NTLDR is twice amount of work every time Lilo is altered because the LILO's first 512 bytes have to be copied again. Grub never needs a validation. What is more we can ask Grub to boot operating systems, say a hundred of them, even before any of them is installed! By that I mean we can write Grub's /boot/grub/menu.lst first before any installation.

(7) Grub can be place in a floppy, a CD and any internal hard disk partition with or without an operating system.

(8) You can walk up to a PC that you have never seen before, don't even need to know what systems have been installed and where there are on the hard disk but still be able to boot them with Grub.

(9) If a Linux failed to install a boot loader after an installation you can boot it up with Grub regardless if it uses Lilo as its boot loader.

We don't send a boy to do a man's job. It is no different for a boot loader too.

Also:

"Any Linux that co-exists with Dos, Windows, BSD & Solaris".

These go hand n hand which I honestly don't think this would be in your case.

saikee:: Currently he has a problem with lilo. lilo comes with slackware. Not grub. Since the problem with with lilo and this particular configuration using his MBR for lilo, then other options must be looked at. The option mentioned with ntldr is a viable option. beyond that, this could be confusing to the poster.

Ok, back to Psyco26: If I were to use multiple multiple os's , saikee's post is excellent. However I honestly don't think it would be in your case. Using the NTLDR is a viable option, and a safe one at that. Not that lilo is less safe, I am just saying currently you are experiencing problems in the realm of lilo + MBR. using NTLDR would be sure fire.

Psyco26,

Your problem is with Windoze, not with Slackware. Notice
that Slackware has always booted for you.

I've not read all the rhetoric since your last post, but that
/etc/lilo.conf in post #12 isn't going to work, because it is
installing LiLO on an ATA drive, and you don't have one according
to your previous posts. For your info:
/dev/sda stands for SCSI disk a (first one)
/dev/hda is hard disk a (first one) ...
The s is for SCSI (or SATA), the h is for ATA (aka PATA).

Before you do anything else, go back and boot with your WinXP CD
as I told you before, and run "fixmbr" then reboot without the CD
and see if your comp boots Windoze. If it does, Windoze NTLDR
(bootloader) is fixed. If Windoze boots correctly:

Boot with the Slackware CD1 and at the boot prompt typeand login as root and then post the output of your "/etc/lilo.conf"
and "fdisk -l".

If, however, Windoze did not boot after running "fixmbr" then you
will need to fix that first.

I've used LiLO a few years now, never unsuccessfully, and it is NOT
the reason for the problem you are having.

Kingscriber,

I think you may have missed the main point.

BrueHill has already solved the Lilo problem. I couldn't offer an advice better than his.

The problem appear to be restoring Lilo "DOES NOT WORK"!

If Lilo is faulty how can we copy a faulty Lilo into NTLDR and have it suddenly working again? Windows doesn't do repair for Linux!

The fundamental weakness of multibooting with NTLDR is that every foreign boot loader copied into the root partition of Windows must be operational. Windows does not do magic. It chainloads Lilo or Grub in exactly the same mechanism all major boot loader chainload another OS.

Since NTLDR cannot read a partition foreign to itself it boots an other system by offloading NTLDTR from the memory and loading the first sector (or its first 512 bytes) of the specified System stored inside its root partition (normally the C drive). It is up to that first sector to load its master (the first sector carries the hard disk address to continue with the bootsrap).

If the first sector or its continued portion of Lilo is unbootable it will still be the case in whatever boot loader we choose to boot Lilo.

I hope it is clear that NTLDR does not boot a Linux. It only boots the Linux's boot loader. If NTLDR can load a Linux kernel it can only do so by getting inside /boot directory of the Linux to read the kernel file. Such idea would constitutes M$ has conceded that Linux is an operating system it must officially support and we would all be able to see Linux partitions mounted inside Windows (without third party software).

I would be barking to the wrong tree if that statement is correct.

I thought Windows works satisfactory in sda1.

Slackware was then installed into sda3 with sda2 as swap.

Lilo found an error in its /etc/lilo.conf and so it would not validate (or carrying out the compilation of the lilo.conf), resulting the previous version used which is none. That is why Windows continues to boot without Lilo screen showing up the choices.

Have I misinterpreted the Post #1?

Psyco26,

Can you confirmed that when you have Lilo successfully complied (saying Slackware and Windows added) you did so with BruceHill recommendation of booting Slackware CD up with the root directed to partition /dev/sda3? If you haven't done that you could be restoring Lilo to the bootedup CD version of the Slackware and not the one inside sda3.

To everybody,

Psyco26 has PM me for help and that is why I barged into the thread in a haste.

If Lilo has been compiled successfully with Slackware's root in sda3 then from my limited experience it should boot alright. In such a case my previous Post #16 and 19 are irrelevant to this thread.

In general if NTLDR is missing it is usually the Windows was booted with the assistance from another MS partition, which stored the system files boot.ini, NTLDR & detectntldr, may have been since deleted.

saikee,

We try to keep threads within this forum, rather than going outside to PM because no one browsing this thread benefits from that.

Originally posted by saikee
Psyco26 indicated in post #10 that when he typed "lilo" it returned:
This means that LiLO was successfully installed, Slackware is the default choice, and Windows was added.

What we haven't seen is how the disk is partitioned, what is actually in that /etc/lilo.conf he's using, and how the Windows NTLDR is setup.

But from that post, there is no reason to fault LiLO ... if you don't understand why, then do a Google search on "NTLDR is missing" and issue and read "man lilo".

One thing that you might need to do with LiLO, depending upon where you originally installed it ... run "liloconf" and install it in the MBR.

So, following these steps, you will know if Windows NTLDR or Slackware's LiLO is at fault. As I've said before:

1 - Boot the comp with WinXP CD and run "fixmbr" to fix the Windows MBR (master boot record).
2 - Reboot the comp and see if it launches Windows.
3 - If it did not, then fix Windows NTLDR.
4 - If it did, then boot with Slackware CD1 and this time run "liloconfig" choose the expert install and install LiLO into the MBR of /dev/sda. You can use the locations in my first post to this thread, if in fact your have your swap as /dev/sda2 and the remainder of Slackware, which would be / (root) on /dev/sda3.
5 - After running "liloconfig" run "lilo" and you will see where it's installed, and if there is any error, it will be output to the screen.
6 - Reboot the computer - first try Slackware from LiLO, then reboot and try Windows.
7 - If something doesn't work, post back the exact steps and choices you made, as well as the exact error message.

BruceHill,

I would agree that if Lilo works then there is no point in trying other method or boot loader. However I also notice the error reported in Linux boot loaders are not always accurate for identifying the root cause. This is particularly true for Lilo. If Lilo fails because something wrong with point A which is not anticipated (hence no documented error message) it could just pick up an error message for point B (that is anticipated and has documented error message) as a response in some some circumstances.

AFAIK Lilo checks the correctness of each entry of lilo.conf and so if it complies then no technical error is expected but Lilo could still boots the wrong partition.

I don't know if many of your suggestions were addressed to me but the last link of my signature already has

(1) For putting Lilo in the MBR Task B3 refers
(2) To restore Windows MBR using installation CD, Task B2 refers

saikee,

I have no clue what you mean by:
(1) For putting Lilo in the MBR Task B3 refers
(2) To restore Windows MBR using installation CD, Task B2 refers

Putting LiLO in the MBR is as simple as running "liloconfig" and choosing the correct drive, i.e. /dev/sda for this thread.

Restoring the Windows MBR has been mentioned several times already ... the OP might have created other problems with his Windows system. If he follows my simple instructions and still can't boot Windows, either he (a) has supplied incorrect information in this thread, or (b) he's messed up Windows.

I have read your first post here and it's not all correct. I'm sure the errors were pointed out later in the thread, but this is LinuxQuestions, not that other forum; I don't have the time/desire to read it.

Your other post here is is about the most complicated thing I've ever read. If you want to go to all that trouble, suit yourself; but it's not necessary.

Linux can be installed without messing up Windows with one hard drive and LiLO. I've built and repaired computers for a number of years now, doing it successfully hundreds of times.

Might be my problem, but I never could get GrUB setup properly, so I don't use it.

[QUOTE=saikee]Can you post your own /etc/lilo.conf here plus the outpout of Bash command
I get for fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 10199 81923436 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 10200 10448 2000092+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/sda3 10449 38913 228645112+ 83 Linux

Disk /dev/hdc: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdc1 * 1 14593 117218241 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/hdb: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 1 4865 39078081 7 HPFS/NTFS


And my etc/lilo,conf is

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
append="panic=15"
boot = /dev/sda
compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 50
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/sda3
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/sda1
label = Windows
table = /dev/sda
# Windows bootable partition config ends

I might also add that when i have this lilo.conf that i get to choose between windows and linux boot but still get the NTLDR missing but if i boot slack works just fine.

Ive tried the inserting Win cd and restoring the MBR and rebooting , but offcourse that destroys the lilo settings, so i can only boot from Win again.

When that works i insert the slack cd1 and boot: sata.i root=/dev/sda3 noinitrd ro , logg in as root and type lilo and get

Added Slackware *
Added Windows

reboot and still get the NTLDR missing so im stuck, and 1 more thing when restoring the MBR from the win cd, most of my settings in Slack the sda3 gets lost , like my mouse and screen settings and have to rewrite them, maybe not that, thats making it , but normally everything works fine.

Write more if you want me to type some more info.

i fixed my problem which was identical. after reading everything Bruce wrote (many times)...I decided that lilo was installed correctly. so, i took his advice and fixed my windoze problem. I googled (non linux version since it was a windows problem) and found my answer in the first link. I tried fix mbr and a couple other things...then found that just copying the files off the WindowsXP disk fixed the problem.
----------------------------------------


Insert the Windows XP bootable CD into the computer.
When prompted to press any key to boot from the CD, press any key.
Once in the Windows XP setup menu press the "R" key to repair Windows.
Log into your Windows installation by pressing the "1" key and pressing enter.
You will then be prompted for your administrator password, enter that password.
Copy the below two files to the root directory of the primary hard disk. In the below example we are copying these files from the CD-ROM drive letter "E". This letter may be different on your computer.

copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\
copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\


Once both of these files have been successfully copied, remove the CD from the computer and reboot

------------------------------------------

Thanks for everyone's help as I work out my issues with a new distro.

Hmmm weird now with my current config for lilo as i typed 2 steps up i get

Warning: /dev/sda is not on the first disk
Added Slack *
Added Windoze

Maybe this my help you??

Thx again for all nice support in trying to get my dualboot working :D

You have three disks, rather than one as first reported.

However, if the Windows operating system is on the SATA
drive (dev/sda) then your /etc/lilo.conf entries are okay.

You should do what bobvh77 mentions about copying the files,
since obviously it is Windows that is broken.

BruceHill,

The last link in my signature is called Just booting tips. You will find different booting tips described under Task numbers.

I recommend restoring Lilo in the MBR using just a Bash command
Anybody can issue it with the root privilege as it is an integral part of the Lilo command available in every Linux that uses Lilo.

You advocate to the users to run "liloconfig" which is a program one can re-configure Lilo from scratch if needed. It is usually carried by the installer and has not been universally installed in every distro that uses Lilo. You will not find it in at least the distros like PCLinuxOS, Ututu, Yoper and Sam. Due to the fact a Linux user cannot reliably dependent on this method I decided not to include it in my booting tips.

You are entitled yo your opinions on my two threads mentined in your Post #24. Being human I never profess that everything I wrote is 100% accurate. Regarding to the thread being necessary or not it is a matter of personal opinion. It so happens the two threads raised by you are the most 5th and 6th popular threads in respective JustLinix forum. Each has recorded over 20,000 views and received a 5 Star rating from the readers.

It is possible in isolation one of my thread has given you the impression that I advocate Windows users to protect Windows MBR when installing Linux. However I actually advocate using the Linux boot loader to take over the MBR so that it can boot all the MS systems together side by side with over 100 Linux and Unix in the same PC. The thread you consider unnecessary is for users who must keep the Windows MBR for whatever reasons.

Psyco26,

Can you add these line to /etc/lilo.conf
Lilo will check the boot sector of hdc1 and hdb1 for a boot loader and clear it for implementation if it finds one. It will then report something like "Windows_in_hdc1 added".

I suspect between hdc1 and hdb1 one of the two partitions is your first boot disk and will have the necessary files to boot NYLDR. The other one may be just a data-only partition and Lilo will regard it as an error when no boot loader is found inside (thereby Lilo can't boot this alternative) and the configuration will not be implemented. Therefore if any of the hdc1 or hdb1 system is reported as error can you put a "#" in front of each line to disable that booting alternative.

If you do not want to go through the liloconfig everytime you can put Lilo in the MBR of either sda, hdb and hdc. Sda does not appear to be the 1st boot disk and my guess would be hdb. Thus I would try the Bash command on all three disk
If Lilo accepts it then it can boot regardless which disk you have arranged with the Bios to boot first.

The Lilo in the MBR can be replaced by MS's MBR as you did before so there is no harm to have Lilo to occupy the MBR of all three disks.

The commmand should compile Lilo's first 512 bytes, include an address to load partition sda3 and place the image in the MBR (first sector of 512 bytes) of the specified disk.

Lastly if you Windows in sda1 relies on NTLDR files in another partition then you must have two MS systems running. The PC boots to the first partition that stores the NTLDR and should show the MS choices available for you to boot. In that circmstance you have no need to boot sda1, just the partition that stores NTLDR.

When I type the lilo -b /dev/hdb or hdc and sda i get :
Ignoring entry 'boot'
Warning: /dev/sda is not on the first disk
Added Slack *
Added Windoze

Same on ALL the disks....

I will try now with the codes :

# Trying to see if Windows NTLDR inside hdc1
other = /dev/hdc1
label = Windows_in_hdc1

# Trying to see if Windows NTLDR inside hdb1
other = /dev/hdb1
label = Windows_in_hdb1

And see what will happen, will keep u posted....

Weird thing still is that i get on LILO that :

root@Pitbull:~# lilo
Warning: /dev/sda is not on the first disk
Added Slack *
Added Windoze

Dident get that before though..... Will keep up posted ....thx again...

Never mind the last now after reboot i get :
root@Pitbull:~# lilo
Added Slack *
Added Windoze
Added Windows_in_hdc1
Added Windows_in_hdb1

Will try to reboot again and chooes windows and see what happens...

ITS SWEET, on boot i get :
Slack
Windoze
windows_in_hdc1
windows_in_hdb1
AND U KNOW WHAT, IT WORKS!!! :DD. i choose windoze and it boots so its really SWEET, just 1 question its working because we added
# Trying to see if Windows NTLDR inside hdc1
other = /dev/hdc1
label = Windows_in_hdc1

# Trying to see if Windows NTLDR inside hdb1
other = /dev/hdb1
label = Windows_in_hdb1

Well @ least its working so im darn happy, thx again for everyones help and hope pepople reading this will get it to work, because it works for me :D, THX AGAIN.

Glad you have it sorted in the end.

Sorry if I upset anybody one the way. I was just trying to be lazy by short-circuiting the process to do the minimum work.

The reason it is working is because your Windows NTLDR is NOT on /dev/sda, but on one of the other drives. You could figure that out and we can fix LiLO properly, or go on as you are.

Well Bruce and saikee, you have both been to UBER help, and maybe i will try to play around with that later but why change something that is working, dont mind that i get 2 other drives on boot :D, thx again will keep you posted if some more errores come up :D......

Psyco26

Based on the experience of using Lilo for 37 out of 100+ installed distros in my box I wouldn't say your Lilo has been improperly installed.

There are few things which some of us are not confident of. Among them are

(1) You could have been installing Lilo to the MBR of the wrong disk all the time and sda1 in fact can boot satisfactorily. It didn't do so because it was booted by a wrong MBR that nobody knew about. By putting Lilo in the MBR of all three disks eliminates such uncertainty.

(2) The command "lilo-b /dev/sda" may be a more robust or a better implementation of Lilo than runing the script off "liloconfig".

(3) You may have reported the wrong partition of Windows that booted successfully in Post #34. Had you reported correctly as per your lilo.conf of Post #25 the first Windows accepted by Lilo would have been "Windows added" and not "Windoze added" as claimed in Post #33. If Post #33 were correct the lilo.conf in Post #25 would need label=Windoze in the third last line.

There is no point in dwelling on it as many things will become obvious to you with time.

I am glad that we solve the problem the Lilo way but Grub would have been a lot easier to tackle such a problem because (1) It can tell us the disk order as handed down by the Bios (2) It can be booted manually without any configuration (3) It never needs a re-validation (of running "lilo" after each change) and (4) Every operating system can be booted by a floppy.

I would never drop Lilo for Grub unless there is a technical issue with it. However Grub has been more popular with Linux distros two years ago and is getting even more popular now. The last 10 distros I added to the box in the last week all, except Slackware 11, use Grub. A Linux user should not have any apprehension of using Grub because it is fundamentally simpler, more versatile and more powerful.