I think that's my fault . In the next upgrade I'll remove the pb-search feature as the Package Browser is probably doomed by now, and I think I'm definitely reorganizing the help text so that it's actually useful by grouping commands and putting the important things first.

It is possible that the version of GRUB you are using is incapable of handling the Inode size used in your Slackware root partition (I assume you meant /dev/root and not /root).

I have never used GRUB to any great extent but I have heard that it is only able to handle filesystems with an Inode size of "128". The Slackware default Inode size is typically set to "256".

You can find out the Inode size of your /dev/root partition by running the following (edit: this may not work with ext4, but there should be a similar dumpfs command available):

'dumpe2fs /dev/root | grep 'Inode size:'

saulgoode, I tend to agree the problem is with grub as the common denominator. I may try a different version of grub, however as my system is working I will leave it for the moment.

If you can boot directly but you cannot chainload then it would likely have very little to do with the inode size...

That is exactly why I use grub over lilo. If I mess up the mkinitrd, like I usually do, I can just go to the grub command-line, change the kernel to huge and have another go! No need to reach for the disks.

To me "always add a new entry in lilo.conf instead of changing the old entry" is easier to remember than the overkilling grub commands.

If you really need a filesystem driver with the boot loader, syslinux is an advanced tool.

Right. And you've NEVER forgot to upgrade lilo.conf. Good for you!

The rest of us (well, those who use GRUB) are more than happy to be able to boot their systems when they DO forget to update lilo.conf correctly.

I don't think that you've ever used GRUB or you would not make such an idiotic argument.

Have tried lilo and see no problem with it as a loader, however as a boot manager I prefer grub.. it is more flexible and forgiving. I have had no trouble with legacy grub until ext4 and grub2 came on the scene. I think my present minor problems with respect to chainloading are just transitional compatibility problems until Grub2 takes over.

If you read carefully, you can find out that my opinion is: DO FORGETTING to update lilo.conf cannot harm. Even if you use GRUB, my suggestion "to leave the old kernel untouched until you can confirm the new kernel working" is common sense for serious Linux users.

BTW, For your information, I've been using lilo, ntldr, grub, and syslinux variants not only for testing. I also have heard some people complaining about grub on a USB flash disk loading the wrong stage2 sometimes. If things go wrong in the boot loader, and in a random way that you may not be aware of it in the beginning, then nothing is secure.

It's got nothing to do with adding or changing lines in lilo.conf or menu.lst. For example if the stock slackware kernel is updated then lilo.conf or menu.lst don't need to change because kernel is still vmlinuz, but I still need to make an initrd and if I mess that up I'm screwed with lilo but not with grub. That's why *I* like grub and will continue to use it. You can use whatever you like.

I do not intend to meddle in your choice. You can find that I started my post with "To me". Use of double-asterisk to emphasis yourself is unnecessary.

For general discussion, refer technically to my last two replies. What I would really like to know is: Is it true that "grub sometimes loads the wrong stage2"? I use syslinux for removable devices. If someone can confirm this grub-bug to be true, then it's a big security hole.

No, grub2 is a pain, but it can be done like this for Ubuntu:-

I can not figure out yet how to get into Slakware 13 though.
Mainly I think because I can see no option in the installer to put the bootloader in the root.
I don't want to overwrite the MBR as I have many systems all of which chainload from one grub (legacy). I have never used lilo.
The installer allows the bootloader installation to be skipped (until later) but does not offer any options later. (full DVD install)
I can see that Slackware is going to be a challenge!

I am not new to Linux, just Slackware.

[QUOTE=barjac;3968425]No, grub2 is a pain, but it can be done like this for Ubuntu:-

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It works for ubuntu grub2 - thank you.

Regarding lilo, I find it easier to skip the lilo offers during installation and boot slackware with my grub legacy boot manager directly; then run liloconfig from within slackware to install lilo to the partition root.

GRUB basically offers two options for booting Slackware: chainloading lilo or letting GRUB handle everything.

If you let GRUB handle the (Slackware) bootup then you need to manually modify your GRUB configuration to specify two things: the location of the Slackware kernel image (vmlinuz) and Slackware's root partition (so that the Slackware kernel can find init). The Slackware kernel image can be located anywhere as long as GRUB can find it (i.e., GRUB is able to mount the filesystem).

If you decide to chainload lilo then you just need to install lilo's loader to the Slackware partition's boot sector and chain load lilo within GRUB. You can install the lilo loader using liloconfig and choosing the "expert" option -- when you "Begin" a new lilo header the third question you are asked whether to install to the "root superblock", a floppy, or to the MBR. Choose the "root superblock" option (this is the boot sector of the Slackware partition). You will then have to manually modify your GRUB configuration to chainload the Slackware partition.

Regardless which method you use, you will need to manually modify your GRUB configuration because this is not performed by the default Slackware installation.



Note: if you want GRUB to present multiple Slackware kernels in its menu then you must let GRUB handle the Slackware bootup. If you chainload and want to have multiple kernels available, the user will need to be presented with a LILO menu so that the kernel image can be selected.

Thanks - that all makes sense.
I can boot to a text log-in usingIf I log in as user and run startx it drops to a black screen for ever.
If I run liloconf as root it appears to be broken. The screen for selecting the root partition will not scroll down to reveal the partition I need.
I also notice some errors during boot about missing magic numbers in some file headers, so I am now suspecting the install media.
I did not find a checksum for the .iso, but as I used .torrent I was fairly sure it was OK.
If I try to boot with Which from your post should be enough, it ends in kernel panic.
I will try a re-install if I can find the md5 for the .iso.