LinuxQuestions.org - strange LiLo problem...?

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- - strange LiLo problem...? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/strange-lilo-problem-4175440543/)

It would be better if you appended both lilo.conf files, the one from 12.2 which produced the mbr for 12.2 and the one you're using now.

You are right, the lba32 setting doesn't solve your problem with Xandros, but you should put the line into your lilo.conf anyway.

Markus

Quote:

Originally Posted by markush (Post 4845164)

It would be better if you appended both lilo.conf files, the one from 12.2 which produced the mbr for 12.2 and the one you're using now.

Markus

who that gives? i not see options, who can give difference in that, and "xandros" section is the same in both .conf's....i think, between lilo versions somehow is changed, who in final give that bug / problem.

Well, here a section of man lilo.conf

Code:

table=<device>

              This specifies the device that contains the partition table.  The boot loader will pass default partition information to the booted oper‐

              ating  system  if  this  variable  is  omitted. (Some operating systems have other means to determine from which partition they have been

              booted.  E.g., MS-DOS usually stores the geometry of the boot disk or partition in its boot sector.)  Note that /sbin/lilo must be re-run

              if a partition table mapped referenced with `table' is modified.

You should add the line table = /dev/sda again to the lilo.conf entry for Xandros, run lilo and then please post the complete messages from lilo.

Then reboot and start Xandros and if possible post all messages (if it doesn't work).

Markus

Quote:

Originally Posted by markush (Post 4845178)

Well, here a section of man lilo.conf

Code:

table=<device>

              This specifies the device that contains the partition table.  The boot loader will pass default partition information to the booted oper‐

              ating  system  if  this  variable  is  omitted. (Some operating systems have other means to determine from which partition they have been

              booted.  E.g., MS-DOS usually stores the geometry of the boot disk or partition in its boot sector.)  Note that /sbin/lilo must be re-run

              if a partition table mapped referenced with `table' is modified.

very strange. as i wrote, i restore old MBR on sda, as so, i can run Xandros, if first boot device is set to sda disc, but in that case i cannot run my new slack 14.
after that, i check this, and in bios, set first boot device to sdb, on when mbr must be a slack 14.0 installed lilo ( after install slack 14 i install his lilo on sdb, and only after that, reinstall slack 14 lilo to sda ). but when i boot to sdb, i got "Li Li Li Li Li"in two or three lines, who indicatte a broken lilo loader, as i understand :-O
then i put bootable USB flash, from who i installed slack 14, and boot with hugesmp.s root=/dev/sdb1 rdinit= ro
after biooting in that manner in my slack 14 on sdb1, i edit lilo.conf to put mbr to sdb, and after lilo command all works ( when i boot from sdb) - slack 14, and xandros is ok. today i boot in slack 14, and again edit lilo.conf - add default = Slack_gen, rerun lilo ( only warning is about LBA32 again) - and again get non working xandros.
now i try again boot from usb flash and rerun lilo from that. looks like is a difference (strange) - if i start system from usb flash, then lilo installed correctly, if from system disk - then i have problem. very strange for me, lilo binary and so on even if start from usb flash, gets from my sdb1 disk, as i understand? then where may be a problem? :-O

as i say, after booting from usb via hugesmp.s kernel, lilo makes good mbr. there is last lilo conf and lilo -v -v -v output, when "lilo -v -v -v" from booted from usb flash, and when i get good lilo mbr with working xandros in result.

lilo.conf:

Code:

# LILO configuration file

# generated by 'liloconfig'

#

# Start LILO global section

boot = /dev/sda

compact        # faster, but won't work on all systems.

# Boot BMP Image.

# Bitmap in BMP format: 640x480x8

  bitmap = /boot/slack.bmp

# Menu colors (foreground, background, shadow, highlighted

# foreground, highlighted background, highlighted shadow):

  bmp-colors = 255,0,255,0,255,0

# Location of the option table: location x, location y, number of

# columns, lines per column (max 15), "spill" (this is how many

# entries must be in the first column before the next begins to

# be used.  We don't specify it here, as there's just one column.

  bmp-table = 60,6,1,16

# Timer location x, timer location y, foreground color,

# background color, shadow color.

  bmp-timer = 65,27,0,255

# Standard menu.

# Or, you can comment out the bitmap menu above and

# use a boot message with the standard menu:

#message = /boot/boot_message.txt



# Append any additional kernel parameters:

append=" vt.default_utf8=1"

prompt

timeout = 50

Default = Slack_gen

# Normal VGA console

vga = normal

# Ask for video mode at boot (time out to normal in 30s)

#vga = ask

# 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/sdb1

  label = Slack

  read-only  # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking



image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-3.2.29

 initrd = /boot/initrd.gz

  root = /dev/sdb1

  label = Slack_gen

  read-only  # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking





# Linux bootable partition config ends

# Linux bootable partition config begins



other = /dev/sda1

label = Xandrosss

table = /dev/sda



#  read-only  # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking

# Linux bootable partition config ends

and there is output from lilo -v -v -v:

Code:



LILO version 23.2 (released 09-Apr-2011)

  * Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger  (until v20)

  * Copyright (C) 1999-2007 John Coffman  (until v22)

  * Copyright (C) 2009-2011 Joachim Wiedorn  (since v23)

This program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. This is free software 

distributed under the BSD License (3-clause). Details can be found in 

the file COPYING, which is distributed with this software.

Compiled at 14:13:34 on Aug 20 2012

Running Linux kernel 3.2.29-smp on i686



Warning: LBA32 addressing assumed

device-mapper major = 253

raid_setup returns offset = 00000000  ndisk = 0

 BIOS  VolumeID  Device

Reading boot sector from /dev/sda

pf_hard_disk_scan: ndevs=3

  0800  29642963  /dev/sda

  0810  90599059  /dev/sdb

  0820  0CF406EA  /dev/sdc

Resolve invalid VolumeIDs

Resolve duplicate VolumeIDs

  0800  29642963  /dev/sda

  0810  90599059  /dev/sdb

  0820  0CF406EA  /dev/sdc

device codes (user assigned pf) = 0

device codes (user assigned) = 0

device codes (BIOS assigned) = 0

Filling in '/dev/sda' = 0x80

Filling in '/dev/sdb' = 0x81

Filling in '/dev/sdc' = 0x82

device codes (canonical) = 7

Device 0x0800: BIOS drive 0x80, 255 heads, 981 cylinders,

              63 sectors. Partition offset: 0 sectors.

Using Volume ID 29642963 on bios 80

Device 0x0811: BIOS drive 0x81, 255 heads, 3924 cylinders,

              63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.

Using Volume ID 90599059 on bios 81

Warning: Unable to determine video adapter in use in the present system.

Using BITMAP secondary loader

Calling map_insert_data

Secondary loader: 19 sectors (0x3800 dataend).

Warning: The boot sector and map file are on different disks.

bios_boot = 0x80  bios_map = 0x81  map==boot = 0  map S/N: 90599059

Mapping bitmap file /boot/slack.bmp

Device 0x0811: BIOS drive 0x81, 255 heads, 3924 cylinders,

              63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.

Using Volume ID 90599059 on bios 81

width=640 height=480 planes=1 bits/plane=8

Warning: Video adapter does not support VESA BIOS extensions needed for

  display of 256 colors.  Boot loader will fall back to TEXT only operation.

Calling map_insert_file

Compaction removed 26 BIOS calls.

Bitmap: 28 sectors.

BIOS data check will include auto-suppress check

image_menu_space = 16



Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-huge-smp-3.2.29-smp

Device 0x0811: BIOS drive 0x81, 255 heads, 3924 cylinders,

              63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.

Using Volume ID 90599059 on bios 81

Setup length is 32 sectors.

Compaction removed 11617 BIOS calls.

Mapped 11838 sectors.

Added Slack

    <dev=0xe1,hd=73,cyl=129,sct=95>

    "ro root=811  vt.default_utf8=1"



Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-generic-3.2.29

Device 0x0811: BIOS drive 0x81, 255 heads, 3924 cylinders,

              63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.

Using Volume ID 90599059 on bios 81

Setup length is 31 sectors.

Compaction removed 5450 BIOS calls.

Mapped 5572 sectors.

Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd.gz

Device 0x0811: BIOS drive 0x81, 255 heads, 3924 cylinders,

              63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.

Using Volume ID 90599059 on bios 81

Compaction removed 6844 BIOS calls.

RAM disk: 6954 sectors.

The initial RAM disk will be loaded in the high memory above 16M.

Added Slack_gen  +  *

    <dev=0xe1,hd=73,cyl=129,sct=100>

    "ro root=811  vt.default_utf8=1"



Boot other: /dev/sda1, on /dev/sda, loader CHAIN

Device 0x0801: BIOS drive 0x80, 255 heads, 981 cylinders,

              63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.

Using Volume ID 29642963 on bios 80

Device 0x0800: BIOS drive 0x80, 255 heads, 981 cylinders,

              63 sectors. Partition offset: 0 sectors.

Using Volume ID 29642963 on bios 80

Compaction removed 0 BIOS calls.

Mapped 6 (4+1+1) sectors.

Added Xandrosss

    <dev=0xe1,hd=73,cyl=129,sct=109>



 BIOS  VolumeID  Device

  80    29642963    0800

  81    90599059    0810

  82    0CF406EA    0820

Writing boot sector.

/boot/boot.0800 exists - no boot sector backup copy made.

Map file size: 36352 bytes.

RAID device mask 0x0000

Failsafe check:  boot_dev_nr = 0x0800 0xfffffff0

map==boot = 0    map s/n = 90599059

4 warnings were issued.

Anyone have an idea, what is wrong, and how i can get "good working" lilo, if i boot from sda mbr ?

Well, no idea what's going wrong. But I had never such a setup that lilo was installd on another physical disk than Slackware.

What you could try, provided that Xandros does not use an initrd: copy the Xandroskernel into your Slackware boot directory. Then change the Xandros entry in your lilo.conf to

Code:

image = /boot/xandros-kernel

root = /dev/sda1

label = Xandros

read-only

where you of course replace "xandros-kernel" with the name of the Xandros kernel. Then run lilo and look what happens. And please don't use the -v option at first, you'll get a better overview with lilo's normal errormessages.

And if lilo can add Xandros, try to boot Xandros. This setup should be independent from where lilo is installed, the MBR of /dev/sda or /dev/sdb

Markus

Quote:

Originally Posted by markush (Post 4845591)

Code:

image = /boot/xandros-kernel

root = /dev/sda1

label = Xandros

read-only

seems like i do bad situation overview.
on that stage is clear, not important, where lilo is installed - to sda or sdb mbr. difference is - how slackware started. it is started from usb flash, then lilo works good in mbr installing, if it boots from internal system dik - then we go problem.
i see, general difference on that metods is kernel - try to make additional section in lilo with "hugesmp.s" kernel, and try see, what changes, if i boot system from ssytem disk with hugesmp.s kernel.
alhough i cannot imagine, who in kernel options in same kernel verison (?) can be make that effect, but want to try verify this. in any case, as i understand, in both startup ways, root partition ( /dev/sdb1) is the same, and programms and binaries ( include lilo programm binary ) is the same in both cases...

try to write image and put xandros kernel in slackware /boot can be a workaround, but in that case, i think, must be a native solution...

I think I did not understand you correctly, could you please clearify: Do Xandros and Slackware boot correctly after you've installe Lilo from the install-USB-stick? or do both only boot correctly when you boot from the install-USB-stick?

Markus

Quote:

Originally Posted by markush (Post 4845599)

if i boot from usb stick, and then reinstall lilo, all works ok - xandros, and slackware.
if i boot from system disk ( via mbr on sda or sdb), then if i reinstall lilo with the same lilo.conf, after that xandros stop to boot with error 2: messages, as i described in first post...

why don't you just choose one disk to be boot and move the other kernelimage to /boot dir on that disk and then run lilo, that should give you no problems

Quote:

Originally Posted by tty13 (Post 4845682)

why don't you just choose one disk to be boot and move the other kernelimage to /boot dir on that disk and then run lilo, that should give you no problems

because approx ten years i use option "other=" for boot systems on another disks - dos / windows, and even another linux systems,and all that years it works perfectly with no problems. and i think - this is right way. as so, i want to continue that practice, especially, i see, there is variant. only want to sort that strange problem out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiseDraco (Post 4845720)

because approx ten years i use ...
...only want to sort that strange problem out.

Typical Slacker ;)