Linux- SystemCommander?

[Tuzinor]

Can't get Linux-Mandrake 7.2 Complete to boot thru System Commander.Hopefully someone can help-below are contents I sent to Mandrake in an E-mail:
Ran /sbin/lilo- no change- only get "LI" when booting with System Commander. Can boot with floppy. Am providing info below.
Three Hard drives:
#1- two partitions- first one-Windows 98SE-where System Commander is installed.
#2- Two partitions- currently Windows partitions
#3- Three partitions- first- Linux-Mandrake 7.2 Complete,2nd- Windows, Third-BeOS.
LiloConfig is as follows:
boot=/dev/hda1
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
default=linux
keytable=/boot/us.klt
lba32
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux
root=/dev/hda1
append=\" hdd=ide-scsi\"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux-nonfb
root=/dev/hda1
append=\" hdd=ide-scsi\"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=failsafe
root=/dev/hda1
append=\" hdd=ide-scsi failsafe\"
read-only
On the Floppy the line for image is "image=/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk" This is different from from the LiloConfig. Is this normal? During Install I installed the bootloader into the boot sector not the MBR of hard drive three as I was told it needed to be to work with System Commander.
Does something need to be changed in the LILOConfig or do I need to install the bootloader into the MBR of the hard drive?
Below is the partition info you previously asked for:
Device Boot Start End Blocks ID System
/dev/hda1 1 1147 9213246 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 2492 4981 20000925 F Win95 EXT'd(LBA)
/dev/hda3 1148 2491 10795680 C Win95 Fat32(LBA)
/dev/hda5 * 2492 4981 20000893+ eb BeOS fs

I got the following info with System Commander:
Drive/Partition ID StartSector Head Cylinder EndingSector Head Cylinder

2-0 83 1 1 0 63 254 1022

Sector-first- 63 total- 18426492

I know that Linux is supposed to be able to boot with System Commander-is there anything in the info above that can tell why it's not working?
The Windows hard drive is on the built in Promise ATA 100 Controller. The Third hard drive with Linux is on the built in ATA 66 controller- ASUS A7V Motherboard.
I don't see why this would make a difference but am providing the info anyhow. I've played a lot of e-mail tag over this problem- anyone have any ideas? Thank's- Dave

[motorhead28]

I'm glad I'm not alone. Although I can't offer any solutions, I am watching your post as well, because I have the same problem. I am running 2 hard drives. The first is partitioned for win98se(which has SC2000 installed on it) and I also created a linux partition on the first drive. The second drive is used for .dat files and backup. I believe that the problem you're having is that when you reboot, the system boots straight into linux. Is that correct? I believe that when you install linux, LILO overwrites the MBR, which was previously controlled by the SC dual boot screen. How one would correct this is beyond my knowledge. If you figure it out, let me know and I will do the same.

[brasso]

I've been using SystemCommander since the Win3.1/Win95a days when I didn't want to let go of my Windows3.1. I perserved for about a week trying to put RedHat's 3 partitions on my 2nd IDE drive and boot LILO via a SystemCommander menu item. I've seen it stated here (this conference) that LILO *MUST* exist on a partition on hda. After I saw that I went back a dug around trying to find where it said it in the documentation I got with RH7. I did find it mentioned a couple of times, they don't emphacise it.

Like most OS packrats I have all the Primarys on my hda taken up already with my other items (all Windows variations). Also my sda, which RH7 can't see anyway. I bought the 2nd IDE drive for a backup drive to image my system. So I had 3 primaries I could play with there, using about 2G total to fool around with RH7. I might as well had just 2, as I can't get LILO to work anyway.


I use LOADLIN, booting into my Win98 (SysCmdr swaps out the config files) and in my CONFIG.SYS I call loadlin.exe, which calls Linux. I downloaded LOADLIN, but later found it exists on the RH7 CD under dosutilities. I had to kind of guess how to use it to call loadlin, despite copious instructions that came with it. Can't paste in the call here cause it's in Win98 and I'm in RH7, and I don't mount that partition here, though maybe I should, I'm always wanting something there. I mount 1 DOS partition but thought I might screw up my Win98 C drive if I mount it all the time. Let me know if you want that LOADLIN command, you can put in memory size, other args.

I also tried to make LILO into a file and call the file from SysCmdr, which it suggests somewhere or other, but couldn't make that work either.

To make SysCmdr boot from LILO to a 2nd (or 3rd) hard drive like you guys do, I now believe you must put a small primary partition on your 1st drive and install LILO there, calling it the /boot partition, then point SysCmdr to that.

There's also some entity called grub, which I GUESS works like LOADLIN, and is, I think, enclosed with another distro that RH7. I've seen in mentioned on this forum.
Earl

[Tuzinor]

Tried posting this last nite thru Linux-would not work-man I hate typing for nothing!Ok-here's what I did: used DRAKCONFIG>Tools for Booting>Bootloader>changed each one to include the Kernel info.Ran /sbin/lilo-it worked.Booted back into Windows-disabled System Commander to remove it from the MBR of the Windows drive>renabled it to write in the new info>tried booting into Linux with SC still got "LI"!You were right about the "LI" message-according to The Linux Bootdisk HowTo "LI" means this:"The first stage bootloader was able to load the second stage bootloader,but failed to execute it.This can either be caused by a geometry mismatch or by moving /boot/boot.b without running the map installer".Map Installer? What is that? Now how do I solve this problem. Mandrake asked for the Partitioning info in my earlier post-must have been satisfied with what they saw-just said run /sbin/lilo-which I did which of course has not worked whether the IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz or /boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk is in LiloConfig.I checked the floppy-the kernel info is in the Image= line in LiloConfig.
I did contact Tech support for System Commander- they said it should work with Linux and that for SC to boot Linux that Lilo must be installed into the /boot partition not the MBR.
I made sure that when contacting both SC & Mandrake that I stated that SC is on the FIRST hard drive with Windows 98SE and that Linux was on the THIRD hard drive first partition. Now whether they paid attention to that I don't know.I understand that to work with SC that Lilo could not be installed on the MBR of the first hard drive even if I had Linux on the first drive because SC writes to it to function.
Because Linux is on the third hard drive-should Lilo be installed into the MBR of that drive> I'm just grasping at straws here.Below is my current LiloConfig.Do you or anyone else see any info that could be causing "LI" with System Commander? And again what is the Map Installer and could this be part of the problem?

boot=/dev/hda1
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
vga=normal
default=linux
keytable=/boot/us.klt
lba32
prompt
timeout=500
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=linux
root=/dev/hda1
append="hdd=ide-scsi"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=linux-nonfb
root=/dev/hda1
append="hdd=ide-scsi"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
lable=failsafe
root=/dev/hda1
append="hdd=ide-scsi"
read-only
other=/dev/hda3
label=windows
table=/dev/hda
other=/dev/fd0
label=floppy
unsafe

Dazed,confused but DETERMINED! Any help will be greatly appreciated- thank's- Dave

:mad:

[ovf]

Hi Dave,

I use SC 2000 to boot linux but use loadlin instead of LILO because the first time I tried LILO I messed up my boot block. Also loadlin let's me use DOS to setup the SBLIVE! card before booting Linux. I just looked in the SC manual and it suggests loading Lilo into the root partition, not the MBR.

" To install LILO into the root superblock of an existing partition modify /etc/lilo.conf so that the boot= line refers to your root partion and not your first hard disk. (i.e. boot=/dev/hda5 instead of boot=/dev/hda)."


So it sounds like your first configuration should have worked. I noticed your lilo.conf lists hda1 as the linux root. Should that be hd<whateverdrivelinuxison><linuxrootpartion>, for example hdc1?

I'm trying to piece together what your current status is. It sounds like SC comes up when you boot and your currently able to boot into windows but not Linux SC is booting LILO but LILO can't find the Linux root. Is that correct? Have you considered using loadlin? How is your current configuration different from the first?

[Tuzinor]

Not familiar with Loadlin.I have an ASUS A7V motherboard with a built in Promise ATA 100 Controller and a built in ATA 66 controller.The Promise ATA 100 has it's own BIOS.My first two hard drives are on the ATA 100.The third hard drive with Linux on it is on the ATA 66 which the Bios sees first> so the third hard drive is on the primary of the ATA 66 is /dev/hda.The dvdrom is the master on the secondary: /dev/hdc & the CdBurner is the slave: /dev/hdd.
/dev/hda1 is the root partition.
The change I made from a suggestion was to include the Kernel info in the "Image=" line.
Ran /sbin/lilo and did what I posted earlier.
You're correct> am able to boot into Windows & BeOS with System Commander but with Linux only get to "LI" which according to the Linux HowTo says that the second stage bootloader is not executing.THe question is at this point is WHY ISN"T IT? I am new to Linux.Even Mandrake said they were referring this to their engineers-that was why they asked for the Partitioning info>their last response was to run /sbin/lilo again because I hadn't done it before.Obviously that didn't work.I know that System commander & Linux are supposed to be able to work together-from what I can see the problem is not with SC but with Lilo.Can you fill me in on Loadlin and any other ideas? Thank's- Dave :o

[ovf]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tuzinor:
[B]I have an ASUS A7V motherboard with a built in Promise ATA 100 Controller and a built in ATA 66 controller.The Promise ATA 100 has it's own BIOS.My first two hard drives are on the ATA 100.The third hard drive with Linux on it is on the ATA 66 which the Bios sees first> so the third hard drive is on the primary of the ATA 66 is /dev/hda.The dvdrom is the master on the secondary: /dev/hdc & the CdBurner is the slave: /dev/hdd.
/dev/hda1 is the root partition.


Oh boy! I'm in over my head here. I've never tried anything even remotely close to this so I'm not sure loadlin would work, but in a nutshell you would have to use SC 2000 to create another dos prompt option in your boot selection menu. Then create a directory to hold a customized version of autoexec.bat, a copy of loadlin.exe, and a copy of your kernel image. SC can be configured to invoke the new autoexec.bat when you boot to the dos prompt. Then autoexec.bat would run loadlin and pass it some parameters such as the name of the local copy of your kernel, the root directory of your linux installation, and boot parameters such as memory size or no smp. Loadlin loads the kernel which does the normal startup then mounts linux root partion and continues running from there.

I believe most linux distributions come with loadlin.exe and a description of how to use it.

[Tuzinor]

Thought I'd let you know what I tried today.
Decided to try and install on the second hard drive again.Set up a 15mb /boot partition-(hdf1)a 125mb swap partition-(hdf3) and the rest / -(hdf4).After installing I went into Lilo Config and added the paramters for the ATA 100 controller in the Append section-"ide2=0x8400,0x8002 ide2=autotune ide0=autotune".The first time I tried with System Commander I got "second stage" and then it stopped.
I played with LiloConfig a few times-after running /sbin/lilo I get the following messages:
/dev/hdf1 is not on the first disk
Warning: Bios drive 0x82 may not be accessible-this I get 4 times.Now I'm back to "LI" again when booting thru System Commander.I can boot thru the floppy but I have to add "linux ide2=0x8400,0x8002 each time.I'm wondering what to try nect short of compiling a kernel.Any of this info make sense? Thank's- Dave

[Tuzinor]

Here's a link has info about Bios/Linux reading drives differently.http://www.zepa.net/hypermail/elug/2001/01/0068html .Below is the updated LiloConfig- the problem I get now is I get ? marks instead of " marks in the append section-I have tried editing them out-doesn't work.Each time I run /sbin/lilo I get "syntax error line 24".How do I solve this problem? I think I'm on to something here but am stuck at this point- suggestions? Thank's- Dave

disk=/dev/hde
bios=0x80
disk=/dev/hdf
bios=0x81
disk=/dev/hda
bios=0x82
disk=/dev/hdc
bios=0x83
boot=/dev/hdf1
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
vga=normal
default=linux
keytable=/boot/us.klt
lba32
compact
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=linux
root=/dev/hdf4
append=? hdd=ide-scsi ide2=0x8400,0x8002 ide2=autotune ide0=autotune?
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=linux-nonfb
root=/dev/hdf4
append=? hdd=ide-scsi ide2=0x8400,0x8002 ide2=autotune ide0=autotune?
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-21mdk
label=failsafe
root=/dev/hdf4
append=? hdd=ide-scsi failsafe ide2=0x8400,0x8002 ide2=autotune ide0=autotune?
read-only
other=/dev/hda3
label=windows
table=/dev/hda
map-drive=0x82
to=0x83
map-drive=0x83
to=0x82
other=/dev/hde1
label=windows2
table=/dev/hde
map-drive=0x80
to=0x81
map-drive=0x81
to=0x80
other=/dev/hdf4
label=floppy
unsafe